The benefits of networking—meeting new people and learning interesting new ideas—are invaluable. But if you, like many others, hate having to initiate awkward conversations with strangers, find an approach that makes you comfortable. Try:
- Bringing a friend. When you have a "wingman" to help highlight your accomplishments at events, it can give you the confidence you need to approach others. Just avoid spending the entire evening talking to that person
- Preparing a few opening lines. Develop a few questions to help you kickstart a dialogue. What's the coolest thing you're working on right now? How do you spend most of your time? How did you hear about the event?
- Researching in advance. It's easier to talk to someone if they don't feel like a stranger. Looking up speakers and attendees ahead of time will help you come up with topics of conversation.
Adapted from
“Networking When You Hate Talking to Strangers,” by Dorie Clark.
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