Ever heard of an introvert networking? Neither have I! But, here’s an IET (Idiotic Emission of Thoughts) that I have gotten.. its a strong intuition that introverts can make great networkers.
Let me explain.. Often times, people feel that the best way to network is to be an extrovert. This strategy has a proven effective historically, for sure. Infact, in their better moments, extroverts charm people. Everyone likes them, but often, they are saying nothing of substance and they just don’t have time because they need to move on to make sure they talk to everyone in order to remain stimulated and I’m sure you’d know the scene.. Going from group to group, spending a few minutes with everyone, hugging people and laughing with them.
On the other hand, the introverts and sober and quite in their own awesomeness. They tend to have a highly responsive nervous system, just like the volume control knob on a stereo: Introverts’ internal volume is turned up a little bit higher than average. They’re more sensitive to social stimulation and ambient noise; needless to say that they tend to congregate on the outsides of social gatherings. In general, they’re always trying to minimize the excessive amount of stimulation
But, in my opinion of all practical terms, I feel that spending considerably longer than normal, 15-20 minutes, with fewer people generally strikes out and I’m sure you’d find opportunities to collaborate. Being an extrovert, you most likely would have spent a few minutes with them but then pushed on thereby missing the opportunities that presented themselves. However, when you make the conscious decision to act like an introvert and spend more quality time with a few people, it might just pay off and deepen into a more strategic relationship.
Ofcourse, you know what is the best part about experimenting networking like an introvert if you are an extrovert? and networking like an extrovert if you are introvert? Yes, you learn to push yourself beyond your comfort zone to accomplish a goal; Whether its required or not, is a decision that needs to made apriori :)
