A New Networking Strategy for Women Who Hate Networking

You've decided that deepening your core network is something you want to focus on.

Great!

I'm a firm believer in growing deep, not just wide. That you get out what you put in. And as long as your expectations are sound and your boundaries are clear, then there's no reason to feel bad about a connection that just didn't make it to your core network.

Some connections will do that. They don't weather the storms. And that's okay.

Some connections strengthen until the only place for them to go is down with the ship.

Other connections wither away; some slowly, some surprisingly quick, others as they've run their course. Not usually for anything truly corrosive but just the normal weathering you can expect from building a network you keep at arm's length.

THAT'S WHY TRADITIONAL NETWORKING DOESN'T WORK.

It keeps you juuuuuuust far enough from building a lasting relationship that does more than generate referrals. And those "professional" connections either become distant to your network's core or completely lost to the world around it.

Traditional networking puts you in the room without any real direction for what to do while you're there. It invites you in and then leaves you to rely on other people to take the lead.

That won't change until we do.

The fear of putting yourself out there is big. I get it. There are perceived implications. Things you tell yourself will happen as a result of keeping your door open to connection.

READ 👉 [ Oh, you hate networking? How to Build Business Relationships Without Traditional Networking ]

Here is how you prepare to walk into an event with a fresh perspective and the confidence to invite someone in for a deeper, yet still professional connection.

KNOW WHY YOU'RE THERE

... and how much you're willing to give. Do you want to deepen one existing relationship? To collect three new contacts? To observe things? If you don't know why you're there, you won't know if you got what you came for and if you don't know how much you have to give, you'll end up leaving exhausted.

SHOW UP AS YOUR WHOLE SELF

Show up as your whole self while also acknowledging your presence, "big or small," makes an impact to those around you.

You have the power to change the space. Use that superpower to help you meet your goal of being there without taking from others.

RESEARCH WHO WILL BE THERE

And consider connecting with them on social media before, even if it's just liking a recent post! If there are speakers, sponsors, or vendors, be sure to follow them too so you have something relevant to talk about that's not the weather outside.

BRING A FRIEND

Seriously. There's nothing better to a workshop and event organizer than attendees bringing their friends. But better than that, it's good for your nervous system. When you bring a friend to a networking event, treat it like a wingman situation, not an "interference." I know you know what I'm talking about.

Networking is more than growing more visible in a room.

It's about finding people you want to authentically pour into knowing full and well you cannot pour everything into everyone. It's about adding rings to your web with strategy so when you're done pouring, there's enough at the bottom for you because other people have been pouring freely into you.

This is Day 16 of 30 days writing something every day. Leave a comment and share this blog with a friend!