Rarely will you hear someone actually say out loud that they don’t network because they don’t like other people. They might not think of it as disliking other people. It might be stated as avoiding sales people, or not having the time to spend, or that the event doesn’t attract their kind of crowd. However it is stated or thought, it is one of the reasons that some people don’t get themselves “out there” and into networking events. If you don’t like and enjoy spending time with people, you’re going to have a very hard time getting results from networking.

Expert networkers develop a wonderful ability to like, appreciate, and enjoy the company of nearly every one they meet. It’s not just the extroverts, either. Introverts who are excellent networkers also build their capacity for getting enjoyment from other people (just fewer at a time).

Why is it so important to expert networkers to have a great capability to like nearly everyone they meet?

They know that you get back what you put out. If you like other people and treat them as interesting and worthwhile, they will treat you the same way.

Any hint of disdain, distaste or dislike, no matter how well hidden, will be sensed by other people. They may not know realize exactly what is going on in the other person’s mind, but they will feel uncomfortable around them and will avoid their company.

Experienced networkers also know that disliking other people for their human characteristics is dangerously close to many ‘isms’. If they dislike someone, it is specific to one person for strong reasons that are based on facts.

The final and perhaps greatest reason why successful networkers like nearly everyone they meet, is because they know that you can never tell how someone may be able to help you. If you shut the door on a future relationship because you’ve decided that you dislike something about them, then you may have lost a tremendous resource. Learn to develop your ability to like and appreciate more people and you’ll find that you have developed more opportunities.

Looking for more networking tips, tricks, strategies & advice? Visit Meeting Wave’s Networking Motivator Blog.

About the Author: Beth Bridges is The Networking Motivator ™ and creator of the 5 Part Networking Success Plan ™, a simple networking system that can help anyone from business owners to sales agents to college students develop a powerful network. Subscribe to the weekly Networking Motivator Newsletter at http://www.thenetworkingmotivator.com/ for a quick boost of networking inspiration, information and motivation.”

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.meetingwave.com as the original source).

Do you avoid networking because you don’t like the way other people act at networking events? Here are common complaints that people have about the behaviors they encounter at networking events:

• They are always trying to sell
• they’re not friendly
• They aren’t approachable because they are huddled together in small groups
• They don’t converse, but instead complain about everything
• They try to convince you about the superiority of their cause/politics/favorite sport.

This can be true. I’ve encountered these and many other worse behaviors at networking events. But it’s more the exception than the rule, except for the selling which is a topic for another day. I find for the most part that people I meet at networking events are friendly, encouraging, and interesting.

So why do people I know who are going to the same events find that they are getting the unappealing behaviors listed above? I think there’s one of two things happening:

1. They are networking in the wrong place, or
2. It’s not other people, it’s you.

The first item shouldn’t be a problem if you’re networking at business trade shows, professional organizations, and in your Chamber of Commerce. All these activities are designed for people to meet, be friendly and discuss business.

If you’re at the right place, but you still feel like you’re always being sold, that people aren’t friendly, or you’re getting into controversial discussions with complete strangers at events: maybe it’s not them, maybe it’s you.

We get back what we project out to other people.

• If you think other people aren’t nice, that will make you feel unhappy. Then you’ll appear to be unfriendly. Only the most Pollyanna people will listen to you complain about how unfriendly everyone is. Everyone else will seem to be unfriendly because they’re avoiding you and your grumpy face.
• If you feel like other people are selling, we need to take responsibility to redirect, stop, or education them. Or, we might be getting their sales pitch because that’s how we introduced ourselves. We want to teach others that we want to build a little bit of a relationship and determine a need before we go into a sales pitch.

• If you get complaints, are you complaining yourself? Opening the conversation with a complaint brings out the competitive nature in people and they’ll respond with “Oh yeah? Listen to this!” You’ll get nothing but worse and worse stories throughout the evening (because you’ll have to top theirs, and so on).

• If you skip the small talk and going right to the vital causes in your life (politics, sports, religion) without establishing any rapport at all, you’ll reveal three kinds of people. Those who don’t want to debate the issues who will leave as soon as possible and avoid you, those who agree with you who will form a little permanent consensus cluster, and those who disagree with you (and have strong opinions themselves) who will want to convert you to their way of thinking. Then you’ll have your argument.

The next time you find yourself thinking how much you don’t like the way other people act when they network, stop and asses your own behavior first. We very often don’t realize what we’re doing. A positive change in our style will bring out the best in others, too.

Looking for more networking tips, tricks, strategies & advice? Visit Meeting Wave’s Networking Motivator Blog.

About the Author: Beth Bridges is The Networking Motivator ™ and creator of the 5 Part Networking Success Plan ™, a simple networking system that can help anyone from business owners to sales agents to college students develop a powerful network. Subscribe to the weekly Networking Motivator Newsletter at http://www.thenetworkingmotivator.com/ for a quick boost of networking inspiration, information and motivation.”

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.meetingwave.com as the original source).

It seems like a contradiction: trade shows attract large crowds, but introverted networkers don’t enjoy big groups of people. But there are characteristics of trade shows that make them a terrific venue for introverts to meet people, gain exposure, and learn more about their business environment.

Introverts like to study a situation and take their time before moving into a conversation or other interaction. But they feel self-conscious about standing by themselves at a mixer, after-hours, or other networking event. While they might be deep in thought, they worry that the might look anti-social. But at a trade show, you can just walk along at your own pace, not saying anything, just taking it all in, and you won’t look out of place.

While extroverts tend to not worry about talking to strangers, introverts can hesitate about making the first move. But at a trade show, you don’t have to initiate the conversation. Approach a booth, pick up some literature, and the person behind the table will start the conversation! How easy is that?

Trade shows are also a great way to be seen (be sure to wear a name badge). Remember, it’s not as much about who you know, as who knows you. Introverts can promote themselves and their business without saying a word by dropping a business card into giveaway basket. Sure, you’ll get a sales letter or call, but at least they’ll have been exposed to your name, title, and company, at least once or twice.

Other great advantages of attending trade shows:

• You don’t have to engage if you don’t want to. You can look and listen without feeling out of place.
• No need for small talk, the topic of conversation will obviously be about the show and the exhibitor booth you’re visiting.
• You don’t have to talk about yourself if you don’t want to.
• You can pick and choose among the many exhibitors to find the few that are the most relevant.

For introverts, trade shows are a great way to gain exposure and make a few, specific contacts without having to engage in the activities that make them feel uncomfortable. Plus, there’s a nice bonus of refreshing your supply of pens.

Looking for more networking tips, tricks, strategies & advice? Visit Meeting Wave’s Networking Motivator Blog.

About the Author: Beth Bridges is The Networking Motivator ™ and creator of the 5 Part Networking Success Plan ™, a simple networking system that can help anyone from business owners to sales agents to college students develop a powerful network. Subscribe to the weekly Networking Motivator Newsletter at http://www.thenetworkingmotivator.com/ for a quick boost of networking inspiration, information and motivation.”

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.meetingwave.com as the original source).