Learning how to Network Effectively as an Introvert

I really want to get my business going as fast as possible and networking, word-of-mouth, and introducing myself to small local businesses are my best options. But, there’s only so much I can handle before my introverted, sensitive personality starts to get irritated, exhausted, and stressed. I hit that limit this week for sure.

This is definitely a struggle for me because if I network too much I will end up hating my business instead of loving it. If I network too less I won’t be giving my business the exposure it needs. I know I can find a healthy balance, but I do worry over time it’s just going to exhaust me to the point where I would rather be doing anything else. For now I’m staying positive about all the business opportunities out there for me. I know that once I have a couple different clients the networking will get easier and my business will become more fun, and I will eventually receive a lot of business just through referrals.

I don’t necessarily enjoy the networking I do even when I have the energy for it, but I’m convinced that once I start making friends it will get easier and easier. However, I’m absolutely concerned with where people’s heads our at with the design of some of these networking events. I attended one about a month ago that meets every Thursday for an hour and requires each person to pay around $450.00 for a year membership. I asked where the money goes and they informed me that it all goes to the corporate office. Then, they still have to pay for food each week when they meet. So someone chose to form this expensive group and charge people all this money when they could just create a small group of people who want to network and get together on a regular basis for free. I never went back, I never looked back.

There’s other networking groups with costs, but if I know my money is going toward something that I will benefit from directly then that’s another story. Very few networking events I attend are actually enjoyable. I feel like the elevator speeches and presentations are old, stale, and won’t last forever. I feel this is the older generation stuck in old techniques, yet I’m not sure quite yet how it could be done differently.