If you're as terrified of social situations as I am, the thought of heading to a strange location to meet a bunch of people you don't know, may make your heart beat out of your chest. The thing is, it will always be scary at first, even the most confident of people are a little nervous when meeting new people. Networking can apply to almost anything, from career networking to blogger networking, it all counts and it's all worth embracing the fear.
Find networking events in your area
Once you've made the decision to do a spot of networking, you then have to find people to network with. There are plenty of places to find out information on networking events, it could be through people you already know in that industry, through LinkedIn, Twitter and websites such as Meetup. Meetup is one of my favourites as you can search for any kind of networking event in your area, they then send you reminders when the meetup is happening and also any related events that you might be interested in.
Prep for your event
Not only does it come in handy when you prep to network, but feeling like you know what you're doing, where you're going and who's going to be there can put you at ease. Do your research on other people who might be at the event and if possible, chat to them online so that when you get there you have someone you already know.
It's always handy if you know where you are going and how you're going to get there. Have a look on Google maps to find the venue and plan your route so you don't get lost and miss it all together. Finally, make sure you have some business cards to hand, even if you don't offer a service it's good to have some cards with your name, twitter handle and email address so that you can keep in touch with all the awesome people you meet.
What to do when you get there
You may find that as soon as you get there and see all the strangers you'll be mingling with, your body freezes and you become the shyest person that ever lived. Ease yourself into it, grab a drink, get a name badge (if they have any) and find a table. Once you feel a little more comfortable in your surroundings, slip into a group conversation and just listen in for a while, or find someone who looks equally as scared as you.
You will usually find that people will notice you and introduce themselves regardless of what you do, they are there to network as well so nobody is going to ignore you completely. Everybody that is at that event will probably be just as nervous, and the important thing to remember is you are all there for the same reason. Collect as many business cards as you can and most importantly, just have fun.
