Lots of people feel uncomfortable when going to receptions, conferences, training courses and other networking events.
Especially when they don’t know anybody and it is the first time they attend a meeting of that particular organisation.
Being an introvert myself, I still have that feeling of not being comfortable in my belly when I’m in that situation.
One way of dealing with this helped me and many other people that participated in our training courses: address the issue.
How can you do that?
Approach someone and use a sentence that looks like this: “It is my first time here and I don’t know what to expect from this event. Do you have any idea how this event works?”
When you do this two things will happen:
1) The uncomfortable feeling will immediately drop with at least 50%. Why? The biggest reason why we feel uncomfortable is that it is a new situation. By addressing that feeling, it will go away. This may sound a little weird, but try it and experience the difference !
2) 95% of the people you approach with a sentence like this, will immediately offer to help you. Or they share that it is also the first time for them which makes you “brothers in arms”. Feeling supported in any way will also help you to focus on the other person or talk about other things. As a result the uncomfortable feeling will disappear further.
Have a great next networking event !
Jan
Jan Vermeiren is the founder of Networking Coach and author of the networking books Let’s Connect! and How to REALLY use LinkedIn (both in English and Dutch)
Tags: approach people, conference, convention, event, networking, reception, uncomfortable
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