Many of you know that I’m a card carrying introvert on the MBTI scale (INFP), and as such, business networking isn’t high on my lists of things I love to do. Or, should I say, networking as it’s traditionally carried out — big room, lots of people, mixing and mingling over drinks and inane cocktail party-like conversations — is not my favorite activity. I’d rather have a tooth pulled, I think, than be subjected to this type of networking activity. However, if you put me 1:1 with someone, or even with a small group of people around a table, I have a good time and make great contacts.
However, organizations around the world seem to believe that the “big group” networking is most effective, so they sponsor many of these events during the course of a year. Sometimes you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone to achieve your goals, especially as a business owner, and that can be a very scary feeling. Consequently, I have dragged myself, sometimes kicking and screaming, to more of these events than I care to count.
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