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Does this scene fill you with fear? 3 tips to rock a networking event.

Feel the fear and do it anyway!


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Cassandra (Leong) Lister

2 years ago | 1 min read

Photo credit: Product School on Unsplash

As a child, my teachers called me ‘talkative’. And trust me, it wasn’t conveyed as a positive trait. In high school, my voice had been quieted so much, my teachers said ‘I was too shy and needed to speak up more!’.

But my confidence had already been damaged. Or had it? Here are 3 tips that
will help you the next time you walk into a room full of strangers.

  1. Change the narrative in your head: Ask yourself — Why are you anxious? Scared? If like me in the early days, it’s probably because we fear rejection. So, ask yourself why you care so much about strangers not accepting you. If they don’t, move on to the next person. Their loss!
  2. Look for other people who are standing by themselves: I would bet big $$ (& I’m not a betting person) that there will be many others feeling exactly the same as you are. Nervous and wondering why the hell they are putting themselves through this. Walk up to them and introduce yourself. The smile of gratefulness on their face will say it all.
  3. Seat yourself near others: As you get comfortable, turn to them, introduce yourself and ask open-ended questions. e.g. If it’s a business event “Which topic/s interest you the most?”. If it’s a non-business event “What do you for
    fun?”.

Rinse and repeat. And before you know it, you’ll hardly break a sweat at the next conference or party.

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Cassandra (Leong) Lister

Mother of twins. Commonwealth citizen. Former Global Banker. Aspiring book author. All stories and opinions published are my own.


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