Being an introvert and being a solopreneur is sometimes the best of both worlds. We can adjust our environment to completely cater to our introverted sensibilities, and only emerge from that environment to interact with clients and customers in situations that are mostly under our control.

Unfortunately, the world doesn’t always cooperate with us, and we have to get out and interact with others in environments that are completely outside of our control. The worst of these might be…networking events. As much as we want to avoid them, they are sometimes necessary to grow our business.

Let’s explore some ways we can stretch our comfort zone and make the most of these opportunities while maintaining our energy levels and sanity.

Before you go…

Try to get the most bang for your buck. You don’t have to go to every networking event, nor do you have to go to the biggest networking events. Instead, think about the niche that you work with, and tailor your choices to specific events that cater to that niche. Conferences sponsored by the SBA may not be as useful to you as smaller, focused events.

Take a targeted approach. If possible, get a list of the attendees ahead of time. This way you can see if there will be people that you already know, which can make things a lot easier. You can also pre-arrange coffee dates with people you want to make a deeper connection with, rather than having to chase them down in a crowded hotel conference room.

While you’re there…

Know your limitations. If you know that you can only handle one group activity in a day, don’t push yourself to attend a meet and greet, and a round-table, and a seminar, all in the same day – you will not be doing yourself or others any favors. Instead, choose one activity, and spend your energy where you will make the biggest impact.

Set a goal for how many contacts you will make at a particular event. This number can be as low as 3! Have short, introductory conversations, and exchange information, with perhaps three people, then know you are free to leave if you choose. You do NOT have to stay for the whole hour.

If you want to stay for the entire length of the event, feel free to step away and take a break. Find places where you can catch your breath and get away from everyone. A bathroom stall is completely fine! After 10 or 15 minutes of interactions, step away and go to that quiet(ish) spot. Use your quiet time to meditate, take notes while your memory is fresh, and recover. Take some slow, deep breaths. Once you’re refreshed, turn your sparkle back on, and shine!

After the event, show your strengths!

After the event is where we introverts can really be effective. Use the time that you spend recovering from the crowds to take notes on the people that you’ve met. Then, follow up with specific conversation points. In this way you show that you:

A. Remember them, B. Remember your conversation, and C. Know your business. Now, you can foster those meaningful conversations that we as introverts are famous for.

Networking as an introvert can be absolutely exhausting if we’re not careful. But we can make it work for us, and create amazing opportunities for ourselves and our businesses.