Grow Your Network FAST As An Introvert

Do you hate networking? Do you feel drained just thinking about meeting new people? If so, you're not alone. Hey, guess what? You don't have to be some sort of like Robin Williams character extrovert to build a powerful network. I'm going to share with you my five step system I use to grow my network without feeling drained. And how to build authentic, long lasting relationships without forcing awkward conversations. Let's start with the obvious. Why does networking even matter? Well, simply, opportunities come through people. That's just the reality of the world. Most business deals, collaborations, partnerships, they come through relationships. We like to work with people we know and we trust. Also, when you grow deep relationships, you learn from other people's mistakes. Your network gives you access to people who have been there, done that, and have already gone through the journey you're going through. And they can help you avoid costly mistakes. And when they give you an honest piece of advice from their own experience. Also, it's not a network, it's a group of friends, really friends that support you during tough times. Building a business is really hard. Okay, a strong network gives you a support system to lean on when things get rough, when things get challenging. But here's the real kicker. You don't have to network like everybody else. You don't have to be like the life of the party, like some Jim Carrey impersonator. You don't have to attend every conference or event. You don't have to be fake to be extroverted or to be sociable. You just need what works for you. So I want to share my five step system specifically for introverts to build a strong network. Number one, play to your strengths. If you like the online world and don't like in person confrontation, stop. Start there. Start online first. Introverts in general are better with one on one conversation. So you can skip the crowded networking events and you can start where you're most comfortable. Online. Here's how you want to join niche online communities. Find Facebook groups, Slack channels, Reddit threads where your industry, your people hang out. You want to engage with these people as consistently as possible. A pro tip that that worked for me is to start with platforms that are DM friendly like LinkedIn or X or Twitter or whatever you want to call it. Those platforms are really good with dming. Share a story that invites conversation, that gets people thinking, that gets them relating to you. The goal here is to build connections before you ever meet in person. Let's move on to step two. And you want to master the art of asynchronous. Communication and asynchronous communication is the secret weapon for introverts. Examples of asynchronous communication are emails, DMs, voice messages, anything that doesn't require live back and forth conversation. This allows you to think through your responses, allows you to avoid the pressure of real time conversations, and allows you to communicate at your own pace so you don't need to reply immediately. I recommend sending voice notes on things like LinkedIn or WhatsApp because people remember voices. It deepens the relationship and the connection faster. When you start the relationship asynchronously, then transition to real time conversation, it feels a little bit easier. Step 3 Focus on giving, Not Taking this is actually the golden rule of networking. Give before you ask. The biggest mistake people make is they try to get something from a connection too soon. Don't be that person. Instead, flip the script. Offer value first. Share insights. Offer introductions. Introduce them to other people. Help them with something small that maybe they need help with. Be genuinely interested in their success like actually want them to win. And this will come naturally and ask yourself how can I help this person? Before asking for anything. Or you could do what I do. I just always assume I will never ask them for anything. I will just never ask anybody for anything unless they ask me. Step 4 Go deep, not Wide here's where most people go wrong. They try to build some huge network with thousands of people and they collect business cards like they're trophies. But they never build meaningful, deep relationships. They don't actually have real friends. Don't do that. Go deep, not wide. Focus on fewer, higher quality connections. A strong, tight knit network beats a shallow one. In every five years I speak to this person Network and Step five Attend selective, purposeful, in person events. Yes, even introverts need to show up in person sometimes and it doesn't have to be a pain. Go to conferences that pique your interest. Maybe the topics of the talks are interesting, or maybe the vibe or the people that are going to show up seem to be fun. Don't waste time on random events that are like meh. Go to the ones that are like hell yeah I want to go to this event. One quality conversation at an event like this is more valuable than 10 shallow introductions. So you really want to see yourself as a person that's trying to make friends in the industry. Building a strong network isn't about collecting contacts, it's about building real long lasting relationships. And here's how to nurture those relationships over time. And these are key because this is what transforms an acquaintance, somebody that you met at a conference, to an actual friend. Number one, Follow up regularly. Send quick check ins, hellos, what's going on. You know, congratulate them if you see they did something interesting on social media or they're celebrating an anniversary or they went to a ball game, whatever it might be. Just be a friend and check in regularly and say hello. That could be a WhatsApp message, that could be a DM, that could be a comment on Facebook, whatever it might be. Number two. Celebrate their wins. Acknowledge any kind of milestone or achievement that they make in their life or in their business. Don't just like it. Comment on that post, right? Or send them a message and say, really proud of you. Really. That was amazing what you did. 3. Be a connector. Introduce them to other people you think that can help them grow. And most importantly, be consistent. Try to message people that you met at least once a month and if you need to use a spreadsheet, go ahead and use a spreadsheet. There's nothing wrong with that. It allows you to know that you have connected with that person at least once a month. It's not about making a big impression when you first meet them. It's about staying in touch over time. That shows that you value the relationship and value them. Before I go, I want to leave you with this. You don't have to change who you are in order for you to build a powerful network. You don't have to do that. You just need a system that works for you. You need to play to your strengths. You need to focus on building real relationships, not just contacts. Your network is your net worth, but you got to put in the effort and the right connections can really change everything for you. Start today, one connection at a time and before you know it, you'll be well connected and that network is going to be something that you will value more than anything else. If you're serious about growing your network and want to build an authentic relationship, join my Three Things newsletter every week I send you three things. 1 something to think about, something to change your mindset, 2. Something to do so you are moving forward and 3 something to learn. It's my way to coach you from afar and give you the tools to succeed. Go to100mba.net and sign up for any of our free guides and you'll be added to our newsletter automatically. Absolutely free. I'm Omar Zenholm and I'll check you in the next episode.