How to Network Effectively - or Skip it Altogether

Discover the bolt of insight that led Dorie Clark to realize she could say goodbye to networking forever and still accomplish all her goals.

Small Business Growth, On Your Own Terms

From a convoluted career path with lots of doors closing in her face, to becoming a wildly successful business owner and the author of the Inc. #1 business book of 2015, Dorie Clark is a testament to the amazing things introverts can achieve when we identify and harness our inherent strengths.

For introverts who engage in a lot of business activities traditionally associated with extroversion – like presenting, being the public face of a company or organization, and networking – it’s especially important for us to manage our energy and determine the specific activities that tire us out. And sometimes, this can be surprising. During her whirlwind worldwide speaking tour for her book Stand Out, for example, Dorie discovered that speaking from stage, which she did once or twice a week for a year, was not the issue; it was the networking and socializing afterwards that drained her.

Understanding exactly what most consumes our energy allows us to structure our activities in a way that lets us deliver when we need to, without feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and obligated. This, in turn, helps to grow the business on our own terms, liberating us from running the business the way we think we “should.”

Get More Clients by Networking YOUR Way

Once Dorie discovered that, for her, traditional networking and socializing were awkward, uncomfortable, and energy-draining, she simply decided to stop doing it! This was a liberating turning point for her, knowing that she would never again have to approach strangers in a loud, crowded setting and try to make uncomfortable small talk.

However, saying goodbye to traditional networking came with an important caveat. Dorie explains that connecting with others is still vitally important – but she now does it in a way that works for her. Instead of attending luncheons and events, which for her are draining and take time and energy away from her more productive business activities, Dorie now holds dinner gatherings for a relaxed, intimate, and enjoyable evening.

Dorie suggests that you can do the same – discover what kinds of networking activities work for you, and then get to them. It could be dinners, like Dorie, or one-on-one coffees, or Skype meetings. While you can’t avoid networking altogether, you can find a strategy that fits your needs and strengths.

Some Questions I Ask:

• Did your introversion provide any barriers in your career? How did you overcome them? (0:59)
• Which activities drain your energy, and which recharge it? How do you balance it all? (3:10)
• How can introverts reframe our perceived limitations and regard them as strengths? (5:53)
• How did you figure out what’s comfortable for you when it comes to networking, and what you’re just not going to do? (9:10)
• What advice do you have for authentic content marketing? (12:42)
• For those introverted listeners who may not be as articulate and confident as you are, should they try to improve, or is it better to just be yourself? (17:50)

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• How a varied career path can land you in the exact right place (1:05)
• How to manage your energy for maximum productivity, results, and self-care (3:20)
• Handling the awkwardness associated with event-based small talk and socializing (6:34)
• When to give yourself permission to say “no” – and why you shouldn’t feel bad about doing so (7:10)
• How to stop the default of blaming yourself when things go wrong (9:34)
• What you can do INSTEAD of networking (10:48)
• Why introverts are uniquely well equipped to excel at content marketing (12:50)
• How to use your authenticity to “tell,” not “sell” (13:43)
• Don’t force yourself to do the things you’re not great at; find out what you do better than others and focus on that (18:18)

Resources Mentioned in the Show

• Entrepreneurial You Self Assessment – at http://www.dorieclark.com
• Stand Out and Entrepreneurial You by Dorie Clark
• Forbes article – “How Introverts Can Network Powerfully: 5 Key Ways to Rock at Networking When You Hate It”
• HBR article – “Networking for Introverts”
• HBR article – “Personal Branding for Introverts”