8 Ways To Develop Confidence In New Situations
By Maria Marsala
Do you enjoy one-on-one networking, however, the thought
of walking into room full of people you don't know horrifies you?
You're not alone. Yes, even a social butterfly, President of the Social
Committee in High School and avid networker knows how you feel. Here
are some of my tricks. And they have all worked!
~A great way to network at a conference is to volunteer
at the registration desk. Why? You get to say hello to everyone who
registers in your line and everyone who registers gets to see you
behind the registration table. At the event, you'll feel more comfortable
talking with people because you've "met" them already. And if those
aren't enough benefits, people will "recognize you" from the registration
desk, and be more likely to come talk with you.
~If you teach a class or speak, go into the room early.
Get a feel for it, change it around if need be, and greet everyone
who walks in with a big "hello my name is ...". Bring name tags or
recycle the tops of old manila folders, have each person put their
name on it, and put it on the table in front of them.
~When you are planning to attend a meeting for the
first time, call up whomever you can from the organization. Ask them
if you can meet them at the meeting. Then you'll "know" someone that
you can look for when you arrive.
~Carry a nametag in your glove compartment. Make one
for personal use, another for business use. Then people will feel
more comfortable walking up to you in meetings.
~Put your notes on the back of duplicates of pictures
(photography) you've taken. Then they won't stick out so much from
the podium (like white paper or index cards do.)
~Practice some opening lines and your handshake before
you attend the event. Practice using a mirror and ask your family
to let you practice on them, too.
~Develop two a 30-second commercials (also called
elevator speeches, USP - unique selling propositions). One is for
personal use, and the other would be for business use. On a recent
telelclass I attended, provided by Jay Levinson of Guerilla Marketing
fame, suggested creating a 7 word commercial, too.
~Remember that everyone in that room is a human being,
too. Everyone has their own fears to deal with... and they might even
be the same as yours.
Find other ways to build your confidence, too. Let
me know the ones that work for you.
© 2005 Elevating Your Business. Since 1998, Maria
Marsala, a former Wall Street Trader, has worked with more than 1000
women (and men) who own service business to increase their profits,
save time, and live rich, fulfilling lives. Visit http://www.ElevatingYourBusiness.com
to request your 2 business reports and join our business building
newsletter or forum.
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