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Today, I'm going to give you strategies for building confidence in networking and in friend-making.
And you can apply these strategies as soon as we finish this course, this class.
All right. So why is networking so important?
Well, you can think of three main reasons why.
First off, career advancement. If you are looking to move up the corporate ladder, if you're looking to change industries, if you're looking to get a better job explore new job prospects, then this is a great way to do that. by engaging with people in your industry or in the industry that you're looking to get into, by learning from each other by getting mentors in your field or your field that you're hoping to transition into. and meeting people and maybe even finding some mentors along the way.
Developing your skills as well. You know, reaching into that amazing network where you can transfer and share knowledge, learn from each other. share your own knowledge and expertise and insights.
And this is really important for you know, moving along in your careers, because we always want to think about learning and growing throughout our whole lifetimes. having a really strong support system that is there for you, that you'll be able to lean on challenging times in the best of times.
So. being able to navigate those challenges as well with trusted peers and mentors and colleagues.
So what are some common networking challenges?
We've got the fear of rejection as being one of them that a lot of people talk about as maybe preventing them from going to networking events.
And we really want to conquer that anxiety that we have about rejection and maybe being turned down or ignored or, you know, just kind of skipped over.
The other thing is managing discomfort that's related to social anxiety, the anxiety that we have in certain social settings.
For a lot of people that is networking and feelings of social anxiety are very natural to have in these kinds of settings because You're put on the spot.
You need to put your best foot forward. There are elements where you feel like there might be some fear of rejection associated with attending a networking event or feeling some evaluation apprehension as well.
Will they like me? Do they think I'm smart enough?
Do they think I'm qualified enough for this role or to be in this industry?
And so on and so forth. So making sure that you recognize that there might be some discomfort there and then overcoming that.
And then maybe, you know, looking at the event as a place where you want to have more confidence, right?
If you lack. social if you lack social fluency and lack the confidence to get to the place that you want to be. then that's something to work on, right?
You should believe in your abilities, believe in yourself, believe in what you have to offer.
Cause it starts there. It has to be, there has to be a mindset shift where you say, okay, I'm actually qualified for this job, or I deserve to be in this industry just as much as the next person does.
Or there are gaps in my knowledge, but I'm going to learn I'm going to push through, I'm going to do my best to address those gaps.
There might be a learning curve associated with a new job or a new role. but I'm going to do my best, right?
Having that growth mindset is key. And then thinking also about Let's see.
Where's my screen? There we go. you might feel like you don't know how to start a conversation.
How do you initiate a conversation? How do you approach somebody?
Thinking about what are some icebergs? breakers that you can learn that's going to help you get to that place of starting conversations naturally and effortlessly.
What about setting clear goals? So thinking about, okay, what is my objective?
What is my purpose in going to this networking event?
Is it to land a new job? Is it to talk to some key players in the industry?
Is it to learn about the industry that I'm thinking about transitioning into?
Is it about exploring different roles in said industry?
What exactly is it? So I don't want you to just walk into a networking event, Lucy goosey without any objective in mind.
I also don't want you to have 25 objectives for a networking event.
Just choose one, just choose one maximum two. objectives.
And then of course, over time, once you get more confident with networking and your strategies there, Then you can add, you know, three, two or three, but don't overwhelm the system.
Don't have that be too much of a cognitive load.
Thinking about the key players, right? Who are the key players that you want to find and talk to?
You know, are they going to be there? What can you talk about?
Think about the key players in the desired field of yours or the field that you are already interested in or in.
And who can you talk to? And then thinking about, okay, what are some topics that I can prepare ahead of time?
Do I have any conversation starters? Do I know what kind of small talk I'm going to make?
What's my small talk strategy looking like?
So. have some key points, just draft a couple of bullet points.
Don't have it be like paragraphs and paragraphs of what you're going to say, because then it's going to become too stiff and robotic and almost rehearsed.
We don't want to have that vibe. We want a very smooth and confident vibe where we're actually just, you know, having a conversation.
It's not reciting a script. It's not Uh, memorizing anything.
So having a couple of topics ahead of time is going to really serve you well.
And then what does preparing for success look like?
We talk about preparing as setting yourself up for success because without preparing, you're one, going to be really not as confident as you could be, and then two, you might not perform as well as you could have if you had just taken five, 10 minutes ahead of time and thought about what you're gonna say, thinking about what your icebreakers could be, who you're gonna talk to, just any type of preparation you can do the better.
So who are the people who are going to be there?
What's your elevator pitch like? And for elevator pitch in Exploring the Academy, we have a phenomenal course.
It's the Executive Excellence Masterclass.
This is one of our most popular courses that people love.
It's a certification certificate course.
So at the end of the course, It's 33 modules, lots of materials in there, guides, templates, scripts. you know, quizzes, assessments, sharing your wins, getting feedback.
And so speaking of feedback, one of our modules is focused on crafting your elevator pitch.
So You can submit your elevator pitch as many times as you'd like. to our Exploring Academy and our coaches will get back to you with tailored and targeted feedback on your specific elevator pitch.
And if you say, well, this, this elevator pitch is for this kind of event or this kind of situation. then we work with you to craft it in a way that will resonate with the audience in that type of context, because you don't just have one elevator pitch, you have multiple iterations of that elevator pitch because it's gonna be different depending on The event you're going to, the people you're talking to, the audience members, right?
It will be tailored to. your audience. So you can submit that in Explearning Academy and our coaches give you tailored, targeted feedback that's personalized.
So I highly recommend you check out the Executive Excellence Masterclass in Explearning Academy.
And that's a course that you have access to for you purchase the course and you have access to it for however long you for forever, essentially forever.
So that's something that I really recommend you do.
Active listening is a huge component here that's going to set you up for success.
So always thinking about, am I really listening?
Am I paying attention to what they're saying?
Did I catch everything? Is there something that I didn't quite understand and I just glossed over pretending like I understood?
Never have those moments where you're like, I don't know what they said.
I'm not really sure without asking, without clarifying that's on you.
Okay. If something is not clear, ask for clarification, ask for elaboration.
That's part of active listening. asking the right questions that are open ended questions, because this is going to help keep the conversation flowing and growing.
And as you know, conversations ebb and flow.
So let that wave carry you, because that's the beauty of engaging conversations.
Body language is very important. We can't have effective communication without effective body language.
So thinking about your posture, standing tall, standing you know having a positive open stance palms showing your palms, that's a positive inviting way, right?
You, you invite conversation. So thinking about that, making eye contact as well in the American cultural context, eye contact is super important, right?
We like to. look people in the eye. It's a sign of respect.
So make sure that you can do that. Having a genuine smile.
For everyone, that's going to be a little bit different.
Some people have really broad smiles. Some people have smaller smiles.
Just find what feels right to you. What's authentic to you and play around with it, experiment with it, try it on for size.
And just get into the right mindset because that's going to reflect your, you know, true self.
And then what are some welcoming gestures you can use?
So again, open arms, open body language, standing and sitting tall, and feeling like you can take up space.
Okay. So when it comes to conversation strategies, just think of these four things.
The first one is, how can I start with a warm and welcoming greeting?
A friendly hello. a nice smile, a warm, you know, introduction thinking about thoughtful questions that are really focused on getting to know the person better.
What are some ways that you can get to know who they are as a person, not just as an industry expert or as a mentor, but also as a human being who has interests, who has hobbies, who has a family, who has a life beyond what they do professionally.
If you get people to talk about their interests, They are going to remember that interaction they had with you in a very positive and favorable light.
So if you can find and pinpoint really exciting topics that people really are happy and passionate to talk about, you have Hit the nail on the head, right?
Run with it. Go with it. Make sure that you remember there. interests and their hobbies and what makes them tick. share experiences, right?
So we all have very, we all have similar, not necessarily experiences, but we all have similar emotions around experiences, right?
We all have times where we're happy. We all have times where we're sad.
We all have times where we're excited about something.
So tap into that, tap into, you know, sharing those experiences and relating to other stories and anecdotes and, Really trying to find some common ground there.
And of course, remembering to listen actively is going to get you really, really far.
With building authentic connections, which is very important for building rapport and making sure that you stay top of mind for the people that you engage engage with, they remember you, right?
They can place your name, place your face, place your conversation with ease.
That is a sign. that you have built an authentic connection with them.
So common interests, what kinds of things do you have in common?
You need to figure that out by asking the right questions, by actively listening, and just by actually having the conversation, taking time to get to know the person.
Don't expect to know them or for them to know you just after one encounter, right?
It takes several times, but of course you can set yourself up for success. by figuring out some common ground in the beginning.
Offering help, right? How do you ask for, or rather give some assistance, provide some assistance without asking for anything in return.
That will go a long way as well. Being genuine, you always want to show your authentic self.
And lastly, following up. In daily practice, I have sets of various scripts that you can use. and you can use them as they are.
You can modify them to your own taste and preference.
But those are there for you so that you can use them for your followups after networking events, after meeting in casual. situations with friends and just the social settings that you find yourself in.
How do we leverage technology? Well, you can think about using LinkedIn.
You can think about using Exploring Academy. to connect with people in your industry or in a field that you're interested in, or just sharing, you know, your hobbies and interests. that extend beyond the professional space and getting to know somebody that way through your interests. being part of an online community like Exploring Academy is a great way to not only practice your communication and conversation skills, but to become more confident and have that social fluency so that you can talk to anyone about anything and just be really confident In any social situation, anytime you walk into a room, with one person or filled with people, you know what to say, you know how to say it, you know how to actively listen, you know how to build rapport, create common ground,
Good communication is a superpower, so use it, share content that really resonates with people and that is very authentic to you. and then connect virtually.
That's a great way to meet people. Let's talk about nurturing relationships.
So you want to make sure that you're regularly checking in without being a nuisance or being overwhelming for somebody.
So doing it in a way that is natural and easy and effortless.
And then also celebrating your successes, right?
Thinking about certain achievements and milestones that you've had. or that someone else has had and celebrating it with them. thinking about how you can offer support to somebody, how can you be of assistance to them without asking for anything in return.
And also collaborating. Collaboration is a great way to get to know people better, to be part of a team to work on a shared mission and a shared goal.
Okay. So with overcoming setbacks, of course there will be some setbacks along the way, but don't let them deter you from your overall goal of you know, networking or getting certain jobs or connecting with people. always thinking about how can you reframe rejection.
So don't take rejection just as a huge failure.
Think of it as a teachable moment. Like, what can you learn from this?
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This episode is brought to you by State Farm.
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Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. prevent you from seeking out. opportunity or networking or connecting with people.
Instead, see it as just a situation where, okay, Maybe it didn't go that great at that point, but you can learn from it.
What can you learn from it? What are the teachable moments?
What are the lessons there? So reflecting on those interactions so that you actually can figure out what the lessons are. and then seeking feedback, not just waiting for people to give feedback, but actually proactively asking for feedback. figuring out what you can do to improve.
Okay, so if we want to improve our confidence, we can think about maybe joining a sports group.
How can we engage in some physical activity That is a type of collaboration, right?
You're on a team, essentially you're collaborating. what are some small achievable goals you can set for yourself?
Instead of thinking about a lofty goal, think about the most the smallest action and step you can take to get to that goal. so that it's achievable.
And lastly, reflect. Analyze your efforts so that you can improve.
What went well? What could have gone better?
Why is that? really thinking about how you can reflect.
Your mission for this week, should you choose to accept it, is to attend an Exploring Academy event in our community, you can practice strategies and you can also host your own meetup.
You have unlimited meetup capabilities in our community and you can essentially do anything you want with this.
You can hold a book club, you can do a cooking cooking session together you can both work on it they can make a recipe together or do a little fitness session together You can really do everything You can have a casual conversation.
You can even work on your elevator pick.
Whatever it is, you make it what you want.
The point is that you are networking, you're making friends, and you're practicing communication.
So I highly recommend you check that out. by going into Exploring the Academy, and it's under the Networking Community Buzz space.
I hope that you do that mission and make sure that you use some of these strategies the next time you find yourself in a situation where you're making friends and your networking.
Okay, I'll see you in the next one. Happy exploring everyone.
