Networking can be a daunting thought. When I set my business up I had previously attended networking meetings but to be honest, they always filled me with dread. The thought of going in to a room full of people I didn’t know and having to tell them what I did would send shivers down my spine. As always the reality of the situation was never that bad, but taking the first step to book a place for an event was huge.

In November I set up a small and very informal co-working group in Hexham, Nortumberland. Although there are really well organised and established co-working groups in Newcastle or Gateshead, there wasn’t really anything like this in the Tynedale area, despite there being a huge number of businesses. We are now on to our second co-working event and feedback has been really positive. Attendees at the event come from a huge and diverse range of backgrounds which always makes it fun to listen to experiences or the reasons behind people choosing to do what they do. Working alongside people for the day allows you to build up a relationship with them; you never know when you may need to call on their skills or knowledge to either help your business or someone else’s. This form of networking, along with other groups, really works for my business and allows me to meet new people, network, socialise and develop knowledge without being pushed TOO far outside of my comfort zone.

Here are my top 5 tips for nervous networkers…

1.     Arrive early – getting to a room already full or chatting people will make an anxious networker even more panicked. If you arrive early you can chat with the organisers who will in turn introduce you to other members and put you at ease.

2.     Take a friend – if there are particular groups you would like to go along to, finding someone who feels similarly to you about networking meetings is a great idea. Sign up to go along together then you know you will definitely have at least one friendly face to rely on. (Don’t stick together for the whole meeting though as that defeats the object!)

3.     Find groups that suit your style – if the last thing you want is pressure to refer business or introduce new members to a group, do your research and steer clear of groups where that is the ethos. I found informal “chatty” groups worked for me as you could move around and mingle rather than being stuck at a table with specific people trying to find common ground to discuss.

4.     Virtual reality – find a networking group which has an online presence as well as a physical meeting. You can introduce yourself online within the forum (whether that is LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter etc.), break the ice that way and get an idea of who else will be attending a meeting so that you feel like you know people before you arrive.

5.     Set up your own group – this might sound like crazy advice if you are nervous about attending an already established group, but if you can’t find the type of event out there you would like to be part of, why not start your own? It’s a great way to get your business name known and get people talking about what you do.

Turns out networking doesn’t have to be scary and there are so many benefits of getting out and about meeting new people and promoting your skills and business, you never know, you might just enjoy it!