Start by attending small events or online groups where the atmosphere feels less intimidating. Practice introducing yourself. Listen more than you speak, and ask open-ended questions to keep the conversation going. Always be calm. Over time, you'll build confidence and find networking easier. Focus on building genuine connections, not just collecting contacts.

If you’re shy, begin networking in smaller, more comfortable settings, such as one-on-one meetings or small groups. Prepare a few open-ended questions to start conversations and focus on active listening. For instance, I’ve found virtual events helpful, as engaging through chats first allowed me to build confidence before transitioning to in-person interactions.

Start small and with realistic, measurable goals. I find when I gamify the opportunity, I have more success. For example, your goals could be: attend 2 events a month, one virtual and other online (have 3 questions and one interesting fact about yourself up your sleeve-practice saying them out loud); leave each one with 3 contacts; reach out to each contact (ie call, text, email or Linkedin) within 24 hours. When you've completed all 3 steps, give yourself a reward, which could be as simple as acknowledging your success and commitment to growth. Put in the reps and you'll build the skills.

A huge in-person solve for this is to head over and join the queue for refreshments and talk to the person ahead of you or behind you in the queue. I've yet to find a queue at a networking event where no-one is talking. Use that to build confidence and go from there.