How to Network Like an Extrovert

I recently spoke at BusCon in Indianapolis, which is a convention for companies who are involved with buses in different capacities. Attendees were from various industries including public transit and paratransit, owners and operators of private companies that provide charter, tour, corporate, car rental, high-end, intercity, senior or casino transportation, and university transit. My presentation was titled, "Creating Your Social Strategy." It was a great opportunity to tap into some different markets.

Something that came up quite often during the event was the topic of networking. During day 1 of our 3-day conference, attendees were treated to a welcome reception at the NCAA Hall of Champions. I am an extrovert, but I was still nervous. I didn't know anyone there at the time, so I was thankful to Greg Donald for sitting next to me on the shuttle bus. After realizing we were both feeling the same about networking, we made a pact to be conference buddies, and he delivered. After a great night of being each other's wingman, he gave me reassurance that he'd be at my presentation the next day. I will always adore him for that! I still get the jitters every now and then when I speak, but it always helps to see a friendly face in the audience.

The topic of networking came up again during an icebreaker at an Illinois Limousine Association meeting. Our moderators, Bill Faeth and Sara Eastwood Richardson, started their introductions by stating that they were introverts. They talked about being nervous when they spoke and their advice was to just put yourself out there when meeting new people.

After hearing other industry leaders "come out of the closet" about feelings similar to mine, I acknowledged that networking was a pain-point for some attendees, and I vowed to go ham for the rest of the conference.

Luckily, I had already set the stage for a successful event a week before. The key for me is to trick myself into thinking I already know some attendees before I arrive at a major event. Sign into LinkedIn, go through the speaker list, and send invites and introductions. Mentally, this tactic does, in fact, make you feel like you have a friend waiting for you when you arrive at your event.

During the conference, I attended every everything! I planned the presentations I would attend, I walked around the exhibit hall and asked exhibitors about their products, I took photos, and after each long day, I attended the social mixers. The best advice I could possibly give is to be visible. There were so many people I bumped into who didn't introduce themselves to me the first time around but felt compelled to make an introduction after seeing me a few times.

At breakfast and lunch each day, I'd choose my tables wisely. I'd either choose a table with just one seat left, or I'd sit at a table where someone was sitting alone. Ask politely if you can join them! Also, if an opportunity arises where you are able to talk about something other than the weather, take it! By doing this, I met a great group of friends from a company called Mobile Climate Control, and I'm now fortunate enough to consider their Operations Manager, Jim Evans, a dear friend whom I still keep in contact with. I broke the ice with their group by acknowledging that one of them (John) looked like Biff (from Back to the Future). He left the conference with a new nickname.

The final piece of advice I can offer is to be helpful. Anytime I met someone new, I'd introduce them to whomever I was with. I'd ask what their role is and how the conference was going for them, and when appropriate, I'd share some business cards I had collected that would be relevant to them. Another great example of being helpful happened at the end of the conference when my phone died. That's when I met Rodrigo Morales, who offered his charger so I could call my driver. In turn, I offered him a ride to the airport and we shared a lunch before our planes took off. It was the perfect ending to an amazing trip.

Special thanks to Grace Limousine & Shuttle and Aadvanced Limousines for providing my ground transportation - one less thing to worry about, for sure! Congratulations to the entire BusCon staff who put together a flawless and fun event. See you all next year!

I hope you've enjoyed this post. If you have, I welcome you to follow my updates or connect with me here on LinkedIn. 

Aleja Seabron is a Social Media Consultant, instructor, speaker, blogger, self-proclaimed “idea-girl” and Professional Wingwoman for The LMC Group. You can keep up with their updates and overall awesomeness on Facebook, Twitter,Instagram, and LinkedIn.

You can also follow Aleja's blogs in Chauffeur Driven Magazine and The Huffington Post.