How to fall in love with networking: feel calm, confident & ready to connect

Walking into a networking event can feel a bit like stepping onto a stage—you want to make a great impression, but nerves and uncertainty can easily take over. “What do I say?”  “Who should I talk to?” “What if I get stuck in an awkward conversation?”

The truth is, great networking doesn’t start when you enter the room—it starts before you even leave the house. Just like a runner warms up before a marathon so you need to warm-up to get into the right mindset, boost confidence, and set yourself up for success.

You want to feel calm, prepared, and ready to connect, which is easier said than done! So, what can you do to help yourself?

Before you step into the event, take a few minutes to:

  1. Reframe your nerves as excitement

Feeling nervous is a good sign—it means you care. The key is to reframe nerves as excitement. Instead of thinking, “I’m anxious,” tell yourself, “I’m excited to meet new people and learn something new.” Studies show that shifting your mindset from fear to anticipation boosts confidence and performance.

  1. Set a simple goal

Walking into a room full of strangers with no plan can feel overwhelming. Instead of aiming to “meet as many people as possible,” decide that you will achieve one or two small achievable goals, for example:

  • Have at least three meaningful conversations.
  • Meet two new contacts.
  • Connect with two people I know but not well.
  • Arrange one follow-up meeting.
  1. Visualize a positive outcome

Take a minute to imagine yourself walking in, smiling, engaging in conversation, and making a great impression.

Visualizing success primes your brain for a positive experience. Close your eyes for 30 seconds and picture yourself navigating the event with ease. See yourself laughing, connecting, and leaving with new opportunities.

  1. Prepare what you’re going to say

Once you’re calm and ready to connect think of some conversation starters.

Have an introduction and 2 or 3 questions prepared that you can use when the conversation dries up; even the most confident networkers can feel thrown off when that happens!

For your introduction, instead of the usual, “So, what do you do?”, try:

  • Hi, I’m [Your Name]. I help [Who You Help] achieve [What You Help Them Do].” “What brings you to this event?”

And to avoid awkward silences, have a few go-to questions that spark interesting discussions such as:

  • “What are you working on right now?”
  • “How did you get into your field?”
  • “If you could give one piece of advice to someone (just starting out/ new to networking/ uncomfortable in these situations), what would it be?”

Remember networking isn’t about collecting business cards—it’s about building relationships.

Before you walk in take a deep breath, smile and remember that everyone is there because they want to meet and connect with new people too.

Want more networking tips? Download our A-Z of networking events here, look at our online Networking Made Simple programme or get in touch to see how we can help you build your networking skills and make every interaction count.