I’m not comfortable talking to new people.
Social encounters can be especially hard for introverts. But here’s the irony: they often outshine their extroverted colleagues because many are naturally good listeners. If this is your super power, lean into it. People, generally speaking, like to talk about themselves and they’ll appreciate the attention.
If you’re not sure how to get a conversation going, lead with curiosity. What interests you about the other person? Do you want to find out about their background? How they achieved success? Perhaps you have something in common and you want to explore that. All it takes is one decent open-ended question to get the ball rolling.
If you are meeting with someone important, don’t catastrophize by imagining a situation where you suffer through awkward silences. This won’t happen if you prepare with a few key questions. And don’t worry if the conversation is short. It’s the quality of the exchange, not the duration.
Change your fixed mindset to this fundraising mindset:
Meeting new people isn’t so bad when I focus on them, ask questions, and lead with curiosity.