Hi Jane,

Great question, thanks for asking it.

I've been networking for years and long ago left any anxieties in the dust. But I work with a lot of career changers, entrepreneurs, and solo professionals who tend to have the following issues and needs. I’ve found they need to:

1. focus on attending events where they’re likely to meet people from their target market.

2. be clear about what sorts of people they're looking to connect with when they arrive and what they're hoping to get from them.

3. learn to connect quickly with people i.e. ask interesting questions and listen carefully.

4. attend every event with the intention to give as well as get, and look for ways to connect new people with other people already in their network.

5. find a way to continue the connection, i.e. offer a free download from their website, offer to meet for coffee to continue the conversation etc.

6. have an organized way to collect contact information, and a clear follow-up system.

7. clarify their own value prop and be able to articulate it clearly without sounding pushy or needy.

8. learn to self-regulate any lingering anxiety or negative self-talk, so it doesn’t get in the way of connecting with people.

Those are the main issues I've observed over the years. Most other issues are variations on these themes.

Hope it helps.

Lois