Well, that was awkward. I suppose eventually I'll get better at talking to strangers in crowds, but I've made it this far and I'm still struggling with it. Tonight was the CU alumni networking mixer, featuring the basketball coach as a guest speaker. It was a small event, hosted by a local brewery in a tiny community between here and Boulder. The venue was great, and the chance to actually chat up the coach was awesome. I did get a chance to have five minutes of time with him, right before his speech, and he was friendly and charming. I most certainly did not talk real estate with him. I talked basketball pep band (what else, really?). He gave an excellent speech about his career path, and I did gain inspiration from him. I'm glad to have gone tonight.
But as a networking event, I failed. I tried to talk to a few people, and I had this fantasy going in that I'd hand out cards and make contacts. Yeah, about that. The one guy I talked to most of the evening did not respond well when I tried to initiate communication after tonight. And in all seriousness, what I asked him about was whether he could help me thinking of new ways to volunteer in the area. Wasn't trying to talk him into buying or selling anything. It just felt awkward front to back.
But practice will make perfect. Someday. As of today, I have my real business cards, with my real contact information on them. I have a name badge, and I will be wearing it in public every so often just for the hell of it. There are people who say it helps start conversations, and if it helps me through those awkward days, then I'm all for it. I need all the help with my rusty people skills that I can get.
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