Generally speaking, introverts do not look forward to networking events, but view them as a necessary evil. Unfortunately, you don’t gain any benefit from attending a networking event if you sit in a corner by yourself or only talk to people you already know. If you tend to fall into either of those traps, or if you avoid networking altogether because you find it too difficult to engage in conversation with strangers, you owe it to yourself to read Maria Marsala’s Top 10 Questions To Ask At A Networking Meeting. They include everything from basic information such as “Tell me about your company” and “May I have your business card” to more specific questions like “What is the best way to refer someone to you?”

Perhaps the best suggestion in Ms. Marsala’s article is to prepare your own answers to those questions as well – that way, when someone approaches you, you won’t be tongue-tied and go home saying “I wish I’d thought of telling him about….”!