Do You Have Trouble Mingling with People?

If you feel uncomfortable and fearful just by thinking of walking into a room full of people that you don't know, it doesn't mean you have issues, in fact many people feel like this when this happens. A problem would be if you fail to do anything about this feeling in order to overcome it.

To finally squash this phobia you will need to armor yourself with some bravery, basic business cards (nothing fancy) and the determination to overcome the feeling.

In any social event it is recommended that you eat before attending, not because the food won't be good but because you will have a harder time meeting people if you're sitting in front of a table with food in your mouth, if you think about it this isn't the best scenario to establish a conversation, mostly if you have a fear of interacting with other. In fact you could end up using your food as a defending mechanism to keep yourself from having to talk to others.

One more reason to not raid the food at the event is because the main purpose you have is to get outside of your shell and mingle with others, by avoiding the food you will avoid having a garlic breath, food in your teeth or sauce on your mouth, which could end up playing into yourself consciousness, and keep you from thriving socially.

Once you arrive to the event, target a person that looks the least comfortable or that is standing alone, approach them with a smile and introduce yourself. This will make them feel better and will also boost your confidence because their reception will most likely be warm. By doing this you will also keep yourself from becoming that uncomfortable person standing alone and looking awkward and uncomfortable.

To approach someone use common icebreakers, and example would be; "How do you know the host of the party?" This would be the best way to start the conversation. Avoid getting too comfortable because you might end up making your new acquaintance uncomfortable by doing so. The main purpose of mingling is meeting new people, so don't get stuck with the same person all evening, excuse yourself after ten or fifteen minutes of making small talk by telling them how nice it was to meet them and move on.

You have to be able to discern when to move on to meet new people, specially, if you're interacting with a VIP or the host of the party. You don't want to take all their time when they themselves need to be mingling with other guests.

When moving on follow the same steps from when you arrived at the party. Target another person a start the process again. After making some round you won't believe how much more comfortable you will feel and your confidence will get the boost that it needs to approach others without feeling intimidated.

Don't overwhelm people by talking too much, in fact leave the talking mostly to the other person and pay attention to what they're saying to ensure a conversation that flows nicely. A really bad habit is when people can't help but to think about what they want to say while the other person is still talking. This attitude will only make you look immature and eager, so stay away from this type of behavior.

The key to hit it off with someone while conversing is to show interest in them, like you're fascinated to know more about them instead of trying to prove yourself and impress them.

When chatting with someone maintain constant eye contact. Don't confuse this by staring which will actually make you look creepy. If you get too intense with your eye contact you'll just scare people off and they might think you're a psycho. The goal is to not scan around the room for other people while conversing with someone else, that's just rude and will make you look like a person with a lack of good manners.

If you encounter yourself in a group conversation, look around for lonely people that are lurking around the group and graciously bring them into the topic being discussed. You'll feel good about doing something that you would appreciate if someone else did for you in the same circumstance.

If you are on top of your game, you will come ready and have some business card handy. Give your business cards to others, but be picky. Passing them to every single person you meet will only make you look tacky, and the purpose is to look friendly.

Leave the party with good timing in mind. It's a good rule in general to leave after you've given a good impression than to stick around all night and risk ruining the good impression you had caused. Leaving others intrigued by who you are and wanting to know more about you is the perfect way to keep things hot on your end.