3.5 🌟

When I worked in a customer-facing role, I felt like I would be considered an extrovert, but as I started working more on the back end, I became more introverted.

While this book had great tips, some didn't feel practical to me. I could also imagine some things being anxiety inducing based on some personalities.

The book's readability was tough. I think I would've enjoyed this more as an audiobook and would recommend it as one.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

The Introvert’s Edge to Networking is a practical and inspiring guide for introverts who want to master the art of networking without pretending to be someone they’re not. The author, Matthew Pollard, is an introvert himself and a successful entrepreneur, speaker, and coach. He shares his own story of overcoming his fear and discomfort of networking, as well as the stories of many other introverts who have achieved remarkable results by following his proven system.

The book challenges the common myth that networking is only for extroverts who have the “gift-of-gab”. Pollard argues that introverts have a natural edge when it comes to networking, as they are more strategic, prepared, authentic, and focused on building deeper relationships. He shows how introverts can leverage their strengths and turn networking into a repeatable and enjoyable process that leads to powerful connections and opportunities.

The book is divided into three parts: the first part explains the mindset and the benefits of networking for introverts; the second part provides a step-by-step blueprint for networking in person and online; and the third part offers tips and tools for maintaining and growing your network over time. The book is full of practical examples, exercises, scripts, and templates that you can use to apply the concepts to your own situation. The book also includes access to additional resources, such as online training, case studies, and a private Facebook community.

The Introvert’s Edge to Networking is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn how to network effectively and authentically, regardless of their personality type. It is a valuable resource for entrepreneurs, professionals, students, job seekers, and anyone who wants to expand their network and reach their goals.

I received a free preview of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

...

I do have a slightly mixed opinion on this book but over all I found it useful. If you're going into it with absolutely no opinions, guidance, or knowledge it serves as a decent base to grow from. If you're going into it with at least something of a grasp of what you're doing it still finds it's use with tips and tidbits throughout.

My issues with it are that it seems largely aimed at only certain types of 'introverts,' which is fine but based off the cover page it gives the impression it would apply more broadly. Along with that some of the advice given outright doesn't help at all for anyone outside of the exact person it's describing.

But I would suggest giving it a go if you're looking for some guidance in this field because while you may not find the entire thing extremely helpful you're sure to get something.

The Introvert's Edge to Networking focuses on how to network in a successful and fruitful way when you're an introvert. Introverts are mostly surrounded by extraverts when it comes to networking, and having to navigate through the ways extraverts interact can be quite daunting and exhausting. This book tries to give tips and tricks on how to make the most of networking when being an introvert, so introverts can be as successful as possible without their personality getting in the way in an extravert world.

As a huge introvert I didn't feel I was represented well. The author claims to be an introvert himself, but sometimes it felt like he didn't grasp the concept of what it's like being an introvert at all. The book feels focused on introverts like himself, but there's a whole spectrum that goes from introvert to extravert with many combinations and levels. The author felt close to the middle of the spectrum, sounded quite extravert in a lot of ways.

When talking about the introvert aspect, I didn't find it that present in the book itself. It reads more like a general networking book instead of sometimes solely focused on introverts. Other people can definitely get some use out of the book as well.

With my expectations high on the subject, I was quite underwhelmed. Where the title seems to suggest that you get use out of it in many situations like searching for a job, managing a business, meeting new people, I wasn't satisfied. The focus of the book is mostly on small business owners and the majority of the examples are focused around service businesses like consultants and coaches. You can choose to solely talk about that area, but that's not what the book suggested. So that leaves quite a gap.

Another thing that I wasn't sold on was the talk about six figures. The book explicitly talks about small business owners in the synopsis, but all the talk about small business owners is about them finding six figure clients after they started networking. One example was about a person that already made a lot of cash at his previous job and just started his own company that became a six figure company without the hassle you'd have starting from nothing. It totally didn't feel realistic to me. 9 out of 10 small business owners won't even get at that point, but still want to change their networking approach without the focus on money.

Maybe I'm too introvert to be able to get this book, but it wasn't for me at all. Everyone should be able to learn something from a networking book, no matter what job you have or what your career dreams are. Nothing stood out to me that I could take with me. It was more adjusting to the extravert world instead of going your own way and standing out as an introvert.

Great advice for everyone…. Not just introverts. I’ve tried thus out over the past few months and this book helped a lot.

As an introvert, navigating networking feels like a minefield, or a game in which I am starting at a disadvantage. Matthew Pollard's book The Introvert's Edge to Networking is a practical source of advice for those of us in need of a push and direction in how to handle networking, offering a clear, simple steps that can be used to gain greater success. Many of Pollard's tips are based on his own experience, and he helps cut through the noise with ideas that are both sensitive to its audience while still highly effective for improving one's outcomes. This book is highly recommended this book for introverts looking for a stress-free to improving their career, and also for anyone looking to gain an edge in networking

While, it's primarily aimed at salespeople and business owners, I took quite a bit from this in terms of harnessing one's strength as an introvert in the workplace rather than trying to fake the strengths of an extrovert. Seems like such an obvious concept, but there was much in here I'd never considered. This book opens up ways of looking a those things that make more reserved people effective and really finding ways to utilise those things to foster connections and develop effective partnerships. I took a lot from this about effective business communication, particularly in terms of what to communicate and when, and the 'watering the crop' mentality of continued conversation and follow-up. Simple, educational, with some good practical steps. Enjoyed it.

Mathew Pollard brings us his knowledge on how to strategically network for introverts. I am a people person personally but what most people don’t know is that I am an introvert. I feel drained after my encounters with others. I need time alone without anyone else to recharge. Just give me a sofa some coffee or tea and a good book or Netflix and leave me be for a few days. Yes! I said days.

So if you’re anything like me and trying to be successful in your career or business then this book might be just what you’ve been looking for.

I love the unique names approach instead of using your everyday skill when telling others what you do, which I first heard Vanessa Van Edwards mention before. I read through this pretty quickly but I will be making my strategic system to market myself. This tells you what to do. It is not the traditional get out there and sell yourself and talk to as many people as you can in an awkward networking event like so many out there tell you to do.

The system itself I can not attest to since I have not put it into practice. That is the true test to the knowledge in this book. While I love reading business books like this, the real review can only come after putting the steps in the book into practice. While I flew through this book in one night and found it great, I could not began to do all the steps tonight.

With that said, I will have to update this review after I have time to thoroughly test the system. With things just restarting from Covid I’m not sure when events will begin to pop up again in my area for this test. I will set a timeframe of 6 months. Perhaps, I will even try online once I get everything together.

If you are interested in growing your network and your business, I suggest you not wait to get this book. Pick it up now and let me know how the steps are working out for you. I would love to hear how much your business grows after following this system.

This book was given to me by NetGalley and HarperCollins Leadership in exchange for an honest review. Thank you. Who knows, maybe one day I will be another one of your stories, Matt.

This book is exactly what the title implies. It’s a book about networking as an introvert and how to make it work for you. And I would think this book would be perfect for introvert people who want to be able to network better. There are many good things to take away from this book.

Matthew Pollard first guides you in coming up with your “story” to use when networking and then explains how to work that story into the networking arena. The ideas presented in the book are pretty good ideas for those networking. I personally will be working in a few of the suggestions into my own life, and even in areas not related to networking. I liked Pollard's view on the various types of people networking; the "givers, takers, and balance sheet makers" and also how Pollard works a room when networking.

Since I used this book kind of like a workbook, where I read a chapter and then worked through the concepts presented, this book was a slow read for me.

Overall, a useful book for introverted people who are networking or who want to learn to network.

Are you an introvert? Want to be better at networking? Just do it. That's the advice contained in The Introvert's Edge to Networking. Nothing special. No magic formulas. Just do it and everything will be fine. In fact, the author claims you'll do better than any extrovert because you have an advantage. What is it? Who knows but you're going to rock them. Don't worry, you can't lose because he's been amazingly successful and you should want to be like him too and wish you could network with such ease.

It's a silly book that seems to be written by an author who is completely clueless on his on topic of choice and clearly is just looking to pat himself on the back, while bragging to his friends that he has a book.

<b> I was given an Advanced Reader Copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own*</b>

<i>The Introvert's Edge to Networking: Work the Room. Leverage Social Media. Develop Powerful Connections</i> is a great resource for those who have their own business or are in sales. The problem I had with this book though, was that it was advertised as if it would work for all introverts in any area of business, even the corporate world! From what I read, this seems to not be the case. A lot of the successes Matthew Owen Pollard mentioned, focused on small business owners who greatly benefited from these steps. That is absolutely wonderful for them, but I just felt as if reading this was a great waste of my time.

Another thing I had a problem with, was his steps seemed to be very marketing based. Basically, Pollard recommends coming up with a Unified Message. Essentially instead of replying to the question "What do you do?" with the answer "I'm an accountant", he wants you to reply with something like "I'm the Dream Saver". This way instead of feeling like you're being transactional, others will be dying to understand what you do! You can tell them a story about what you do and how you've saved someone's business, or benefited their life. As an introvert, this is way out of my comfort zone and seems very "markety" to me.

This system seems like it's proven to work, but I don't see how any introvert is comfortable using this system. Personally I will be sticking to my current way of things, but I do think Pollard brought up some thought provoking questions. Why do we insist on explaining ourselves based on our technical skills, when we are so much more than that? Why do we as introverts try to play the same game as extroverts when it comes to networking? We are tiring ourselves out with little gratification, we need to work smarter when forming connections. This is one message I will be taking with me in the future.

Does anyone actually like networking? Matthew Pollard is betting that we'd like it a whole lot more if we saw results! Pollard recognizes that introverts hate awkward chit-chat that goes nowhere. To fix this problem, he lays out steps to defining your niche, creating a unified message, and making clients see the potential you can offer them. Rather than walking up a table cold, he shows you how pre-networking prep can help you find the people you want to meet (who also will love meeting you!) Pollard clearly has a ton of experience in this area, and he backs up his advice with success stories from his own networking experiences, as well as from his clients.

I think Pollard is right on the money when he discusses the value of preparation before networking and taking the time to figure out who you are and what you can offer. Some of his general advice is applicable to everyone (probably extroverts too!) However, a lot of the advice towards the end of the book is mostly for people in sales who are looking for clients, rather than the majority of us who might just be looking for our next job. I would have appreciated some additional targeted advice to the general introvert job seeker. 3.5/5 stars

Thank you to HarperCollins Leadership for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Having read The Introvert’s Edge, I was looking forward to reading The Introvert’s Edge to Networking and this book did not disappoint. In fact, it blew me away! I have recently relocated to a new city where I have no network, no connections, and no relationships built for my business. This has caused me to have to start again building a new network in a different part of the country and do the one thing I really do not like: networking. I thought I knew networking even though I dislike it only to find out through this book that the reason I dislike it so much is that I have been doing it mainly transactionally instead of relationally. That is the secret to great networking that makes you want to get in the room to do it. Matthew has provided a system with simple steps to make the most out of networking even when you are not thrilled to do it. I have already started implementing the first step in his system and it is paying dividends for me and my business expansion.

This book was really, really good! I have never read any of Matthew Pollard’s books and his writing was easy to follow. I liked his stories/examples, even if the person was not in the same industry as me. Actually, I like that he included stories from people in different industries. It just goes to show that with his method, any introvert can network anywhere. I haven’t done it yet, but I’m looking forward to going through his steps and putting pen to paper. I’m also very interested in reading his previous book The Introvert's Edge: How the Quiet and Shy Can Outsell Anyone.

This is an excellent book for those of us who are introverts and looking to grow our networking skills to better ourselves and move up in our careers. The language is motivational and the author clearly writes as someone who shares the traits of an introvert functioning in a world that seems designed for extroverts. I never really thought about how important listening can really be. Highly recommended.

Introverts and networking aren't words you often put together. Author Matthew Pollard intends to change that. In this new book, Pollard describes the method he teaches his clients to use when networking. Without giving away the book, his method loosely involves scripting what you plan to say in a type of elevator speech, prepping for networking events, and engaging in strategic followup. He demonstrates that his formula is successful by sharing the stories of others who have used it with great success. While I found his method interesting and aspects are applicable to anyone, I think individuals who are entrepreneurs or have their own business will find this book most helpful as that is his specific audience.

I received a complementary copy via NetGalley.

I loved how the author gave helpful insights that introverts like me can use in a social setting such as networking, which is the case in this book. I already know most of what is in here before reading the book and I'm a little bit disappointed because I only learned bits of new information. However, this book can really be helpful to introverts that are yet starting to come out of their shell and haven't read or practiced the things included in this.

As an introvert this book was really helpful and I will definately try some of these things because I really don't like networking even though I know and appreciate the importance of it. I'm really trying to change my mindset as to what networking really is and this so far has taken some of the fear out of it. I really appreciate this book and I'll refer to it again.

Thanks to NetGally for the advanced copy of this book and for allowing me to provide my honest review.

Networking: the plot of every introverted business person’s horror movie, am I right? Well, what if it didn’t have to be? What if we - the introverts of the world - could use our innate skills to network naturally and leave an event with a smile instead of a cringe? We can. Absolutely. In fact, thanks to this book, I am starting to see my introversion as a strength where it has been historically perceived as a weakness.

Turns out, some of those natural abilities that help define me as an introvert are some of the best networking skills available. Matthew Pollard’s book, The Introvert’s Edge to Networking not only showed me how to see this as reality, it also showed me how to use them to my advantage.

Matthew discusses one simple trick: being prepared. The depth to which he clarifies his methodology and how he got to it is wonderful and illuminating. A number of tips and tricks are elucidated for us to take, modify, or discard as appropriate.

It’s not like he’s reinvented the wheel or achieved Networking Enlightenment (well, maybe he has, but that’s another story). Matthew has simply seen what is in front of us and packaged it in a lovely little present for us to open. He provides stories, suggestions, thoughts, inspiration, templates. There is woo-woo stuff and full-stop logical stuff. Bottom line, the way Matthew presents his information works for all sorts of people, probably even those weird extraverts. ;)

Perhaps the biggest thing I have gotten out of Matthew’s books is comfort with my introversion, especially in marketing and networking. Even though they are about all I’ve ever known, it turns out that ‘Spray & Pray’ and ‘If you Build it They will Come’ are not valid marketing strategies. Who’da thunk it?

Matthew GETS introverts because he is one of us. He shows us we can all get where we want to go. We just have to play to our strengths and not try to force our square selves into round holes.

If you, like me, are an introvert who has always struggled with networking but has to do it to live your best life, this book is worth a read. I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. Great book.

I had the chance to read Matthew Pollard’s second book, The Introvert’s Edge to Networking. The book comes out in a few weeks and follows up his previous book called The Introvert’s Edge. As you’re probably picking up, these books are written by an introvert for those of us who are introverted.

In case this term is unfamiliar to you, I’d generally define introverts as people who draw energy from being alone and spend energy from being with people. By contrast, extroverts draw energy from being with people and spend energy being alone. Most of us enjoy being with people and being alone, but the defining characteristic is how it affects your energy levels.

Like his first book, this one is loaded with practical insights for how to leverage the best of your wiring. By far, the most helpful insight for me from this book was to prepare an answer to one of the most common questions asked when we meet new people: “What do you do for a living?”

Normally, we give a one-word answer. I’m a pastor, a realtor, a salesman, a teacher, an accountant, etc. The problem with these as answers—especially if you’re an introvert—is that it rarely leaves the other person wanting more. They put you into a box of other people they’ve met with that same profession and the conversation usually dies off from there (especially if they have bad examples of your profession, which has often been my experience).

As he explains in the book: “To truly succeed in strategic networking, you can’t bend yourself to what others want, or even what you mean to sell… Everything you do has to be authentic to who you are as a person and a professional.”

As a result, Pollard explains how you need to come up with something they’ve never heard of before and which will prompt them to ask you to explain it. As an introvert, this helps you guide a conversation without needing to come up with small talk (which we are not good at, to begin with).

This was especially timely for me as I was already wondering what to call myself these days. After a bit of thought… I came up with my new title. I’m the Wine Pastor. This gives people enough context since they are likely familiar with wine and also familiar with what a pastor does, but most people have never seen the two put together like this (I hadn’t either). That gives me a chance to tell them more about what I’m passionate about and we can see where the conversation goes from there.

And that’s just one of the steps the book encourages. If you are introverted, I’d encourage you to give it a read and see how it allows you to be more intentional and even excited to meet people you don’t already know.