Haveo · Networking guides
How to prepare for a networking event when you have social anxiety
Prepare three things and nothing else: one sentence about who you are, two questions you will ask, and one exit line. Rehearse them out loud, not in your head — saying a sentence aloud once makes it dramatically easier to say it again under stress. Then give yourself permission to leave after one real conversation.
Why preparation works better than confidence advice
"Just be yourself" and "be confident" are not instructions — they are outcomes. Anxiety before a room full of strangers is largely a preparation problem wearing a personality costume. You are not bad at this. You are walking in without a script, which would make anyone freeze.
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The three things to write down
- Your one sentence. Who you are and what you are into, in a form you would actually say aloud. Not a job title recital — a sentence a human would use.
- Two questions. Prepared, generic, reusable. "What brought you here?" and "What are you working on?" will carry an entire evening.
- One exit line. Knowing how you will leave a conversation is what makes it safe to start one.
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Rehearse out loud, not in your head
Reading your intro silently is not rehearsal. Say it aloud — to a mirror, a voice recorder, or an AI that will not judge how it comes out. The first time you hear your own sentence should not be in front of a stranger.
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The first ten minutes
Arrive early if you can. An empty room is far easier to enter than a full one, and the people who arrive early are usually the ones who also find this hard.
Get a drink so your hands have a job. Then talk to one person standing alone.
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Set a finish line before you arrive
Decide in advance what "done" means — one real conversation, or thirty minutes. Having a defined end makes the whole thing survivable, and you will usually stay longer than you planned once the first conversation is behind you.
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Rehearse it before you walk in.
Haveo builds your intro, lets you practice out loud with an AI coach, and keeps your notes one tap away in the room. Free on iPhone and iPad.
Download Haveo — free- When you cannot stop replaying it afterwards
Going over every sentence for days afterwards has a name — post-event processing. What it is, why the replay is not accurate, and what to do on the night instead. - The hour before a networking event
What to do in the last hour: what to eat, what to read, what to rehearse, and the two decisions to make before you leave the house. - How to leave a networking event early
When it is fine to go, what to say on the way out, and why leaving at a planned time is the thing that makes the next event easier. - How to go to a networking event alone
Arriving with nobody to stand next to. Where to go first, who to approach, and why going alone is usually easier than going with a friend. - What to do if it becomes too much while you are there
Leaving the room, slowing your breathing, and deciding whether to go back in. A plan for the moment rather than advice for next time. - Do you actually have to network?
An honest answer. What networking is really for, when it matters, and the versions that work if rooms full of strangers are not for you. - What to bring to a networking event
A short list. What actually gets used, what never does, and the one thing most people forget. - What to expect at your first networking event
What actually happens, in order, from the door to going home — so that none of it is a surprise.