17. Video And Networking - Scary Things Done The Introvert Way with James Reader

James Reader of Front Row Films is the ultimate social introvert. As a child his family wondered if he was deaf because he didn’t engage with other children but these days he is the life and soul of his networking group, so I wanted to know how he achieves this. He explained how he can be friendly and chatty but he actually is very shy and has a number of strategies, including ensuring he has time to “decompress” after networking meetings. As a professional videographer he works regularly with people who hate being on camera, so we explored how to overcome those fears. Top tips include good lighting and lots of practice! The more you do something that takes you out of your comfort zone the more you get used to it. As James says, “with video, little and often is much better than producing Citizen Kane every 6 months!” With networking, he was originally terrified, and worrying he was going to pass out in the first meeting. But building relationships with people in the group has meant that no longer is he trying to impress the group, he’s getting to know people so they can help each other’s business. He’s a big believer in networking by stealth, not talking about business at all and getting to know people personally first, so the business happens organically. James was fun to interview – he was also the first person to leave me slightly lost for words on my own podcast! Marketing for Introverts is created and hosted by Jenny Procter of Bondfield Marketing, find out more here https://bondfieldmarketing.co.uk/marketing-for-introverts/   Resources To find out more about James you can connect with him on LinkedIn or go to www.frontrowfilmshq.co.uk   If you are one of the 68% of introverted business owners who hate putting themselves out there you can sign up for my free guide. It’s called “Being the face of your service business: From hating it to loving it in 5 steps”. https://www.subscribepage.com/face-of-your-service-business-5-steps   And if you sign up, I’ll make sure you are among the first people to receive each new episode to your inbox every fortnight!