TIN #135 - End Networking Awkwardness with This Simple Strategy
How to Be Easy to Help in Networking Conversations
Networking feels awkward.
At least, that’s what a lot of you tell me when I ask, “What’s your biggest networking challenge?”
You know you need to do it, but when it comes time to talk about what you do, something holds you back.
A friend of mine reached out this week because she was struggling with networking.
She told me, "I can't get out of my own way."
When I asked what she meant, she said, "I feel awkward telling people what I do. I don’t want to come across as pushy or salesy."
The more we talked, the more I realized how common this struggle is.
If you’ve ever felt like this, you’re not alone.
But there’s a simple mindset shift that can make networking feel less awkward and more natural.
This issue takes about 4 minutes to read…
Before We Get Started:
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Why Networking Feels Awkward
A lot of people say networking feels uncomfortable, and a big reason is this: we don’t want to feel like we’re selling ourselves.
Whether you’re looking for a job, growing a business, or making professional connections, it can feel weird to say,
"Here’s what I do, here’s why you should hire me."
We’ve all received those awkward LinkedIn messages:
"Do you have any job openings?"
"Buy my service!"
"Can you help me find a job?"
These direct asks rarely work because they don’t give people a clear, easy way to help.
And because we don’t want to come across this way, we sometimes overcorrect—we say nothing at all or make ourselves too vague to be helpful.
That’s why the key to better networking is this: Be Easy To Help.
Be Easy To Help
If you’ve followed my networking process, you know that the one of the steps is listen and give.
But what happens next?
When someone asks, "How can I help you?"—do you have an answer?
Being Easy To Help means:
Being specific about what you need.
Clearly stating who you help and what problem you solve.
If you’re job hunting, don’t say:
❌ "I’m looking for a job."
Instead, say:
✅ "I’m looking for a total rewards role at a mid-sized tech company. My top three target companies are X, Y, and Z."
You can find another way to Be Easy To Help in a job search by reading TIN #006 - Don't Give People Your Resume (Do This Instead)
If you run a business, don’t say:
❌ "I do HR consulting."
Instead, say:
✅ "I help Series A startups create HR strategies so they can scale successfully."
The more specific you are, the more memorable you become.
People can’t introduce you to everyone, but if you tell them exactly who you help and what you do, they’ll recognize when they meet someone who needs you.
The Formula: “I Help X Do Y”
A simple way to frame what you do is with the formula:
💡 I help [specific person] do [specific thing].
For example:
"I teach introverts to be better networkers."
"I help CHROs solve their retention challenges."
"I help sales teams land bigger deals through relationship-building."
This clarity removes the awkwardness.
You’re not pitching yourself—you’re just stating what you do.
And when the right opportunity comes up, people will think of you because you were more specific than anyone else they’ve met.
BTW - I learned this approach from Clay Hebert in his TedX talk “The Best Way To Answer ‘So What Do You Do?"‘“
Try It This Week
If you haven’t already, take a few minutes to craft your own "I help X do Y" statement.
Try it out in your next networking conversation and see how it feels.
And if networking still feels awkward for you, I want to hear about it!
Hit reply and tell me: What’s the most uncomfortable part of networking for you?
I’d love to dig into this more in future newsletters.
Until then—go out, meet interesting people, and always be connecting.