Breaking the Comfort Zone When At Networking Events

There’s a reason why the word ‘RELATIONSHIP’ comes before the word ‘MARKETING’ in ‘RELATIONSHIP MARKETING.’ Above all, that’s what this blog is all about; creating relationships!

First off, congratulations on being here and putting in the work, striving to be kind to other people. Therefore, improving your relationships, whether it be for your personal or business life!

Hence, this is why I’m super excited to have this incredible person Cynthia Greenawalt on my blog today.

Cynthia is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business and currently a:

  • Peak performance consultant
  • Engaging speaker
  • Author

on Unleashing The Power of Social Capital.

Furthermore, she founded Sea Change Networking.  Most importantly addressing the demand for new thinking, required for unlocking the gold deep within the goldmine of our networking relationships.

Also, Cynthia was the founder of both the Fort Lauderdale and Miami regions of Business Network International (BNI.) BNI is the world’s leading referral organization.

In addition, she is a contributing author of the:

  •  New York Times bestseller, Masters of Networking
  • Wall Street Journal bestseller, Masters of Success

She is known as the Amygdala Wrangler and here to teach us the significance of what real networking is all about…

New Thinking Resistance

Cynthia, being known as the ‘Amygdala Wrangler,’ teaches us that…

“New thinking, builds new neuro pathways in the brain, but will for sure be met with resistance from ‘old neuro pathways’ from old thinking patterns.” ~Cynthia Greenawalt~

To clarify, the Amygdala is the part of our brain that retains a set of patterns that allow us to survive. Furthermore, when new thinking is happening, the Amygdala wants you to take steps within the patterns retained so that it can predict survival. To be clear, that means your brain wants you to stay within your ‘comfort zone.’ Indeed, new thinking is the un-comfort zone.

Escaping Your Comfort Zone

Indeed being bold takes “Amygdala wrangling” because it’s an unfamiliar pattern and out of our comfort zone. So, to be victorious, we must wrangle with our brain. Because the Amygdala is trying to keep us in survival mode, staying within the known patterns of what we accomplished in the past.

For example, let’s take BNI, the referral networking business.

There’s no doubt that the BNI ‘givers gain’ mentality is a pattern that disrupts the patterns in one’s Amygdala because people in sales make it about getting referrals rather than giving referrals. Mostly due to the ‘hunting like’ networking paradigm, we are programmed with from way back in the industrial age school system.

Meaning, it’s very common when attending networking events to come from a place of who wants what I have, instead of who can I give to today; Two very different methods with very different outcomes.

The Amygdala senses, and picks up that you are moving in and hunting with predatory behavior. In fact, if you reverse that behavior and make it about the person your networking with, with an intention of give to give, not give to get, you build the know, like, and trust value.

As a result, of hunting behavior, our Amygdala goes into survival mode finding the familiar comfort zone which causes us to:

  • block them
  • step away
  • put up a wall

Protecting ourselves.

One of the easiest ways to come out of your comfort zone in networking events is to have an agenda of serving others.

Cynthia is the master at how to overcome and breakthrough your comfort zone and serving others, so make sure to listen to the interview above for more information!

Thanks for joining me,

Kody B.