Building Relationships with Introverts – A Story from Inside the Seahawks Locker Room
Jul 31, 2019
Persistent and strategic.
If those two words don’t describe the way you approach networking, meeting new people or developing business relationships you need a more focused strategy – especially when you meet introverts.
Being outgoing, bubbly, assertive or direct can come across as a very “in your face” approach. It can also be a huge turnoff to a introvert who doesn’t talk much and keeps a tight circle of friends or business contacts.
There are introverts in sports. Lots of ’em. I encounter them in every locker room. And the approach I use in building relationships with an introvert is very different than how I approach extroverts.
Just last season I had to build a relationship with a shy, introverted, Seahawks rookie named Poona Ford. Poona had no interest in talking to me, so I didn’t even try. I talked to the players in his area of the locker room for a few weeks before I actually introduced myself.
If someone doesn’t want to talk to you, you can’t force them to. You can warm up the space.
It’s a strategy that works in the Seahawks locker room and with any new business contact who isn’t eager to jump into a conversation.
Here’s the full re-telling of how I earned the trust and built a relationship with an NFL rookie.
