Being present is critical, but this type of advice is pretty useless for someone who has a difficult time speaking with strangers. It is hard to be present when

Being present is critical, but this type of advice is pretty useless for someone who has a difficult time speaking with strangers. It is hard to be present when all you are thinking about is all the bad possibilities that may come out of talking to people you have never met. If you're scared of sounding dumb or "new" you won't be willing to talk with the people who you think are much more successful than yourself. Handling the uncomfortable ball of nerves your body creates before speaking with strangers is hard. There's no step by step list of things you can do to get over yourself. It requires experience which is earned only by attending events/conferences/meetups that are full of strangers. The only way around the nerves is being prepared with a quick blurb about yourself (which is also hard). Knowing how to respond to the "So what do you do?" question sounds easy enough but it's also super terrifying if you're a shy/introverted person. Having this answer prepared will allow you to get through the hardest wall of all: actually speaking to the stranger(s). If you're thinking of selling schemes before you even shake someones hand, your not going to be listening. If you're just trying to collect names and cards, you won't be building long lasting relationships. I try to forget about my business cards until I'm asked if I have one. I also try treating people with respect instead of a sales pitch, which requires listening to what they're saying. I would bring business cards with you everywhere, though. It is good to have them on hand if someone wants a way to remember you. They are even better to have on hand when they specifically ask for one. You are not going to build a meaningful relationship if they forget your last name. Lowering the barrier to your information for someone who actually wants your information on hand is important. It is even more important if the people you are meeting expect a card as a way to remember you. Respect also requires remembering their name (which is harder for me than remembering an entire conversation!). In order for me to remember a single name in the moment, I will immediately repeat it. Maybe once out loud, as a way of beginning the conversation. If I'm with a group, and depending on the age of the people, I'll make it a memory game. I'll repeat their names as we go around introducing ourselves. After everyone has introduced themselves I'll repeat all their names again, sometimes letting them know I have a hard time with names. Self-deprecation helps me break the ice if I'm nervous and tends to make the group laugh. This works especially well when speaking with college students since they are usually much more nervous than whoever they are speaking with. Being nice and handling conversations is difficult, and I think knowing the intricacies of conversation is an art. It needs to be practiced with everyone you encounter.