An Awkward Person’s Guide To Attending An Event Alone
A couple of week’s ago we did a poll asking whether people would prefer to attend a Sassy Digital event in person or online, and to our surprise a lot of people said they were more likely to buy tickets to an online event.
To me, this seems crazy because I personally prefer to be present at events and make connections with new people. Although the internet has allowed us to do amazing things, and for my business, we operate other businesses’ online presence - so without this we wouldn’t have a business.
I can help think that we still need to keep a balance between online and reality, and I came to the conclusion that I thought people wanted to buy a ticket online because they didn’t want to attend an event alone.
As women in business, life can often feel lonely and it can feel like not many people understand what we are going through - the highs, the lows and just everyday life. Which is why I think it’s super important to get out there and meet people.
So, here are my top tips for attending an event alone and how to avoid feeling awkward at the edge of someone else’s conversation (we’ve all been there!)
Be present
When you attend an event - for goodness sake put your phone away. Open up your body language, listen to the people around you and get involved. In awkward situations for some reason we use our phone as a comfort blanket to distract us. In reality it can actually make you look (and feel) more awkward. Rather than looking at your phone, how about…
2. Ask questions
At an event recently, someone came up to me and ask “Hello Lucy, I see on your name badge you’re from Sassy Digital. Can you explain to me what Sassy Digital does?”
Break the ice and approach someone who looks like they’re on their own too, once you start a conversation then you’ll instantly feel more relaxed and you will learn something new!
3. Include others
If you see someone awkwardly lingering on the edge of your conversation circle, how about you invite their view to your conversation. We’ve all been in a situation where we feel like the odd one out in a conversation so you’ll understand how that person is feeling. Inviting them in is a great was of making a new connection and getting to know someone. You never know, it may benefit your business!
4. Speak up!
Can we just talk about body language for a moment. When we feel nervous, we often introvert ourselves meaning we close our body language, hunch our shoulders, put our fingers or hands in front of our face, fiddle with our fingers or hair…etc etc. you get the point I’m making?
Opening up your body language, standing tall, removing your hands from your face and speaking with clarity and volume is an instant confidence booster and it makes you more appealing for conversation with others.
5. Don’t sweat it if you say something weird
After an event we mentally de-brief ourselves, and if you’re an awkward person the anxiety of things you’ve said can make you cringe for days. When you think you’ve said something weird, in reality no one else will actually remember it. If I had a penny for every time I’d said something weird or inappropriate I would be doing it as a job…and if I’d sweated about everything I said afterwards I would probably be on antidepressants…
Controversial but in this situation you need to think like a man. As women we tend to overthink things and sweat the small stuff. Think like a man, because guys don’t care what comes out of their mouth most of the time, and they certainly don’t think about it afterwards the same way that us girls do!
6. Wear an outfit that makes you feel Sassy AF
I never attend an event without wearing a kick-ass outfit. Always wear what makes you feel comfortable and confident. For me, this usually means wearing heels, and a stylish jacket - and yes heels make me well over 6ft but I kind of love the feeling of being even taller!
How do you deal with being an awkward person at an event? Comment below or message me! @lucyhitchcock_ @sassydigital
This article was written by Lucy Hitchcock, founder of Sassy Digital, a Digital Marketing and Branding agency for small businesses. Lucy is a lover of dogs, and a big believer that all women should have a happy career - whether it’s running their own thing, or climbing that career ladder.