NETWORKING

WHAT: Developing personal contacts, both formally and informally.

WHY: 75% of all professional and technical jobs are obtained through networking. Develop contacts for information on industries, companies, additional contacts, locations, etc.

WITH WHOM:

Friends                                     Colleagues                              Former employers/co-workers

Former clients                           Relatives                                  Bankers

Dentist/doctor                            Insurance agent                         Classmates (under utilized)

Social clubs                              Professional groups                  Alumni

Religious groups                       Faculty                                      Former schools

HOW:

§         Do not ask for a job, as this puts people on the sport and they generally have to say “no”. Instead, ask for information and advice. If they know of a position that’s right for you, they’ll volunteer that information. Listen more than talk. Shoot for face-to-face meetings – take them to breakfast or lunch if needed.

§         Feel embarrassed or guilty? Remember: they are giving you contact, not a job! Most people enjoy being instrumental in someone else’s success. Give them that opportunity to help and include them in your successes.

SAMPLE INITIAL CONTACT:

“Joe Shmo (from XXX) suggested I call you. I’m working on (or finishing) my MBA and am exploring career options. I am looking for information and advice from someone who is doing what I think I want to do. Can you spend 20 minutes with me at a time that is convenient for you?”

If you arrange to meet for 20 minutes, stay within those limits. After your meeting or extended telephone conversation, thank them and ask for the names of other people with whom you could talk just as you’ve talked with them. This is networking. Request to use this person’s name with the meetings you set up. And so it continues. Leave your contact person a resume for their reference.

FOLLOW UP:

§         Formal thank you letters for meeting or conversation

§         Result of the contacts they gave you

§         Send them articles/information you come across during your research that would be of interest to them – build good will.

WHERE:

Network EVERYWHERE. Standing in line at the movies, overhear some people talking about something relevant to you – interrupt and include yourself. Dentists love to talk, and the friendly ones keep up with what their clients do and where they work. Don’t be afraid to ask. What is the worst thing that can happen? Airplanes are also great places to meet professionals (even if you’re not flying first class)!

The easiest resources are professional organizations. Most national organizations have local chapters that meet monthly. This is an excellent place to meet and network. A word of caution: don’t ask people for jobs at meetings. Once again, as for information and discuss topics of mutual interest. Collect business cards. Later, call and ask to set up a meeting. If you make a positive impression on a contact, the job offers will follow.

REMEMBER:

You are always networking wherever you are, so make certain you stay on your best behavior when you are around any new people!

NETWORKING HOW-TO’S

LIST YOUR CONTACTS

Make a list of everyone you know. Yes, everyone! That’s not an easy task, it’s a necessary one. Start with the people with whom you are in current contact; then review your achievements list to recall people with whom you’ve lost touch. Include people from all facets of your life: business, professional, and voluntary associations; social, community, and religious organizations; college and other educational affiliations; military service. Don’t forget customers (past and present), suppliers, lawyers, accountants, bankers, local merchants, and relatives. You may wish to organize the list in some way, but don’t leave out someone because you assume he or she wouldn’t be useful. You never know who might be useful. This list forms the foundation for your networking. Keep it handy.

LIST YOUR OBJECTIVES

When a need arises that requires networking, first write down your objective. You may be looking for specific knowledge about an industry, tactical advice about approaching a company, or an introduction to a specific person. Once you are clear about your objectives, develop a very explicit question that gets at just what you’re after, such as “Which companies in the pulp and paper industry are most environmentally aware?” Next, note who on your list might have that information or be able to recommend you to someone who does.

POLISH YOUR SCRIPT

Write and polish a networking script. State your need clearly and concisely. Request the type of assistance you’re hoping for from your contact, whether information or a referral to someone a step closer to the information. Stress that you’re willing to work through a long chain of referrals to find what you’re after; emphasize that even a remote or peripheral suggestion should be helpful.

TELEPHONE YOUR CONTACTS

Once you’re satisfied with your networking script, pick up the phone. Begin with people you feel comfortable calling. Explain your reason for calling. Do your best to obtain at least one new name from each contact, and additional link in your network chain. Ask whether you may use your contact’s name when you call his or her connections. Most important, never back your contact into a corner.

FACILITATE THE NETWORKING CONVERSATION

§         Help your contact think about your request in broad terms. If your contact’s first words are, “I don’t know anyone who fits this description”, make it clear that you’d value any kind of suggestion, however tangential. Cite examples of where someone led you to someone, who in turn knew of someone else who had the information you desired. Intrigue them with the process in order to stretch their thinking.

§         If appropriate, briefly describe your marketing campaign and how networking fits in. Demonstrate how much preparation has preceded your call so your contact can see that this is not an idle inquiry

§         If no immediate ideas are forthcoming, forestall a negative response by suggesting your contact mull over your request for a day or two. Make specific arrangements to follow up your call, in a way that leaves no doubt that you will. And do it!

§         Be considerate of each person with whom you network. Be organized, be concise and don’t waste anyone’s time. Be honest about your needs and sensitive to your contact’s relationship with his or her network. Don’t expect your contact to share information if you convey the feeling that you might not handle it appropriately.

§         Mention early in the conversation that you would like to get one or more names. This gives your contact more time to think of possible names and reduces your need for call-backs.

§         For certain networking tasks, face-to-face meetings are the most effective; in many cases, however, less time-consuming telephone contacts can yield equal benefits. Seeking in-depth industry or company information and selling yourself are best done in person. Finding a particular piece of information may be done more expeditiously by phone. Always be prepared to accommodate your contact’s preference: if he or she would prefer that you schedule a face-to-face meeting before sharing contacts, for example, by all means be prepared to meet. Use the tool to fit the task.

CROSS-REFERENCE YOUR CONTACTS

If you are networking effectively, you should be able to create as wide a network as you require to achieve the task. The process generates an increasingly large number of referrals and contacts. Set up a ready cross-reference system to track who referred whom and a follow-up system to ensure that you call contacts who promised to think about your request or who were unavailable when you first called.

TROUBLE-SHOOTING

What if your networking efforts are not generating referrals? Check to see what you may be doing wrong by role-playing. Return to some of your early network contacts, and ask them for candid feedback. Put yourself in your contact’s place:

§         Would you be comfortable being approached the way you are approaching others? Would you be likely to want to help, if you could?

§         Does your story come across as plausible?

§         Are you clear about what you expect from your contacts?

§         Are you expecting too much, making your contact feel ill at ease?

§         Are you using the time of each network contact to best advantage?

§         Are you someone others are comfortable referring to their connections? If you are long-winded, if you overstay your welcome, or if you signal, “Rescue me”, go back to the drawing board.

§         Are you networking under false pretenses? If you’re at the selling stage, don’t ask for an appointment under the pretax of an investigative interview. Word travels quickly, and no one appreciates being hoodwinked.