Plug Into the Power of Existing Connections

November 29, 2010 by Leave a Comment



21099431.jpg

Before anyone will
help you – give you a referral, partner with you on a project, whatever it is
you need – they have to know, like and trust you.

You already have a
big head start with existing contacts — people you’ve worked with before, have gone to
school with, live near, served on a charity organization with, etc – but sometimes we’re so focused on making new connections that we
take for granted this rich resource that’s already in our grasp.

Rekindling those
connections is
like plugging into an electrical socket. The current is there, the energy is
flowing somewhere behind the wall, but unless you have a way to get to it, you
can’t tap into the power.

If you’ve read “Smart
Networking” you know that the very first networking event that I attended as an
entrepreneur, I ran out of the room after 5 minutes. 

After
I failed so miserably meeting total strangers at events, I took a step back and
decided to re-start my networking efforts with people I already knew. I sat
down with about a dozen former co-workers, bosses, and classmates to have
coffee with them, find out what they were doing in their careers and
businesses, and let them know that I had left corporate America and was now an
independent consultant. 

I
didn’t ask them to hire me. I didn’t ask them if they knew anyone looking for a
strategy consultant, I just focused on reestablishing the relationship. But of
course, through the conversation we had, they got a good idea of what my focus
was and what I was looking for. 

From
those dozen meetings, I filled up my practice for the next two years. Some of my
contacts hired me directly. They already knew my work and knew they liked
working with me, so if they had a need, I was the obvious choice.

Some
referred me to others in their network sometimes even 6-12 months later. They
were speaking to someone they knew who mentioned they needed help, and I got
the referral. If my contacts didn’t know I was doing this kind of work, they would
have recommended someone else.

I
guarantee that there are folks you know that you’ve forgotten about who can be
tremendously helpful to you. To rekindle the connection, first take deliberate
inventory and then take focused action:

1)
Write down every job you’ve had, every school you’ve attended, every networking
group you’ve been involved with, and every community organization you’ve
belonged to in the last 10 years.

2)
Make a list of at least 50 people you haven’t spoken to in a while, focusing on
those with whom you had a solid relationship. This will be the foundation of
your reconnection strategy for the next 12 months.

3)
Find as many of them as you can on LinkedIn and invite them to connect with
you, following the advice in my post on the best way to write a LinkedIn
invitation. LinkedIn is perfect for getting back on someone’s radar screen in
an unobtrusive way. You’re not asking for anything, you just want to reconnect.

4)
For those with whom you’re already connected on LinkedIn, read through their
profile to find out what they’re currently doing. Start a conversation. Comment
on their status update, answer a question they posted, or send a brief message.

“Hi
John, it’s been a while, but I was browsing through LinkedIn and noticed that
you’re working with ABC company. I’m at XYZ & Co., now and thought it would
be great to catch up and see if we can help each other in some way.”

5)
Plan to get together with at least one person each week. While catching up by
phone saves time, it doesn’t have the impact of a face-to-face meeting over
coffee or lunch, where you can be totally present with each other and not be
tempted to multi-task with email and web surfing.

6)
Leverage your time even more by organizing a group meeting. Invite 2-3 of your
contacts to a group lunch or after-work drinks. Not only will you be able to
reconnect with each one in a productive way, but you’ll also create an
opportunity for them to reconnect with each other.

7)
At your meeting, ask questions and show genuine interest in understanding their
current situation and needs. Listen for opportunities to connect them to
resources or contacts that can help them.

8)
Be prepared to explain what you’re doing in a clear and concise way. If people
can’t understand what you do, they won’t be able to help you. A confused mind
takes no action.

9)
Send a follow up email after the meeting. Forward any info you promised you’d
send. Reiterate that you’d like to stay in touch and would be happy to help
them in any way you can.

While
not every interaction will generate new business for you, learning this process
of contacting, meeting and following up with existing contacts will improve
those relationships, open up a strong line of communication, and increase your
comfort and skill level in building meaningful new connections.


© 2010 Liz Lynch. All Rights Reserved


Want to use this article on your website, blog
or ezine? No problem! But here is what you MUST include:

“Liz Lynch, business development
strategist and author of ‘Smart Networking: Attract a Following In Person and
Online,’ teaches entrepreneurs and professionals how to get 24/7 networking
results WITHOUT the 24/7 effort. Get her Smart Networking Toolkit at www.SmartNetworking.com.” 


Filed Under: Building Your Business, LinkedIn, Reactivating Contacts Tagged With: , ,

Will Your Contacts Be There When You Need Them?

May 26, 2009 by 1 Comment

I moderated a networking panel recently where the first question during the Q&A period came from a woman in the audience who said, “I’ve been looking for a job for a while and trying to improve my computer skills in the meantime, but I haven’t been able to find anything. What should I do?”

One of my fellow panelists said something I generally agree with, which is to find people who know you and your work and ask them for help, either in getting the word out about your need or helping to connect with you with others you should know.

None of us were prepared for her response: “They’re all dead.”

2741360629_1bd92261f4

Okay, next question….Anyone? Anyone?

Yes, the woman was well into middle age, but could ALL the people she knew be dead, or were maybe some just avoiding her?

Being able to get help from your network when you need it is where the rubber meets the road in relationship building. Whether you were too busy working on your own personal stuff that you didn’t make time to build relationships, or you built them and lost touch with them, or you built them and burnt them, the end result is the same: at some point in your life when you need supporters, you won’t have them.

So what should you do instead?

First, make the time. Now. Today. Don’t wait. Let’s face it, none of us “have” the time for things we’re supposed to do that might be good for us, like drinking eight glasses of water a day, doing 30 minutes of cardio five times a week, or sending cards to our relatives on their birthday. You have to make the time in your schedule on a consistent basis to nurture the relationships you already have, get to know the people you work with everyday, and get out there in person and online to add new contacts. (Read my prior post Can’t Afford the Time
to Network? for tips on how you can accomplish a lot in just a 30-minute block of time.)

177100826_bb08cf67a7

Second, become more attractive. Not in your physical appearance, but in your knowledge, skills, attitude, and of course, your personal brand. Many times people will help you because it makes them look good to recommend a strong candidate. It’s much harder to get that help, however, if you’re middle of the road. You can’t go back and change your college transcript or the last 15 years of your work experience, but you can move forward and develop new accomplishments. Get involved with something new–a project, a movement, anything–to build new skills and create new experiences that you can talk about.

Third, focus your goal. You can spread yourself too thin by trying to cover too many bases. “I’d like to get into the healthcare field as a research manager, but I’m also thinking about opening a Subway sandwich franchise, or maybe teaching astronomy to high school students.” If you go in with that elevator pitch, you’ll lose people quickly. Even if you do have multiple passions, lead with the one you’re most excited about and which has the greatest potential (hopefully there’s an overlap). That way, rather than flit from event to event, you can spend more time in one place, meet more people when you’re there, have deeper conversations, and build closer connections.

Your success with reconnecting with old contacts and getting their help depends less on how much time has elapsed, and is more a function of the strength of the relationship when you last saw each other, the person you are now, and the clarity and specificity of what you’re looking for.

HOW you ask for that help is also critical and we’ll discuss “The Art of the Ask” in next week’s post. Stay tuned.

Read the original post on Personal Branding Blog

Filed Under: Career Advancement, Job Search Networking, Job Security, Personal Branding, Reactivating Contacts Tagged With: , , ,

How to Take Control of Your Career When the World is Spiraling Around You

September 18, 2008 by 1 Comment

SteakthNetworker.jpgWith so much turmoil in the economic markets, if you’re lucky so far to still have a job in the financial industry, you’re probably concerned about when the other shoe will drop.

While it can be tempting to take cover and hope you’ll survive the storm in one piece, you might consider using this time to bolster your position and try to emerge stronger than before.

If you’ve been out of the networking circuit for awhile, for example, start re-activating your network now, before you might need it. Connect with old colleagues or business partners over lunch. Attend a professional association event and build some new relationships. Polish up your elevator pitch.

Before you get out there, however, make sure you’re mentally strong. Take some advice from executive coach Stefanie Smith who was interviewed by CNBC.com’s Jospeh Pisani for his article Eight Ways to Prepare for a Layoff. She says that while you can’t control the actions of the people around you, you can certainly control your own.

Coach Stef recently published a free report Six Certain Steps to Fortify Your Career in Uncertain Times that lays out a great game plan for building a strong mindset and taking effective action starting from where you are right now.

Don’t count on your boss to keep you motivated during these difficult times. He or she has enough challenges. Instead, motivate yourself through your own momentum.

Filed Under: Job Security, Reactivating Contacts Tagged With: ,