Networking an important step in finding new jobs, consulting opportunities, or business leads. In fact, the only way to access or open the vast majority of opportunities is through networking. Here are a few tips to help you do it.
1. Know your selling points. Different scenarios present various opportunities to make a good impression. You should be able to tell someone about yourself within a minute, capturing the most salient points. Alternatively, you may be in a conversation where you want to make a good impression, but not want to appear as though you are over-selling yourself. Know what the few highlights are that will make the best impression, and decide how to get them out effortlessly over the course of a conversation. Keep in mind that these are not a list of vital statistics. They are tidbits and stories that express your individuality.
2. Seek the highest concentrations of potential contacts. Networking one person at a time is often necessary, but it is not exactly the most efficient way of making progress. Joining organizations and attending social events in the right circles can be the best way of meeting important contacts. People tend to be more generous with their time and favors in such settings. You may also find that someone you just met might be able to put you in contact with another person in the same room. You can close multiple degrees of separation at a single event.
3. Be considerate. Keep in mind that networking is a two-way process. No conversation should be exclusively about you. Getting others to speak about themselves is an easy way to expand a conversation, generate interest from the other person, and learn more about common bonds and potential contacts. Do not miss out on an opportunity to help the person with whom you are speaking. Helping someone along the way might not be a priority on your networking agenda, but it may prove to be a rewarding experience. Plus, you never know when a good deed will come back to benefit you in the future.
4. Keep the contacts coming. In every networking conversation, whether planned or serendipitous, you should try to get to the point where the person provides recommendations of two or three people for you to contact. Do not be shy about asking for contact information of the person with whom you are speaking or others that they know.
5. Keep your eyes open. Networking goes far beyond making a series of scheduled telephone calls and asking set questions. Every conversation can lead to important information regarding potential contacts and opportunities. Most people know someone in the pharmaceutical industry, for example. It is just a matter of keeping your eyes and ears open as you are talking to people, and recognizing networking opportunities when they arise. Don’t be afraid to ask for an introduction if such an opportunity arises. You might be one contact away from a big opportunity.
6. Follow through. Make sure to get contact information from people. If you are like me, you will forget their name ten minutes after the conversation, despite every attempt to remember it. You may also look at a business card a month later and wonder who the person was. Writing a note on the back (eg, “Mark’s friend that I met at the 4th of July party”) If you have the opportunity to learn more from someone, or to be introduced to more people, do not hesitate to follow up with them. Drop them a quick email to thank them for their time, or else to let them know that you spoke to the person they recommended. The best reason to do this is because it is friendly and polite. The added benefit is that the person is more likely to remember you, think more highly of you, and come up with additional ways to help. Then follow through on the new contacts that they have recommended. Keep making forward progress.
