As a career coach and personal branding strategist, I work with a lot of people who recognize the critical importance of networking. Still, they fight it. And it seems the people who fight it most are the ones who need it most because they’re in career transition. So, it’s not uncommon for people to look for help in “getting started.”
Since networking is truly the passport to success in business – and in life – it’s a skill set you would be wise to practice and develop continually. To some extent, you probably already are and don’t even know it. For example, if you’ve ever had to make a decision on a new car or computer, you’ve probably asked for the advice of others. You may have also offered your counsel to guide others in their decisions. Either way, that’s networking.
Of course with the growing trend of all sorts of local networking events, as well as the increasing importance of online social networking, getting started has never seemed more daunting. Fortunately, there are experts who offer great advice, making your task a bit easier. One expert is my very good friend Liz Lynch, founder of the Center for Networking Excellence, and author of the newly released Smart Networking: Attract a Following In Person and Online.
Last week, Liz launched a virtual interview series contest for bloggers. As at terrific opportunity to tap her expertise, I decided to participate. So, I submitted a series of questions focused on common getting-started concerns. Here’s what Liz had to say:
What's the best way for people who haven't really been focused on networking to get started?
The best way to get started is to tap into the network you already have. Meeting with people you already know, who are already fans of yours and willing to help you can give you a nice dose of confidence. They can also give you a big head start with your networking by introducing you to other people you should know once they understand what you’re looking for. If nothing else, they can be a great sounding board.
It seems that people who are great at networking are very extroverted, so, what are some ways an introvert can make networking productive?
It may seem that way, Walter, but you’d be very surprised. I’m an introvert, Jason Alba, author of I’m On LinkedIn, Now What??? and I’m On Facebook, Now What???, is an introvert (he wrote about this in a blog post recently). Introverts can be as successful with networking as their extroverted friends, but they just may approach it differently. Rather than trying to work the whole room, they may be more comfortable talking with a few people. Both introverts and busy extroverts will appreciate Smart Networking because it’s all about getting the most out of whatever networking you do, by learning to be highly effective networking in-person and using online tools to leverage your efforts.
Good networkers seem to have mastered the art of small talk. What if you're not good at that?
If you can ask questions and have some standard ones in your back pocket, you can talk to anybody. Even when you’re just breaking the ice, asking a simple open-ended question like “What brings you to this event?” can get the conversation started and help you both feel more at ease. Then continue on with asking questions about what they do, how long they’ve been doing it, and how they got started. People love to talk about themselves and rarely have enough opportunity to. You’ll seem like a master conversationalist even though you hardly said anything!
What are some of the best places for online network, especially if you're just getting started?
Once you get over the learning curve, LinkedIn and Facebook can be easy places to get started because you can work at your own pace, on your own time. Ease into it by filling out your profile and inviting people you already know to connect with you. They’re also invaluable places to continue networking. You can use LinkedIn, for example, to research companies you’re interested in and find out who in your network might have a connection there.
It seems so hard to get people to respond to you after a networking event, what's the best way to make that happen?
To make follow up easy, I always try to establish a reason during the conversation to follow up. That means I have to ask enough questions to have a good sense for what the other person needs (asking questions and active listening are good anyway for building rapport). When I uncover an opening, I mention that I have a resource I can connect them to and ask for their card. If there is no obvious opening, and I really want to follow up later, I say, “I don’t want to take up too much of your time here, but would it be okay if I got 10 minutes of your time next week over the phone to ask you a few more questions about that project you mentioned?”
That’s it for now. Be sure to check back as I continue my virtual interview with Liz.
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