How To Make Stronger Networking Links:
So often, when we meet someone at a networking event, we collect a business card, and maybe follow up with a WWD email – What We Do. We email back, in an attempt to strengthen a connection, but end up just talking about ourselves. Compare that to dating…ever been on a first date when the other person spends the whole night talking about themselves? Did you enjoy yourself?
Most do the same online…just take a look at your inbox and you’ll see lots people who send WWD. I refer to the resume version of What We Do as WIFM (What’s In it For Me http://recareered.blogspot.com/2010/03/job-seekers-tell-your-readers-wift.html
How often do you follow up from a networking event, or a Social Networking connection by asking someone what you can do … for them? How often do you offer to give first, without asking for anything in return? We’re not used to it, because it feels like giving money to a sales clerk, without taking our merchandise…and who does THAT?
Is there a different analogy when you pay money, but get no hard goods in return? Could you think of networking as making a deposit in a bank - only it’s not money that’s building up in your account, it’s goodwill or Business Karma.
The more Business Karma you build with someone, the more of a fan they become. If you’ve offered to give help to your in person network, as well as your online social network, just think of how big of a fan base you’ve built!
Personally, I try to build Business Karma daily, to a large extent through this blog and my Linkedin group Career Change Central, by letting “people crawl around inside my brain for awhile” as one very nice email response described. Before I wrote this blog, many of my readers who met me in person or through social networking heard me ask “How can I help you?”, or describing my job as “helping people, but my hobby is helping people find jobs”. But this blog isn’t about me…it’s about helping you.
I can tell you from personal experience that this kind of follow up isn’t easy. It takes time and effort to keep track of what others in your network need and can offer others, so that you can easily offer to help people. It takes patience not to talk about yourself and what you do, but to ask how you can help others. It takes a very broad view to be willing to give without expectation of return. I’ve found, however that this networking method provides returns many times greater than asking for business.
There are a number of tools that can make Business Karma easier. Check out the articles I’ve written on organizing your contacts (http://recareered.blogspot.com/2010/03/networking-for-job-search-organize-your.html) and the review I wrote on Gist (http://recareered.blogspot.com/2010/06/power-your-job-search-with-email.html) for some ways that technology can help you strengthen your networking contacts.
How can you strengthen your network in your job search? It goes against the common advice (seems like lots of things I say go against common advice, doesn’t it? :) ) of telling everyone you’re looking for a job. Instead of telling the world about yourself, why not try asking about what’s important to the person you’re talking to? I answered a reader’s question “How should I let my network know that I’m looking for work” at http://recareered.blogspot.com/2010/04/question-of-week-how-should-i-let-my.html.
Learning what’s important to others might just make a more interesting and memorable conversation, and should serve to build Business Karma. It demonstrates to the other person how well you listen and that you care (http://recareered.blogspot.com/2010/04/does-your-job-search-strategy-include.html). Then after you’ve found a way to help someone and have offered help – then answer the other person’s return question ... how they can help you. You’re much more likely to get valuable assistance this way.
Offer help first before you divulge that you’re looking for a job. Do you think this will make you more likely or less likely to find help and build a network that’s “Strong Like Bull”?
Readers - please offer your suggestions of you you make your networks “Strong Like Bull”? Please share in the comments below.
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2 comments:
Great comment, Phil. As a professional who helps clients seek new opportunities, I continually stress the imporatnce of "Karmic Marketing". What goes around comes around, and if what is going around is building, generous, and positve, then it comes back to you what a magnificent thing that is. What if you went to the local bank and asked for money, with no previous deposit? You would be laughed right out. However, if first you ahve made a deposit, and then try to make a withdrawal, they are more than happy to lend you the money or give it back to you. People are exactly the same, in that first you make the deposit into their emotional bank, than a subsequent withdrawl from their emotional account is then possible - doing somethign for you. You will actually receive more gifts by sharing than you will be hoarding.
Thanks Chris!
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