There's only one thing more you need to know to make networking work effectively for you; that's how to approach each person in your network by phone or in person. Here, then, are some guidelines to follow:
- When you make contact by phone, don't assume that your friend or business associate has time to talk at the moment you call. Begin your contact by asking if this is a good time for a conversation. If your friend or associate on the other end of the line is in the middle of a meeting or dinner, make arrangements to call back at a more convenient time. You'll get a lot better response than trying to squeeze in your message at a time when your contact is preoccupied.
- If the time you call a primary network contact is convenient, begin your conversation by renewing your relationship with the person you are talking to. This is a particularly good idea if much time has elapsed since your last contact with him or her. Make sure the person in your network remembers who you are, and that you build on the relationship that you enjoyed in the past. After all, in a few moments you are going to be asking for a favor, and your network contact is likely to do a lot more for a friend than a total stranger.
- If you are contacting someone in your secondary network, begin your conversation by referring to the mutual friend or associate who put you in touch with the person you are talking to. You are relying on the good feelings between the person you are calling and the person who gave you his or her name to immediately establish enough rapport so that you can ask for assistance in your job search. You can only hope that the bond between the person who gave you the name and the contact you are calling is strong enough to get you the favor you need.
- Once you have established (or renewed) the relationship between yourself and the person you are contacting, be up front about the purpose of your call. You may have read in a highly popular career planning book that you should tell people in both your primary and secondary network that you are "exploring alternative career options and want to learn more about their fields so you can pursue the options most interesting to you." Unless you are just getting out of school, this approach is a lot of baloney and the people in your network are bound to know it after just a few minutes on the phone or in person with you.
- Once you have established the purpose of your call (i.e.: to inquire about possible job openings your contact may know of, and more importantly, to get referrals to people you don't know who might also know of job opportunities), let your network contact know that you want to send (or give) him or her two documents to look over. The first is a copy of your resume to update him or her about what you've been doing lately. (If you are talking to a stranger in your secondary network, you want him or her to have a resume so that you can "introduce" yourself more completely to him or her.) The second item you want to pass along is a list of one hundred or two hundred companies you are particularly interested in and job titles-that list we talked about earlier.
- After you've told your contact that you are sending or giving him your resume and list, establish a time that you can get back to your contact for the purpose of securing names of people to contact, or to learn of any job opportunities your contact may have unearthed that are appropriate to your background. Undoubtedly some of the people you call or visit will have names to give you instantly, or may discuss openings they know of during your first contact. Great! Take them. But even in cases like this, it is recommended that you establish a date to get back because even those people who can respond immediately with help may have some additional names or ideas for you if you give them some chance to reflect on your request.
- Be sure to end your first conversation with your contacts with sincere thanks. If you are one of those people whose telephone voice doesn't reflect as much enthusiasm as you show in person, practice your "thanks". You've got to make people believe their effort is appreciated.
- Follow up your conversation the same day with a sincere letter thanking your contact for his or her time, establishing (or cementing) your relationship to the contact, outlining your overall job search goal, referring to the attached resume and list, and confirming the time of your next phone or in-person conversation. If you are writing to a primary network contact, whom you know well, it's perfectly acceptable to handwrite this note. But if you are following up with an associate rather than friend, have your letter typed. The impression your letter creates could have an impact on the effort your contact makes on your behalf.
- Follow up on schedule. Not only is it the polite thing to do, but it establishes the importance you place on the favor you are asking. The most successful networking campaigns usually include more than one call-back. Your network contacts will appreciate a periodic update on how you are doing in your job search, and if you re-contact a friend a month after your initial call back, you may well find that in the interim your contact has come up with additional names and/or job opportunities.
