The Power of Effective Networking
How to build strong, genuine professional relationships through intentional and regular networking
Have you ever gone to a professional networking event only to feel incredibly uncomfortable and awkward trying to make small talk with strangers in a room? If so, you’re not alone, and you may feel an ‘icky’ sensation when you think about networking and its purpose in professional development as it is often incorrectly perceived as inauthentic and self-serving.
However, networking, when done, right can serve as a powerful tool that can open up valuable opportunities that would have otherwise been inaccessible. The problem with these ‘forced’ formal networking events is that the conversations had are often lacking in authenticity and there has not been enough preparation, thought and consideration for conversations to provide value to those involved.
I have found networking with individuals, one-on-one and away from these forced settings to be invaluable for my professional development and career in the corporate sector. Networking conversations have provided me with valuable advice for tailoring CVs and cover letters for specific jobs, preparing for interviews and has even opened up job opportunities for me that otherwise would not have eventuated. Read on for a walkthrough of the exact methodology I employ to ensure the networking conversations I have are valuable, meangingful, mutually beneficial and lead to strong, authentic and long-term professional relationships.
1. Have an aim
Before you even do a LinkedIn search of skills, job titles or degrees, figure out what the aim of your networking session will be. Is it to gain an insight into a particular sector, industry or company? Is it to know how to tailor your job application to best appeal to the hiring manager of a company? Is it to ask for advice on how best to study for the medical school admissions test?
Having multiple aims is fine, as long as you are clear on what these are.
2. Figure out who to speak to
This is when the LinkedIn search comes in handy. Search using key words that relate to your aim. For example, if I was thinking about applying for a job in a specific company, I would search for role-related keywords and the company name to find employees in a similar role.
Narrow down a list of relevant people to speak to and request to connect with them on LinkedIn. This is when having a strong LinkedIn profile yourself will come in handy; the people you are reaching out to should be able to take a quick look at your LinkedIn profile and gauge who you are, what your experience is and what your professional interests are.
3. Reach out and articulate your aim
Once you have narrowed down a list of people to speak to, pick one to start off with and send them a LinkedIn message introducing yourself and clearly and succinctly articulating why you’d like to speak to them.
Do not message them with a ‘Hi [Name], how’s it going?’ and wait for them to respond. The person receiving the message will likely wonder who you are and why you’re reaching out to them, and might be hesitant to respond.
By clearly articulating why you’d like to speak to them in your first message, you can put your new connection at ease straight away and provide them with sufficient information to decide whether or not they can spare the time to speak to you. Often this is a ‘yes’ if you can demonstrate you know exactly what you’d like to speak about and that the conversation will be meaningful.
A general template I like to use for these introductory messages is below:
Hi [Name],
Thanks for connecting with me on LinkedIn. I’m a [insert context here, this might be your job title, what you’re studying etc.] and am interested in learning more about [insert what you’d like to talk about with them].
I can see that you work for/in [insert company name/sector/industry] and am wondering if you can spare 30 minutes for a chat?
Thanks in advance,
[Insert your name]
4. Prepare, prepare, prepare
If your contact accepts your request for a conversation and you trade email addresses and confirm a time, now is the time to do some background reading to prepare for your conversation.
There is nothing worse than having someone ask for your time and then expect for you to carry the whole conversation. I have been on the receiving end of this numerous times where I will oblige to network and it becomes very clear the initiator has put no thought put into the the conversation whatsoever. This leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I will be reluctant to give up my time again for this individual or to refer them to another person in my network as I’ll be conscious they might be a time-waster.
In order to avoid this situation, preparation is key. Do some background research on the subject matter you’d like to discuss and the individual you are speaking to and form some insightful questions. As a rule of thumb, I like to have at least 5–6 talking points/questions written down before a 30 minute networking conversation informed by prior research.
If you’d really like to impress the person you’re speaking to, confirm your meeting a day beforehand and send them the list of talking points/questions beforehand. This not only allows the other person to start thinking about these talking points in advance; it also shows them you respect their time enough to put thought and effort into the conversation you’d like to have with them.
5. Meet, make an impression and contribute
Make sure you’re on time for your meeting. This is not just for job interviews. Every networking session is a chance to make an impression on the person you are meeting, so show up and put your best foot forward. Aim to get to the meeting 5 minutes in advance (or if it’s a virtual networking session, dial into the Zoom call two minutes early and make sure your technology works) and have a notebook ready to write down your insights.
Have an elevator pitch ready, the person you’re speaking to will want to know about you and why you’re interested in the subject matter you’ll be discussing. If you can articulate this clearly and succinctly, you’ve already made a great impression.
Whilst you are having a conversation with your contact, make sure you think about how you can also contribute/help them in some way. This might be by sharing an interesting and relevant article, introducing them to someone else or inviting them to a professional event. Doing this demonstrates your commitment to maintaining a strong and authentic professional relationship, rather than one that is self-serving and inauthentic. You might find the person you’re talking to does the same for you and you’d be surprised where that could take you in your development.
For me, this practice has led to further knowledge and new connections, it has opened up a job opportunity at a top professional services firm.
6. Follow up
Once your meeting has ended. Always remember to follow up with a ‘thank you email’ as soon as you can. This email needs to be succinct and needs to demonstrate to your contact that you found the meeting valuable. I like to mention 1–2 key takeaways from the meeting and explain how I’ll be putting those into action.
Depending on how valuable I found the meeting and the relevance to my professional development, I also include a suggestion to pencil in a regular recurring networking meeting with this contact. This might be every few months or more regularly depending on the context and the contact’s availability. Having these regular meetings in the diary further strengthens these relationships and allows for consistent information sharing that benefits both individuals involved.
7. Repeat
Continue this process with the other identified contacts. If you can make a good impression, show respect for people’s time and provide value in your networking discussions, continue this practice indefinitely and take in the many opportunities that will eventuate.
Good luck!
Eresha is a health and wellbeing consultant who is passionate about professional development and improvement. She recognises the inter-relatedness of self-improvement and wellbeing and is constantly looking for new ways to save time, learn, develop, and improve her overall health, wellbeing, and quality of life.
Eresha also offers 1-on-1 virtual professional development coaching for early career professionals, enquire by emailing Eresha.Abenayake@chiefexecutivegirls.com.au
The views expressed in this article are my own and do not reflect any organisation for which I work or volunteer.
You can find more professional development inspiration from Eresha on Instagram (@chief_executive_girls).
