2qtr2004 - Smarter Networking: More Effective Follow-up

So that raise you got in January is long-forgotten, the bonus is long-spent, and you're back to thinking that there's GOT to be a better way to make a living. You've even started to network again - or at least started to think about networking again. But it takes so long, and it seems so hard. What is it, then, that successful networkers know that others don't? What is it that successful networkers do, that most people won't? The answer, which is surprisingly simple, is this: they follow-up effectively.

As example, do you know what most people do when someone gives them a contact or resource? Nothing. That's right, nothing. But have you ever stopped to think just how insulting that is to the people who are trying to help you? By not following through you are, in effect, telling your initial contact that you could care less about his or her help. And if you don't follow-up on someone's lead, how helpful do you think they'll be the next time you call? Successful networkers know that effective networking is about following up with people several times, not just calling several people once.

To that end, there are three levels of follow-up you should engage in. The first level might be called, 'simple gratitude.' This takes the form of a short email, handwritten note, or voice mail that simply says, "Thanks again, for your time and your insights; I'll let you know what I learn." Few people take the time to extend this courtesy, even though it's conspicuous by its absence.

The second level of follow-up could be called 'sharing the learning.' That's because it takes the form of a follow-up call or email that says something like, "I followed up with Mary and you're right, she's a great resource and really got me thinking. Can I run some of it by you?" or, "I did the research you suggested and I have a few follow-up questions for you. Can we talk for a few minutes?" The idea behind 'sharing the learning' is that people like to help people who find them helpful. So showing that you took their advice, did something with it, and now want to build on it even more, is very flattering. Yet even fewer people do this.

But all take and no give doesn't work for very long. So it's essential that you also provide 'reciprocating value' to the people in your network. Build these relationships by sending articles, assisting them in some tangible way, and/or calling them with relevant information. Show that you're actively looking for ways to help them with their issues on a regular and consistent basis. After all, isn't that what you hope they'll do for you? Therefore, the more you can model the behaviors you're looking for from them, the easier it will be for them to reciprocate in kind.

What happens next is up to you.

2qtr2004 - Ask the Coach: Better Networking

Question: I'm really shy so networking with other people is really difficult for me. Can you offer me any suggestions?

Answer: A colleague of mine, Donna Brown, likened networking interactions to back when we were young and we go over to someone's house, ring the bell, and ask if they could come out and play. But have you ever stopped to think how important it was that some kids didn't do that? After all, someone needed to be home to answer the doorbell when it rang! So as we fast-forward back to the present day, what could networking look like if our goal was not so much to ring other people's doorbells as much as it was to encourage others to ring ours?

The first thing that comes to mind is volunteerism. When we volunteer we naturally put ourselves in positions where other people want to talk with us. (Read: they come and ring our doorbell). This volunteerism can take a variety of forms, including joining a committee of some interesting charity or civic organization, joining a project team for some project at work, offering to help at the registration desk for some industry conference, taking on a leadership role in a customer/vendor task force, etc. These types of positions allow you to stay within your Comfort Zone and at the same time give others the opportunity to meet and interact with you. And if not, that's okay, too, because you're working on something that interests you anyway.

Try that the next time you're feeling that you need to amp up your networking and before you know it - Ding! Dong! Wanna come out and play?!

2qtr2004 - Great Things I Didn't Say!

• "Keep cool. Anger is not an argument." - Daniel Webster
• "It's not whether you get knocked down. It's whether you get up." - Vince Lombardi
• "You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do." - Henry Ford
• "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." - Thomas A. Edison
• At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable. - Christopher Reeve
• "If you're going to do good work, the work has to scare you." - Andre Previn