By: Theresa Balsiger, Vice President of Candidate Relations of Carex Consulting Group
Jumping into networking when you’re a newbie or simply out of practice can feel daunting. It doesn’t have to be with the right steps. We’re here to help!
Step 1: The Who
Selecting who to grab coffee or lunch with can feel daunting, but we promise it’s not! It can be people you already know or those you’ve never met! Here are a few categories to search within: colleagues, clients, partners, family members, or community leaders. Perhaps it’s a leader you’ve always respected but never had a chance to get to know. Maybe it’s someone working for a company you’d like to get your foot into. They may say no; that’s okay! Keep going until you get a yes!
Step 2: Be curious!
Preparation is key, as you want to make the most of your time with them! Before your coffee or lunch, be sure to investigate what that individual has been up to. What has their company been doing? Come with prepared questions. Not sure what to ask? ChatGPT has you covered, and then some!
Ask them how you can help. The best way to gain a long-term relationship/contact is to offer up help (before you request their’s)!
Step 3: Then What?
It’s important to follow-up with your networking contact to thank them for their time and check off any follow-ups you had promised. Connect on LinkedIn! Take a look at what groups or networking events that person might attend, and plan to go to the next one together. Following them on LinkedIn can help you stay in touch as well.
In each step, it’s vital to be genuine. Without that approach, nothing you do will help develop a relationship!
