How to Capitalize on Your Networking Contacts
ningcontentSo you have been attending a lot of networking events and met plenty of people. How to capitalize on your “networking capital”? Here are some tips on how not to be annoying to people and get a response/help you need:
1. At the initial meeting make sure you ask the permission to contact a person later. Don’t just “show up” out of the blue, unsolicited e-mails and phone calls are never welcome.
So you have been attending a lot of networking events and met plenty of people. How to capitalize on your “networking capital”? Here are some tips on how not to be annoying to people and get a response/help you need:
1. At the initial meeting make sure you ask the permission to contact a person later. Don’t just “show up” out of the blue, unsolicited e-mails and phone calls are never welcome.
2. When you write to a person after the initial meeting always be polite and brief – respect the recipient of your e-mail.
3. Always be specific: write exactly what help you are looking for (industry, company, position, etc.) – don’t waste another person’s time and make him/her write back to you with additional questions (if he/she decides to come back to you after having received your unprofessional e-mail)
4. Don’t overload a person with e-mails every day asking loads of unrelated questions and never add anybody to your distribution list without permission.
5. Don’t share your contact person’s details with anybody without permission
6. Offer to help back and if you do always stick to your promise to help.
7. After you received the help you needed and you got that dream job write back to the person who helped you to inform him about this joyful occasion and thank him/her for helping your dream come true.
Tatiana Sorokina is the author of the book “Legal Alien’s Guide. Building a Career and Life in Chicago, Illinois” http://www.legalaliensguide.com that guides you through various networking organizations, associations and clubs in Chicago, Illinois and nationwide which help you to find a job, start and grow your own business or just find friends.
