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Career Conversations
Networking for Relationship Building

If you want to learn where the positions are located, networking is a necessity.

Approximately 85 percent of positions are found through networking. If you want people to understand what you do or where your office is located, you must network. Right now the introverts are cringing. Let me give you some easy guidelines.

1. Know what you need?
Every meeting with another person is a networking opportunity. Recent, example: Two friends for twenty years walked out a gym together. “I wish I knew someone at X Company.” The reply “Frank, I went to school with him. What do you need?” If you cannot tell people what you are looking for or how can they possibly help?

2. Attend Public Events/Fund raisers
Find a cause in which you are interested. For example, you are a lover of animals. What about the Annual Humane Society fund-raiser? You never know whom you may be seated next to at the table. Fund-raisers bring a diverse set of people together. In addition, you have something in common so it is easy to strike up conversations.

3. Okay, I’m at the event---Now what?
Fill in your nametag with your first name in large letters. Put it on your right shoulder. When you shake hands, it is much easier for them to see your name.

4. Look for the Person Standing Alone.
Remember when you were standing alone and how grateful you were when someone talked to you? Well they will feel the same way. Watch the smile. Rapport is easy from then on.

5. Make sure you have a way to state who you are.
This is the time to use your 30-second commercial. In other words, when I travel, I say, “Hi, I’m Kathy Condon from Vancouver, WA, the oldest Vancouver. I’m a career coach who has developed a system to help people figure out what it is they want to do when they grow up.” That one opening often solicits either of these two comments: “Boy, I could use you, I really don’t know what it is I want to be,” or “There’s a Vancouver, Washington?” My introduction has two things that starts the conversation rolling. Besides it is fun to say.

6. Make sure you get their contact card (Formerly Business Card)
I’m making the assumption that you have your own contact card to give them. Write a note on the back of the card you just received to remind you where you met them. Then follow up with a brief handwritten note referring to something you talked about in your conversation.

Please note that I said “handwritten” note. Think back to the last time you got something handwritten at work. Our wastepaper baskets fill up daily with letters that have been massed produced. That handwritten note doesn’t get thrown away. It is the thought that you wanted to connect again that makes the difference.

Remember “networking” does not have to strike fear into your heart. Break it down into bite size pieces. I know all of you are capable of doing the above steps. You will be amazed at the results. Soon people will be calling you up and asking you for information or the name of the person down the street that has that superb product.

Networking is relationship building. My belief is that one can never have too many friends.

Kathy Condon is a Career Facilitator, International Speaker and Trainer. She works with individuals on all aspects of career transition, including the coaching of CEOs. Her newly released CDs/Tapes “Connect with People-It’s the Little Things” and her eBook, 55 Networking Tips, can be purchased here.