You will need these materials for this lesson: Form 1.2
Estimated time for this lesson - 45 min
Today’s Training Will Include:

• Networlding Quiz overview
• Quality vs. Quantity
• Plan, prepare and search
• Networlding Test

 

 

The Networlding Quiz Probably the most important insights that people have realized by taking this quiz is that they have been holding themselves back from realizing their dreams by not consciously building a strong support network. Does this sound like you? You are ready to go after that new job but you feel like you would be taking advantage of those you know and those they know if you contact them? What do you have to offer you might ask yourself, but those who are conscious of how the science of networks really works realize the following:

• At any time anyone with whom they network could need their support in a job search.
• They could be very instrumental in assisting them in the process as they just went through it.
• As they network they are building connections with people that don’t know one another and by being open and ready to make connections for these people, they bring a powerful advantage to anyone with whom they network.
• That anything is possible, and therefore if/when you get the job of a lifetime, you will reach back and pull your network forward along with you. This has happened over and over again. Take Vickie Collier, an executive at Disney. She uses LinkedIn for recruiting on a regular basis. She is constantly helping others get their dream job. This too could be you for others and others for you.

Quality vs. Quantity

The real problem with the way people network today is that they think it is all about numbers. In other words they confuse activity with accomplishment. They are busy talking with people—and you need to do that, but they don’t know what the good questions are to ask. It’s all about finding the right people and asking them the right questions to create an ongoing Networlding exchange rather than a transaction with the single question, “Do you know of any job openings?”

For example, if you asked me that question I would have to say “no.” Why? Because I hear about job openings all the time, but it is very difficult to pull just one out and have it be the perfect job opening for you. It would take me a couple of hours to get to know you and what mattered most to you around that new job (e.g. culture of the company, ability to be promoted, distance from where you live, etc.).

What would be much better questions to ask as you are building your top support network for your job search are the following:

• Who do you know who is a natural networker and a great mentor—someone who is a leader in the community?
• What do you think matters most to this person? It could be family, one’s spiritual endeavors or making a difference in the community or all three. This would help you greatly connect with that person around common interests and values.
• What organizations do you believe are the best to participate in within our community and within my area of business?
• Do you know someone at (fill in the blank - one of your targeted companies) who is a natural networker and mentor? You are looking for someone to help champion you in a company. For example, recently I had one job seeker connect with a director in an organization and through an exchange in finding out what mattered to this person found a number of areas that the job seeker could really be beneficial. The director then took the time to get that person in for an interview with several leaders in the organization.

So, what is the most important lesson to take away from this test? Slow down to speed up and focus on quality to create quantity in your job search. Ask the better questions of people you meet about who are the best networkers and then . . . ask for an introduction, and finally, be ready to exchange by letting these great networkers know how you will be talking to other great networkers and be happy to look for opportunities for them. As you follow through on this quality approach you will very soon find your way to a lot of great opportunities.

Plan, Prepare and Practice

What I mean by this is that most networking is done without any plan. You decide to attend an event; you attend; you move around the room like a pinball in a pinball machine. You gather a bunch of cards and you take those cards home, stuff them in a desk and then move on to the next event. Every now and then someone contacts you from an event you went to—often it’s someone who wants to sell you something or a request to have you do something for them without any offer to help you. Sound familiar? It is a common process for most as I have learned through almost twenty years of coaching.

Now, imagine yourself planning for the following:

You research the best places to network and the best people to network. Where are those top five to ten places you have researched and discovered are the best places to network in your area? How did you find these out? You didn’t just take one person’s advice but more like five or more. You asked different people, “Where do you think are the best places to network in my area?”

You take the time then to contact the head of membership for one or two of the targeted organizations. You ask that person, “Who is one of the best mentors/networkers of this organization?” You ask if you could contact that person ahead of time and find out if he or she could share more insight into how to make the most of that organization. You know that every head of membership in an organization is always happy to hear from someone like you who takes being a member of that organization seriously. You want to be an active participant for the long-term, involving yourself in committees or on a board of some kind where your skills will be highly valued.

You build rapport with the “inner circle” of that organization. Here, you learn just who are the people who are the true leaders, the ones who say what they are going to do and do what they have said they will do. They are proactive networkers as you are and they show it by getting to know you and how you can be of support to them, the organization and, in return, how they can offer on-going support to you. You show up at events with a purpose and you find yourself constantly being introduced through the inner circle of that organization as someone highly valued. You secure a place in that organization for the long-term, building a net of support that grows quickly and consistently.

Preparing to Network

You prepare for events by learning more about the organizations you have learned are the best places to network and the people who are members. You also prepare whenever you are meeting someone in person by looking them up online on websites like: www.linkedin.com, www.zoominfo.com, www.ecademy.com and www.openbc.com.

You look through profiles of people to learn who they are and what matters most to them. You also look for things you have in common with them and interests they have that you would like to know more about. You also look for things that matter to them such as: getting back in touch with colleagues with whom they have lost touch, business deals they might be interested in pursuing, expertise requests that involve good PR for them, helping them grow their careers and, of course, career opportunities they may be interested in as everyone who is growing their career is always looking for that next great opportunity… just like you are.

You develop an electronic filing system of some sort on the people in your area that will make good referral sources (we call them Networlding Primary Circle Partners). You use tools like Microsoft Outlook, ACT, Microsoft Excel or even Microsoft Word to keep information on these people. You also have a notebook or folder where you keep information on these people so you have access to the information on your best networking resources all the time. You get to the point where you really know how to make great requests and how to offer great support to your network—the winning combination need to get that new and better job faster.

Practice - Developing a Great Network

Michael Jordan once stated that the way he became a superstar was by practicing thirty minutes a day more than everyone else practiced. Studies of top performers show that it’s those small extra things we do, that extra practice, that makes the big difference in our success.

Practice what you will say to others. Inside this tutor we have scripts, engaging questions to ask others to create strong trust and rapport, questions to receive focused support, inspirational quotes to help you get motivated and all the best strategies to initiate, maintain and leverage a vibrant successful network. When you take the time to practice daily (like Michael Jordan, thirty extra minutes a day) you will find yourself in the place of networking mastery.

Finally, note that you need to master networking not just for your job search, but for a lifetime of career success. Here are just some of things I find mastering a network helps with:

• Finding a job in a particular geographic area—that small town or big city you have always wanted to live in
• Working for that one company you always dreamed of working for
• Transitioning into another field
• Getting promoted in a job because your network promoted you constantly
• Building the best work environment because you worked with people who are supportive and know how to network and build teamnets across the organization
• Growing a better lifestyle because your network is constantly referring you to the best places for your health and happiness (e.g. best places to travel, eat, find entertainment, etc.)

Networlding Test

The Networlding Test. is a great tool to help you analyze how you are currently networking. As I mentioned before, it is all about the quality of relationships, first, that create the quantity of more and better relationships faster. With Networlding when you plan, prepare and practice the science and art of good networking, you leverage the relationships you create with others. Now, even people you met last week can be people who help champion you into companies and positions you are targeting.

Just the other day a coaching client shared with me that he had met someone on LinkedIn who worked at one of his targeted companies. He discovered, through that person’s profile, that they had very similar backgrounds. That person, whom he had just met, championed him into the HR office and within days he received a call from the head of HR who stated that he had been “highly recommended” and she would therefore like a phone interview “as soon as possible.” Now, isn’t that something we all want to happen with our job search? It just takes finding those quality networkers or Networlders who are much more conscious about networking, understanding the ongoing reciprocity of relationships and that as they give and make great requests, they receive many types of support.

 

- lesson|Index|+ lesson