PAPERmaking! g FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF PAPER TECHNOLOGY Volume 5, Number 1, 2019
Networking Skills that Work If you’ve struggled with sincere networking in the past (as I have), definitely give this list a run -through and take notes when you notice an area where you can improve your own networking habits. As a last bit of advice before we get into the list, be sure to network outside of your industry from time to time! We often get so focused with business related networking that we never reach out to people who may be doing cool stuff in other fields of work… and you never know what may come of it. 1.) Make Networking a Regular Activity This is my solution to one of the most common questions about networking: how do I get started? If you’re worried about jumping in to netwo rking or how you can keep it as a habit, just follow this one simple strategy — every other day (or every day, or twice a week, etc.), reach out to one person who’s work you find interesting. That’s it! Don’t ask for anything (more on that in a minute), just reach out with an email that shows your mutual respect/interest in what they do, and that you just wanted to say “Hey” to a person doing cool things. That way, you have no fear of coming off as sleazy/begging, will consistently reach out to new people (not just for a week before you quit), and you’ll likely come across a lot of interesting folks in your industry, which is always a plus. No more excuses! 2.) Stop Being an Internet Panhandler As a guy who loves studying behavioral psychology, one of the most interesting topics to me is what exactly changes in people’s personalities when they interact with others online. Not much has been published on the subject, but the online disinhibition effect is one that we all probably recognize in one way or another. The point is this: People on the internet tend to lack diplomacy & tact, and one of the ways that this rears its ugly head is that people will ask for things on the internet that they’d never expect someone to give them in “real life.” While most people on the street would be hesitant to ask a stranger for $10, on the internet people will ask for THE WORLD and then get upset when you don’t deliver! As an example… when I recently wrote a huge article on productivity, I got a lo t of good emails after it was published from people who enjoyed it (more on that in a bit). On the other hand, I got a lot of TERRIBLE intro emails from people essentially demanding that I help them with their productivity problems. One guy even told me t hat he wanted a “quick” analysis of his productivity problems over an hour long Skype call! “Sure thing, my time is apparently worth nothing to you so let me drop everything I’m doing and call you up!” As freelancers, many of us know this feeling all too well, yet a lot of us still suffer from “internet pandhandler syndrome” when trying to network with people. I wrote in my previous post on freelance marketing about how I was able to land features on big publications through email, and I included a single tip that can help you avoid this annoying habit… Don’t ask for anything in the first email! Genuine networking doesn’t start with your hands out during the first contact.
Article 11 – Networking
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