PAPERmaking! g FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF PAPER TECHNOLOGY Volume 5, Number 1, 2019
These are simply the contacts you’ll form where the “give and take” has reached a fairly high level, and you’re both willing to support the other where possible. Be sure t o keep an eye on these people, networking isn’t always Pareto principle in practice, but in many instances your most frequent contacts will be the ones that really matter. You don’t need to know the most people, just the right people. 6.) Learn How to Email Real business gets done over email. A tweet may get someone’s attention, but when it comes to establishing real relationships, the conversation truly begins when you start the reciprocity via email. That said, you should know how to write a good emai l, both during the “outreach” stages of networking and
when you’ve already established a connection. Let’s break some advice down for each stage… #1 — Outreach When you’re looking to initially get someone’s attention, you need to tread carefully. Here are 3 good pieces of advice for outreach emails:
x KISS : Keep it short, stupid. I wrote about this in my guide on How to Email Busy People, but the #1 killer in outreach emails is sending people a book when all they want is a paragraph. You’re the one reach ing out, so don’t waste their time with a wall -o-text, 3 short paragraphs ought to do it. x Make it about them : You can give a quick spiel as to why you’re an interesting guy/gal to connect with, but since you’re hitting their inbox first, make the first ema il mostly about them. x Find a mutual connection : This could either be a mutual friend or a mutual interest, but one of the best ways to personalize an outreach email is to find a legitimate thing in common that you and receiving party have. #2 — Established connections Once you’ve established contact, the conversation begins to shift quite a bit (obviously). It’s similar to when you make a new friend vs. talking to a friend you’ve had for 2 years, you’re familiarity changes what you talk about. That said, don’t let your good connections go to waste over a bad email. Here’s how you can improve the next stage… 1. NO CONSTANT PANHANDLING! : That’s right, this is making another appearance. If the only time you contact this person is to get something ou t of them, you’re doing it wrong. 2. Send them interesting emails : What should you be emailing them then? Interesting content that they may enjoy, mentions that you’ve given them, insightful questions or thoughts that appeal to both of your businesses/interests, etc. Pretty simple right? Use email to stay in touch with those important people in your networks, staying connected is often much more important than getting connected. 7.) Don’t Expect Anything This “skill” is actually one of the most important of all, because with the right mindset you can usually avoid many of the big networking mistakes out there. When you are always out to get something, you are not truly networking with people, you’re just running a long-term manipulation game.
Article 11 – Networking
Page 4 of 5
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software