Let’s face it. The. craft is widely used every day in some way, yet highly under-estimated, under-maximized and under-funded most of the time.
When done right, digital networking compliments offline, in-person networking efforts and gets you more results than just an email thank you.
According to Forbes, it’s only natural to have some competition when you’re applying for a job, going after a role, and/or in the middle of the interviewing stage. The average # of applicants for any single job is 118 people. And only 20% of them get an interview. That’s roughly 1 in 5 land the chance of a lifetime to talk to the hiring team. So whether you’ve applied and waiting to hear back, talked to someone in the company, or already interviewed at least once (congrats, btw), it’s worth following up to the person (s) with whom you interviewed. Need advice on what to say? Here are 3 basics: 1) Reiterate the most important points about you & why they should care; 2) Leave them with something they don’t know; 3) Show your availability while you ask about timing & next steps.
Instead of waiting a day, or days, after contact, ... Always send a note immediately after interviews, calls or connects.
It’s great to send a follow-up note, quick hello, introduction, etc. but one delivered without meaty content, thought, strategy, and effectiveness is no follow-up all. So next time when you decide now is the time you should give the nudge, consider these quick tips to help you get the best return on your follow-up investment.
- Scope out their LinkedIn to see if you have any commonalities or shared interests.
- Develop a list of questions you’d really like to ask.
- Think 3 steps ahead: OK so you send this note out, what’s next? what do you think or want their response to be? The more you think like them now, the better poised your note will be.
Instead of sending a quick "checking in, where are we at in the the process?", ... Include a quick punch-gut summary of yourself and why you're right for the role and show availability of when's good to talk next.
Groups are meant to give you the sense of belonging you’d feel at a meetup, training, or common interest meeting but online and at your own convenience. Consider joining a group with your common interest, location, job status, questions or needs. Those people are in the same boat as you: hoping to forge a connection with real people across the world.
Instead of just sticking to your contacts & connections (who you already know) ... Join one or several groups that fit with your life and goals.
Just like networking, business development is the creation of opportunities for long-term value from customers, markets, and relationships. That said, the golden rule is to not think of networking as a sales pursuit, a quick win, all about that hustle, or a great first date. It’s about building relationships for the long term with the bonus of turning it into a lucrative win-win situation.
Instead of following up in a self-serving way that only matters to you, ... Make your reaching out matter to the person receiving it. Why should they care?
The author of “Shift Your Thinking: 200 Ways to Improve Your Life,” said it best. You are a brand to everyone who knows you. Be clear about what you stand for and how you will make yourself relevant and beneficial to those around you. Case in point here: make sure your brand aligns with who you are committed to being today.
Instead of shot-gunning resumes and cold calling & texting, ... Take a moment to define yourself on your profile, update sections, add 'wow' factor and recent accomplishments. Thay way, you're ready ASAP after reaching out.
Sticking to one platform, like email or phone call, really narrows down your chances of hearing back promptly. Flip the script on yourself: if someone just called you once on the telephone and didn’t follow back up, would you take them seriously or feel the urgency to get back in touch with them? Nah, probably not. Now, if someone called, text, emailed, LinkedIn messaged and video chatted you within days of each other, you’d probably notice the persistence, passion, and urgency.
Instead of a simple, single phone call three days ago, ... Get in touch in 5 ways – all within three days of each other.
Another great way of digital networking isn’t reaching out, but instead sharing your voice however you can to gain following, notice, visibility, and ultimately respect. If you care about recycling and conservationism, join online groups and share your thoughts regularly. Create a series of online posts about related topics, articles, news, local entrepreneurial efforts to show you’re in the know about this. All this in turns brings more prospects and leads to you to more easily network with.
Instead of writing 100 cold emails in the hopes you'll get noticed, ... write 10 posts showing your voice, thoughts & experience on the platforms where the network already talking.
The myth of digital networking is that it’s only good for achieving a quick goal. (Like getting that coveted role, or connecting with that top-notch athlete, or receiving an interview at a top-notch law firm.) In fact, that’s not all it’s good for. It’s also good for: establishing a genuine connection with potential hiring managers, organizations, companies and connections just to learn more about their culture, workflow, operations & practice. By making your primary goal 1) establishing a genuine connection and secondary goal 2) landing a job with them, you ultimately get more out of the effort. You learn about them, see if they’re right for you, and enable a more organic conversation.
Instead of applying for 10 jobs cold, .... Set up informational interviews with colleagues, leaders or hiring managers at 5 out 10 of those organizations.
Take the frustration, stress, and manual labor out of your efforts by tracking all the work you’re doing – no matter how small or large of an effort. Tools like Monday.com, Asana, Trello, Basecamp, and my favorite, Airtable, can help you get yourself organized, suggest better ways to do things, and best of all: send you reminders.
Instead of tracking on an old-school spreadsheet or notepad by your bed, ... Let a tool do half or more of the work for you. Get the reminders, tips, and suggestions you need delivered to you.
It happens to all of us: getting turned away from an application process, getting declined for a role because someone else was 1st place, or getting a cold shoulder when you don’t deserve that. People have busy lives, schedules, and careers. Follow up with a genuine thank you, ask for feedback on your performance, and volunteer to stay in touch. You never know when showing poise, grace, and humility might bring you good karma.
