How to not suck at networking slide deck 8.20.14

Welcome to

“How to not suck at

networking”

August 20, 2014 @lindsaymajane

1. Why are you here?2. Types of networking

o Event networkingo One-on-one networking

3. Questions?

Fall 2013 Introduction

Agenda

[email protected]

@joannavinickAugust 20, 2014 @lindsaymajane

Why are you here?

Fall 2013 [email protected]

m@joannavinickAugust 20, 2014 Intro

Purpose

● Get a new job● Grow your network● Further your career● Meet new people ● Learn● ...



Preparation

Guess what?

These are skills everyone needs to practice.



Communities


m@joannavinickAugust 20, 2014 Community

Types of networking

● Event networkingo Going to events, lectures, panels, conferences, etc.

● One-on-one networkingo Sending emails, phone calls, coffee meetings, etc.


m@joannavinickAugust 20, 2014 Types of networking

Event networking


m@joannavinickAugust 20, 2014 Event networking

Preparation

● Look at the Eventbrite invitation● See if there’s a hashtag or event name and see if people

are already talking about it● Are there sponsors? ● What does the host company do?● Set a goal of making 1-2 really good connections, not 10

passing ones.



Let’s talk about body language



Use these tools for good,

not evil.

I’m not an expert. You

must learn to apply and

test these on your own.

All psychology must be

understood in context.

RULE NUMBER 1 RULE NUMBER 2

Title 4

• Bullet 1

RULE NUMBER

3It’s structured hangin’ out.

Always remember to have fun

and be yourself.

RULE NUMBER 4



The magic number

93%of what you convey to people comes through in body

language and paralinguistic cues



A different message?









Ready? Go!

10 secondsthat’s it. Impressions are far more difficult to

change after this critical period in time



The conversation

LISTENING

Friendly and Responsive● Prepare your “hi”

● Smiles can be heard

● Be responsive (“mhm” and

“right”) to keep engaged

SPEAKING

Friendly and Caring

● Smile (with your eyes!)

● Perfect the handshake

● Eye darting vs. blank stare

Tip #1: If you’ve

forgotten someone’s

name, introduce them to

a friend and listen in. Or

politely ask them again.



Techniques for conversation

Be genuinely interested

in people

NUMBER 1

SMILE!Their name is the

sweetest sound

Encourage others to talk

about themselves

Talk in terms of others’

interestsSincerely make them

feel important

NUMBER 2 NUMBER 3

NUMBER 4 NUMBER 5 NUMBER 6



Where do I find events?

● My existing communities● Eventbrite● Twitter● VentureFizz● The Boston Calendar (thebostoncalendar.com)● Greenhorn Connect (greenhornconnect.com)

… where do you find events?



Hot tips to remember

● Never underestimate who a person is, or how you can help each other.

● Do your research.● Find common ground. ● Always have something in your hand.● Don’t constantly look over their shoulder.




● Forgot their name? Ask them. I promise, it’s not awkward (or tell ask for a card).

● Want to get away… introduce to another, “It was great chatting”, head to the bathroom/bar.

● Put your phone away (really.. if necessary, buy a watch).

● Making ONE genuine connection is best.● Follow up (LinkedIn, Twitter, email)

One-on-one

networking


m@joannavinickAugust 20, 2014 One-on-one networking

Preparation

● What do you want?● Crafting the email● Research (the person & the industry)● Questions● What do you want out of the meeting?● What can you offer to that person?



Preparation



Networking is better when you know what you’re looking for.

Ways to narrow in on your goal



● Find an industry that excites you and get to know everything about it: the top players, current news, etc.

● Identify companies that you are crushing on and research them.

● Find a title/role that excites you, and get to know what that role does. Know the lingo.

Don’t worry! These will change, and they will change the more you learn!

So...



You met someone at an event, or someone introduced you via email.

You’re ready to take it to the next level...

The “warm” email

Hi Lindsay,It was great to meet you yesterday and learn more about mobile advertising. I particularly enjoyed your explanation of how real-time bidding works. I like what I’ve heard about your company, CraveLabs, and I'm hoping to learn a little more. I’d love to schedule a time to see your space and get a sense of what it’s like to work there.Are you free on Tuesday or Wednesday before noon?- Johnny Networker

August 20, 2014 One-on-one networking

OK CupidHi Lindsay,It was great to meet you yesterday and learn more about mobile advertising. I particularly enjoyed your explanation of how real-time bidding works. I like what I saw on your profile and I'm hoping to learn a little more. I’d love to schedule a time to see your apartment and get a sense of what it’s like to live there.Are you free on Tuesday or Wednesday before noon?- Johnny Networker



Better:

Hi Lindsay,It was great to meet you yesterday and learn more about mobile advertising. I particularly enjoyed your explanation of how real-time bidding works. It sounds like CraveLabs is doing some interesting work in the mobile ad space, and I'm hoping to learn a little more about that industry. Would you be open to grabbing a coffee or chatting on the phone sometime next week - either Tuesday (8/19) or Thursday (8/21) before noon?- Johnny Networker


What about the cold email?

Lindsay,[Humble and direct intro]I’m a marketing associate at ExampleCo looking to transition to a role at a growing mobile advertising software company like CraveLabs. [How you found this person] I attended the MITX mobile conference last week and [show you were listening] enjoyed hearing you speak about geotargeting as the next big advancement for mobile advertising. [prove you’re knowledgeable and this convo will be interesting] I’m already seeing signs of geotargeting when I see ads that say ‘2.7 miles away’ while using the weather app on my smartphone. It makes a lot of sense.[The ask] I’d love to better understand how CraveLabs differentiates its mobile ad product and learn more about how you approach your job as a marketer. Would you be open to grabbing a coffee or chatting on the phone sometime next week - either Tuesday (8/19) or Thursday (8/21) before noon?Thanks in advance,-Johnny Networker


Now what?



You’ve set up a coffee meeting.

Now what?

Research● What can you learn about a person, a company, and an industry before a

meeting?● Resources:

o LinkedIno Facebooko Twittero Google (news, website, etc.)o Crunchbaseo Rapportiveo Githubo ...the interwebs



Tip #2: Don’t treat the coffee meeting or

call like more than it really is.

If you turn a casual conversation into a

job interview in your mind, you’ll get

nervous and the person will be confused.

Questions● Sometimes people get worried that they’ll run out of

questions. Guess what? Not possible.

These are a few of my many go-to questions:- What is the most exciting thing you’ve worked on in the last few weeks? - If you, personally, could hire one person right now, what would that role be?- What do you do to stay current on what’s happening in your industry?- If I look for your company in a year, and you’re not around, what will be the #1 failure point?- What keeps you up at night?- What’s your biggest challenge right now?BUT BEFORE THIS: LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN



What is it you want out of the meeting?

larger networkpotential job

mentor learning from those who have been where you are

experience gathering

how can you be helpful to this

[email protected]


Application

chew gum35

be late31

hearing - not listening19

use terms incorrectly15

listen and pay attention62

be inquisitive12

Things to doThings not to do

be on time15

be yourself11

Family Feud

[email protected]

m@joannavinickAugust 20, 2014 Application



Techniques for conversation (again!)

Be genuinely interested

in the person

NUMBER 1

SMILE!Listen and ask

questions.

Encourage the person to talk

about themselves, but don’t

be shy to say “here’s why I

want to talk to you.”

Talk in terms of others’

interestsSincerely make them

feel important

NUMBER 2 NUMBER 3

NUMBER 4 NUMBER 5 NUMBER 6

Debrief with yourselfWhat did you get out of that meeting?What did it teach you?Who are you reaching out to next?Does the person work for a company that you are interested in?What can you offer to that person?Who can you connect them to?How can you take that experience and grow on it?Who else can they connect you to?What job would you fit into at that company?What were the lessons they learned?What’s the next step?

[email protected]

m@joannavinickAugust 20, 2014 Follow-Up

Follow-Up and Thank You● LinkedIn (only after you’ve met them in person...and send a message!)

● Twitter (only if they’re active on Twitter)

● Email (always...within 12 hours)

● Offering (how can you help them? Article, freelance project, etc.)

● Connection (“Would you be willing to connect me with your friend

Ziggy at Nexage so I can learn more about programmatic ad networks?”)

[email protected]

m@joannavinickAugust 20, 2014 Follow-Up


m@joannavinickAugust 20, 2014 Preparation


● People will say yes to coffee invites.● Do your research (Be informed. Don’t be creepy.)● Listen and ask questions.● How can you help them?● Debrief and follow up.


m@joannavinickAugust 20, 2014 Preparation

Your homework

List 3-5 people to: - reach out to for a coffee meeting.OR - ask for an intro to someone you’d like to have coffee with.

Questions?

[email protected]

m@[email protected] @lindsaymajane

Documents

How to not suck at networking slide deck 8.20.14