Save time by using standard templates
As you have seen, networking is all about communication and finding creative ways to have conversations. But a lot of the time, the way you start those conversations will be similar.
However you choose to network, you will save yourself lots of time by creating a set of basic message templates, which you can personalize and tailor each time you use them. Also, knowing what to say in advance will give your confidence a boost.
Templates for these situations should cover most of your networking activity:
Contacting someone with a common contact.
Asking an existing contact to introduce you to someone.
Reaching out to someone you don't know at all (unsolicited cold networking approach).
Contacting someone on LinkedIn.
Phoning someone you contacted previously, but didn't hear back from.
Following up with people you have already connected with.
Making small talk.
Follow a similar structure for all your templates
Follow these simple rules when designing your templates:
Do your research and identify relevant people. This is about quality, not quantity.
Keep it brief, three to four short sentences. Explain who you are and your common connection (if applicable). Then explain why you chose to contact them: in other words, why their experience is relevant to you. The final sentence can either be an offer to help as we discussed in Part 1, or a request (see point 5).
Personalize the message. No one wants to feel they’ve been sent a standard message. “Dear Sir/Dear Madam” looks like spam, and will rightly be ignored.
Cold networking approaches mandate that you include a short hook. Mention one of their achievements or something of theirs you read, or a recent success their company has had. The hook draws them in and gets their attention.
End with a clear request (but never for a job). Consider writing, ”Would you be free for 10 minutes to discuss an internship?” Finally, ask to be connected with two people from their network. I will come back to this in the next chapter.
Let's recap!
Standard templates are a great time saver, but each one must be tailored to the person you are contacting.
Do your research and make sure each contact is relevant to the position, industry, or organization/s you are interested in.
End every communication with a clear request.
In the final part of this course, we will look at how to maintain and grow your network the right way to find the best events to attend and how to get the most out of them.
