The document provides tips for effective networking including refining one's personal brand, approaching people at networking events, following up after events, and optimizing one's LinkedIn profile. It emphasizes that most jobs are found through networking rather than applications, highlights the importance of developing a strong personal brand, and provides advice for introverts on how to effectively network.

1. Effective Networking
Techniques
Prepared for Salem Networkers
July 2012

2. Why Bother Networking?
• FACT: Most jobs are secured through personal
networking – NOT through applications!
• Meet people inside & outside your professional field
• Help someone – they may be in a position to help
you someday
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3. Refine Your Personal Brand
Three-Minute Branding Tutorial
Presented by C. Lazinsky 3

4. So what is a brand?
General definition:
• A promise of value -- associated with a
company, product or service -- that is
relevant, enduring and credible
• It conveys deeply held expectations based
on experiences and perceptions
• A good brand holds “Equities”
Presented by C. Lazinsky 4

5. What are Brand Equities?
• Deeply rooted positive associations
• Customer experiences & perceptions
• Two types:
– Functional = price, performance, delivery
– Emotional = personal associations
Presented by C. Lazinsky 5

6. Difference Between Brand
and Product?
• Products and services are tangible:
– An item, hardware, software, component or
process
• A Brand is intangible:
– The image, reputation, character and
personality traits that are associated with a
product or service
– Represented by a name, logo or symbol
Presented by C. Lazinsky 6

7. Product Brand Architecture
• Sometimes brand is defined by the company
– Products draw their intangible characteristics
from corporate name
– Marketing communications supports the brand
– Product “names” function as descriptors or labels
Presented by C. Lazinsky
Sub-brands
7

8. Sub-brands
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9. Product Brand Architecture
• Sometimes brand is defined by specific products
– Company name is incidental or unknown to customer
– Product name is the brand name, supported by marketing
– A name becomes a brand when customers develop definite
expectations of the company, product or service
Procter & Gamble
Presented by C. Lazinsky 9

10. Refine Your Personal Brand
• Enhance your “personal brand”
– Resume, business cards, “elevator” pitch
• Everything a potential employer might see
– Online: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, blogging
– “Google” thyself! Be aware of any damaging
mis-information, before an employer sees it!
• Often comments you leave on a website may
appear for years afterwards!
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11. Networking Resource Sites –
Marketing & Technology
• Mass High Tech online events calendar: http://www.masshightech.com/;
Community & Business Events
• Marketing Professionals Network: http://www.mpn-boston.org/
• Merrimack Valley Venture Forum: http://www.mvvf.org/
• New Hampshire High Technology Council - http://www.nhhtc.org/
• Acton Mass. Networkers Group: http://www.actonnetworkers.com/
– Resource book http://www.actonnetworkers.com/resource_book.html
• Public Relations Society of America job site: http://www.prsa.org/jobcenter/
• Simply Hired aggregator job site http://www.simplyhired.com/
• http://www.LinkedIn.com "Jobs search” feature
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12. Specialized Search Websites
• Chaloner Associates national executive recruiters for
marketing professionals (see "current searches":
http://chaloner.com/
• For pharmaceutical/biomedical and medical device
networking: http://meddevgroup.org/
• For technology and biopharmaceutical networking:
• http://nstc.org/
• "First Friday Bioscience Seminar Series"
• Mass Bio - http://www.MassBio.org
• Environmental Business Council, New England green
jobs and networking: http://www.ebcne.org/
• Venture capital + Entrepreneurs – Route 128 Innovation
Capital Group
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13. What’s the Cost &
How Do I Register?
• Event cost varies from FREE to $50+
• Register on the website, or send
e-mail to organizer asking for
consideration
– Discount for first-time attendee?
– Discount with an affiliate organization or
as a job-seeker?
– Ask to volunteer your time in exchange
for admission
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14. We Introverts Must Work Harder
• Introverted leaders
embrace solitude
– Warren Buffett
– Bill Gates
– Charles Schwab
– Pres. Barack Obama
• Think First, Talk Later • Networking may seem
• Focus on Depth difficult, but sitting
• Exude Calm home alone is
ultimately much harder!
• Prefer Writing to Talking
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15. How Should I Prepare?
• Practice your 30-second introduction
– Clear, concise, to-the-point
• Have sufficient business cards
– Hand out cards only to those you find helpful or
interesting
• Prepare a Networking Summary Sheet
– Hand out ONLY to others who are networking
– This is a more detailed summary of your skills &
target companies
• Resource article from Forbes “How To Network
in 2012”
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16. 7/28/2012 16

17. How Do I Approach People?
• Introduce yourself to multiple individuals
– “Hi, my name is ______ and I help companies with _____
(accounting, project management, marketing,
administrative support, consulting services…)”
– “What’s your name and professional interest?”
– “Have you attended this meeting previously?”
• Why do you like it?
• Who else should I speak with?
• “Can you refer me to someone involved with
_______ (name of company or profession)?”
• Exchange business cards and move on!
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18. How Should I Follow Up?
• Invite specific individuals to connect on LinkedIn
later
• Or, send brief e-mail reminding where you met
• Include link to interesting article or website
• If they are of particular interest or can provide
connections, invite to meet for coffee or brief
networking discussion at mutual convenience
– Consult Google Maps for nearby coffee shop or
restaurant - include link to that location and suggest a
couple of options for day & time
• “If you’re available Wednesday, let’s meet
for coffee at Panera in Wilmington.”
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19. Optimize Your LinkedIn Search
• LinkedIn is the single most rapidly
growing means to connect!
– Recruiters – internal company &
independent
– Hiring managers, job seekers, consultants
• Review LinkedIn Learning Center for
Best Practices
• Focus your profile on specific
achievements, not just a list of job skills
• Advanced Search
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20. Use Effective Keywords
Find the keywords your target market is using:
o Identify recurring words/phrases in job descriptions
o Search for industry/functional peers on LinkedIn and review their profiles
o Network with contacts at your target organizations to uncover company-
specific terms
1. Find your keywords by visiting job boards, such as indeed.com, linkup.com
2. Copy & paste 5-10 job descriptions that fit your interests and experience
into a Word document
3. Remove headers and company information from the job descriptions. Paste
all 5-10 job descriptions at one time into one of the following word cloud
sites: www.Tagcrowd.com or www.Wordle.net
4. Identify the 3-5 ‘core’ keywords that appear the largest - integrate those into
the important keyword sections in your profile
5. Test it – type in your keywords in the LinkedIn search bar for “people” in
your geographic area – change the “Sort by: Relevance” at the top left to
“Sort by: Keywords” - ideally, you should appear on first two or three pages!
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21. Example Cloud Keywords for
“Marketing Communications”
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22. • Use concise skills summary with “|”
separating each skill
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23. NETWORKING
=
CONNECTING
So get out and CONNECT!
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