The document provides tips on how to network purposefully by identifying potential contacts, building relationships through in-person meetings and online connections, and maintaining networks over time by offering help, sharing information, and expressing appreciation for others. It advises approaching networking as an ongoing process that involves learning about others' interests and expertise while also sharing one's own, in order to build trust and familiarity that can lead to potential job opportunities.

1. 2014 © Career Sherpa | www.careersherpa.net
How To Network
Purposefully
Everything You Need to Create a Winning Strategy

2. Learn:
 How to identify people you should be meeting
 How to build reciprocity into every encounter
 How to maintain and nurture an established
network

5. Casual/Event
Purpose
• Make contact
• Find something in
common
• Lay groundwork for
future meeting
You Request a Meeting
Purpose
• Build a closer
relationship
• Tap into their
knowledge/expertise
• Perhaps share some of
your expertise
Pursuing a Job
Purpose
• Establish
trust/familiarity
• Share some of your
skills/expertise

6.  Volunteering
 Professional Groups
 Industry Conferences
 Online Forums
Where?

7. Have A Plan

8. How do you answer this?
 Read local newspapers
 Read industry
newsletter
(SmartBrief)
 Read trade publications
 Create Google Alerts
based on keywords
 Ask people you know
who they think you
should meet/know
 Names of people who
work at target
companies
Whom do I want
to meet?

11. How do you answer this?
 See what groups
they belong to
• Google their
name
• Investigate on
LinkedIn
 Ask colleagues,
friends and family
for an introduction
What's the best
way to meet
them?

12. How do you answer this?
 What are you
interested in
learning from them
 What information
do they know
 Begin a relationship
 “Top of mind”
awareness of your
talents
 The problems
you’ve solved
What do I want to
convey?

13. How do you answer this?
 What do you have
in common?
 What do you want
to be known for?
 What are you most
proud of?
 What are the types
of problems you’ve
solved?
You are not your past
employer!
What's the best
way to
introduce
myself?

14. • What did you think of the
speaker?
• What part of the talk really
resonated with you?
• What prompted you to come
here today?
• Have you been to one of these
before?
• What’s been the best session for
you?
• Who have you enjoyed the
meeting so far?
• What session are you most
looking forward to?
• What do you have planned for
the weekend?
• How’s your week going?
• How’s business?
• Have you seen any movies
recently?
• Have you got any plans to get
away?
• What type of music do you like
listening to?
• What led you to set up your own
business/be an accountant etc?
• What’s the best part of your job?
Conversation Starters

15. How do you answer this?
 What do you think the company
will look like 5 years from now?
 What trends do you see in the
future that will affect your
organization and industry?
 What is the greatest demand for
your services or product?
 How do you differ from your
competition?
 If this company was known for 3
things as a workplace, what do
you think those 3 would be?
 What are the qualities of people
who perform best in this
business?
 How do you think most of the
employees would describe this
workplace?
What questions
will I ask?

16. Always Use the Back
Door
 Find company insiders
through friends and
family.
– Facebook
– Twitter
– Google+
Who enters
through the back
door?

17. Connect
Email
LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
Reach Out Via Social
Networks

18.  Buy them coffee
 Send them an interesting article
 Introduce them to someone you know
 Offer to teach them something or share what
you know
 Lend or give them a book
 Look for opportunities to promote them or
their company
 Repeat

19.  Be an “information seeker”
 What is your purpose for meeting this person?
What information do you want? And how can
you help them?
 Networking may not be immediately gratifying
 You are in this for the long haul
 Give generously
 More is not always better

20.  Identify 5 people you would like to meet over
the next month
 Attend one professional association meeting
 Practice asking new types of questions at your
next meeting to find something in common
 Listen for opportunities to, offer help, share
information, or introduce them to someone
 Identify 5 people you will show your
appreciation for next week

21. Resources
• KeithFerrazzi.com
• Liz Lynch: www.networkingexcellence.com
• Heather Townsend’s Joined Up Networking
http://joinedupnetworking.com/