My prior post Will networking help your job search? covered understanding the power and generosity available within your network and how to tap into that energy. Leveraging the reach of your network also helps you accelerate your search.
Have you stopped to think about the reach of your network? What about the reach of one event?
If not, think about the numbers. In a job search your number one focus is marketing. To market effectively you must measure your marketing reach and marketing results. You need to think about and look at the numbers.
According to Facebook, in February 2011, there were 500 million active Facebook users sharing 30 billion pieces of content. The average Facebook user has 130 friends. 130 Friends!
What does that have to do with numbers and networking in person?
Here is the connection and the assumption. If you are job searching and you go to a business networking event, you can assume that the professionals at the event have at least 50 solid business connections, most have many more.
Do the math. At an event with 50 people, who have 50 contacts (50×50=2500) you have potential access to 2500 possible first degree connections, at one time, in one place. That can be powerful.
Additionally, if you think about power and generosity of in-person connections and the potential for sparks and energy flow, if you are open, what an opportunity. One event could connect you to the right person, who makes a phone call to a person who will hire you to do your ideal job or to the one person who changes your view of something for ever.
The catch is it rarely happens at the first event, or even the second event. Why? Usually, it has to do with your planning, your comfort and your openness to connect.
May I share how I know this?
Now, I love to network. It allows me to connect, build relationships and help others achieve success on their terms. But there was a time that I didn’t know how to network, I didn’t like to network, and I didn’t do it. Frankly, at one time networking terrified me.
I remember when my heart raced for hours before and after networking events, sometimes I would drive to an event and never go in, I would just sit in the car and look at my plan.
Then I learned about making a specific plan with the number of people you wanted to connect with at an event and finding out what you could offer. So one time I tried it.
I changed my plan and I purchased a $75.00 ticket to an event. When I got there the only parking was valet parking, so I spent the two hours in the powder room, sitting in a chair, because I was terrified I was out of my league and I was worried about what the parking attendant would say if I asked for my car after he just parked it. I was so nervous my heart was racing and didn’t know what else to do. Near the end of that event, a woman stopped as she passed where I was sitting, she smiled at me and said, “You showed up, that’s today’s success”. I was mortified.
Then I looked down at my plan, it read: “Buy ticket, go to event, be open, successfully connect with one person, and get specific information about networking and become successful”. One spark of energy, one tip, and one connection, my changed plan with a specific number in it worked! Not the way I thought it would, but it did work.
It still took me some time to “love networking”, to become comfortable and to learn to be open to the opportunities and the reach of networking. At that one event, I did learn both about reach of networking and the power of changing my plan. By being open to measure my success and look at the power of specific numbers what I achieved was success!
I like being successful, it is fun, and gives me a boost. So I tried it again and again until I got good at networking.
Here is the formula I used, it works. Try it and let me know about your results.
Ask – What can you do for your network? Where will you network? How will you tell your network about what you do? What results do you want? Create a plan to connect with your network using the answers to these questions. Execute the plan with openness, next evaluate the results. Celebrate your success and adjust the plan accordingly.
Looking back when I assessed the results I did have a WOW to celebrate. By changing my plan, adding a number of connections to make and by being open and willing to receive what was offered I was successful and my view of networking changed forever. At that point I was still terrified of networking and I would not call sitting in the powder room for two hours networking – yet I discovered the how to leverage the reach of one person and a few words at a networking event.
What would happen if you changed your plan?
Do you need help to leverage the reach your network offers for your job search? Join the next Q & A call.
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