How to ruin your network before you really get started.
Here’s the scenario: you are looking for a job or looking for good advice on how to move forward on a problem or in an industry. Someone you trust, let’s call them your “connector,” has been listening and is willing to make a contact for you. A few days later or even the same day they send you an email with the contact information of a person in their network.
You see the email. What could you do next?
Well you could do nothing. Don’t do that.
Why? Because your connector has been working for you. More than likely something happened behind the scenes before your helpful friend sent you the email. Your connector reached out to their connection, asked about their availability and let them know that you would be contacting them. Now two people have put themselves out there for you.
When you do nothing. You leave them hanging and you leave them making up stories in their mind about you.
So what to do when you receive a contact. Here’s a suggested course of action.
- Say thank you. Reply to the email and say, “Thank you.”
- Reach out to the contact either by phone or email and introduce yourself. Be sure to mention the connector who helped you. Then make plans to correspond or meet up.
- After you have met with the new contact say, “Thank you” to the contact. When you have applied their good advice do it again.
- Be sure and thank the connector and let him or her know what the outcome or learnings where for you.
When you are starting out, cultivating and maintaining your network is essential. Neglecting this skill will hold you back. Most movement in career occurs because of a “friend of a friend” opens a door for you. Unfortunately doors get sticky on the shut side of life when good manners are neglected. Chart out your own course of action to express appreciation and acknowledge the “volunteered” effort of the connectors in your life.