“Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.”
~ Babe Ruth
In Part 1 of this three-part series, we covered first using your “Hot Circle” in networking family, good friends, and those people you know well and who should feel very “approachable”. Part 2 addressed stretching to your “Warm Circle” acquaintances and people you know on a casual first-name basis. Read on for part 3 and learn more about targeted networking.
To review the thought process here, it can be helpful to approach networking from the concept of a visual target consisting of your circles of influence. Your hot circle is the bull’s-eye in the center; your warm and cold circles are the outer circles. See Part 1 for further explanation of the three circles.
EXPAND TO YOUR COLD CIRCLE!
Cold Circle True Stories:
Story #1:
My client, a purchasing agent, had just relocated to a new town. He didn’t know anyone, so he picked up the phone and called potential employer companies he thought might use purchasing talent. He introduced himself and briefly summarized his experience. On the fifth call, he reached a company where someone in Purchasing had just taken an extended sick leave. The manager asked him to stop by with a résumé. He started work the next day.
Story #2:
Another client, a web designer, had made as many contacts as she thought possible through her personal network. She started to call companies out of the phone book. On about the tenth call, she connected with the owner of a small company. He wasn’t looking for anyone, but he was so impressed with her introduction on the phone, he suggested she deliver her résumé and come in for an informational interview. She went in that afternoon. The owner created a job for her on the spot she started working the same afternoon!
By now you should have gained confidence and practice in lining up appointments. It’s time to move into your cold circle of influence, the largest circle available to build into your personal network. This is where it gets exciting! To recap, your cold circle is the largest circle available for your search. Simply put, it’s all the people you do not know personally. Ideally, you’ve become more and more comfortable with the idea of meeting and networking with new people. At this point, you should:
- Continue to talk to people in your hot and warm circles. This is a big circle of people; and one that will certainly benefit you in the long run.
- Keep track of all the people you are talking to and giving your résumé, business card and other marketing documents to.
- Make a point of touching base with people periodically, even though they may not have been able to help you when you first approached them. They may come up with ideas, information, or suggestions for you as time goes on.
- Be sure you are keeping appointments and continually scheduling new ones.
- Remember that you have probably moved people from your cold circle to your warm circle just by asking acquaintances to introduce you to people they know!
HOW DO YOU APPROACH YOUR COLD CIRCLE?
Be Prepared. Be prepared to answer questions about yourself, your skills and your experience when you are talking to people whom you’ve never met. In most cases, these will be companies and potential employers. These people will probably want to know a bit about you before they commit to any time in meeting with you. There is no doubt they will want to know more about you before they put their reputation on the line in referring you to others! Before you take any action, be prepared to:
- Inspire and boost yourself before picking up the phone.
- Have a resume or other “success story” documents in front of you for reference.
- Sell yourself; convince contacts that it is in their best interest to see you.
- Respect people’s busy lives; be brief and to the point.
- Try hard to get an appointment or another name to call before hanging up.
- Drop off, email or fax a resume with a cover letter, reminding them of your phone conversation.
- Send a timely thank-you note.
Always get a name. When you begin to work within your cold circle, you will probably face two potential scenarios. Perhaps you don’t have a contact name, but know you are interested in working for a particular company. The other likelihood is that you do have a contact name of someone within the organization, but have not yet been introduced. You may have simply called the company and asked who you should speak with. How you approach a company will vary depending on whether or not you know who to contact. If you don’t have anyone specific to speak with at your target company, getting a name is your first priority. How might you do it?
- Call the human resources or hiring office to inquire about positions available. This is the least effective method. The hiring office is not always completely aware of what is happening in each department until staff must be hired. You need to meet people and sell yourself before positions are advertised.
- Call the department you wish to work in and ask to speak to the manager. Even if you’ve reached a person involved in the work that interests you, they still may not be the most appropriate or productive contact.
- Call the department, explain to the gatekeeper (receptionist, etc. ) that you are looking for contacts in your field, and ask who they think you should speak with. This is usually a good starting point. The gatekeeper will often refer you to someone willing to take the time to answer your questions.
Regardless of whom you speak to initially when you call a large organization, you will probably be passed along to several different people before you meet the person who can really help you. Do not be discouraged by this. You want to speak to the person most closely associated with the job you would like to have. Be patient and impress as many people along the way as possible! Eventually you’ll have the name of someone specific to speak with. Whether or not this person is the last one you need to speak with remains to be seen, but it is a starting point.
A Script Can Help. You may find that you are nervous and uncomfortable on your first few phone calls with your cold circle. After you’ve made a few calls and have a better idea of what people tend to ask and what you need to say, you will probably revise your approach (which will become smooth and polished). Do not read from a prepared script when you are speaking on the phone. Inevitably, they won’t say what you were expecting, and you will become frustrated and flustered. Use the script for inspiration and jumpstarting your confidence. Here are two examples:
SCRIPT ONE
Hello Mr. Smith, my name is John Doe. I’m calling because I am changing directions in my career and looking at some of the opportunities that are available. I have worked as a Software Developer for 10 years, and am known as the “fix-it” guy, because I solve problems and make things work. I’m interested in expanding into project or other technology management roles. I thought I would give you a call and discuss the possibilities of employment with your company.
Okay. At this point, Mr. Smith will decide if he wants to talk to you further, pass you along to someone else, or tell you he and his company are not interested. If he passes you along, the script might go something like this:
SCRIPT TWO
Hello Ms. Brown. My name is John Doe. Mr. Smith gave me your name and suggested I call you. I am a Software Developer known as a “fix-it” guy for solving problems and making things work. I’m looking for project or IT management opportunities. I have 10 years’ experience with XYZ [company], so I’m used to a fast-paced environment with strict budget and time deadlines. I’m interested in learning more about your company and the possibilities of working with you. I realize your time is valuable; and that you may or may not have an opening right now. A brief discussion of what you’re looking for in IT talent, as well as future potential opportunities would be great! I wondered if you might have 15 minutes this week when we could meet?
Now it is Ms. Brown’s turn to decide what direction your relationship will go. If she says there are no openings currently and she is simply too busy to meet with you, you might respond with something like:
That’s fine. I understand the hectic nature of the business (Stay positive!) May I pop by in the next day or two and drop off a résumé for you in case something opens up in the future? That would be great. Is there a time that would be best? Thanks very much for your time.
OR
OK. No problem. I certainly understand how busy you must be. I wonder if you have any ideas or suggestions of other people I might call? Excellent. Thank you. (Scribble, scribble – the sound of you writing down the name(s) she gave you. ) Thanks very much, Ms. Brown. I appreciate your help. I wonder if I might stop in and give you a résumé just in case something comes up? All right; I will do that. Thank you again.
The above are only suggestions and basic outlines for your initial contact with people. You will definitely have to do this in a way that’s comfortable for you. The key is to do it!! Above all, be prepared. You will usually be asked what you are good at or why they should see you. Sell yourself!
Some of your conversations will leave you feeling encouraged. Some may have you feeling discouraged and negative. Don’t let these get to you! Think like a salesperson. A common rule of thumb in sales is that for every yes you will hear 10 nos. Indulge in some self-care exercise, playing with the dog, meeting a friend, etc. And then get back at it! With persistence and practice, you will become an expert networker with all of your circles hot, warm and cold. And you will find that job with your name on it!
Tips
For your script(s), do prepare an opening sentence or two. The first few seconds is when a potential employer decides if they even want to continue with you on the phone. Have a general idea of what you would like to say during the rest of the conversation, but don’t be so concerned about reading your script that you can’t answer the questions you are asked. It’s also a good idea to set a time limit to your proposed meeting. When employers realize you are not asking for an hour of their valuable time, they may be more receptive. And always have pen and paper by the phone (or your computer handy) to help you remember the name of the person you are speaking with, as well as the names and contact information you may be given. Keep a list of names of all the people in the organization you speak to. When you make your second call to that company, it will be effective to be able to say, “Ms. A, the manager in the B Department suggested that I call you. ”
Bonus Cold Circle Tip:
In today’s job market, many potential opportunities may be found in small businesses (it’s common for recession to be a GOOD time for start-ups and emerging businesses). When you call a small company, you may need to speak to only one person. That person might wear all the hats of owner, manager and human resources director!
