The Other List: Personal Contacts

I was reading the other day and saw that online resume posting yields an 8% chance of success in uncovering the next opportunity. This was a bit of a shock to me, even though I’ve been telling clients forever that only about 20% of jobs are advertised. Therefore, if a job seeker’s efforts are solely focused on answering online ad, then in all probability they will receive a low return from their efforts.

What’s the alternative? Start looking elsewhere... in the 80% of the job market where jobs are not advertised. Finding those non publicized opportunities greatly improves the job seeker’s chances of landing the next job. But how do you find these opportunities?

First, assemble a contact list of all the people you know. This includes but isn’t limited to: Family members, friends, past and recent co-workers, acquaintances, and people you know through your kids’ activities. Also include professionals like doctors, lawyers, and trades people like plumbers, carpenters and even the kid who cuts your lawn. Also list people you know through church groups, civil organizations and of course people from groups via social media like LinkedIn, Facebook and Meetup. I caution folks not to judge or qualify the contact, that will come later; the goal here is to get a list of names as big as you can. Shoot for 150 to start.

Once you have your list of names, qualify them. There are a few ways that work. One is the ABC method and the other is the Near-Far method. The ABC method requires you to evaluate whether or not you think the person can help you toward getting an interview. A, if the person is really connected and knows your work. B, if they may be able to help and C, if there is little chance of receiving truly helpful assistance.

Frankly, I have difficulty with this method, simply because I don’t believe that people really can guess who will connect them to the people with an opportunity. Great Aunt Tilda may very well be connected to an employer that you have no idea about. Great Aunt Tilda tells you to call little Billy, the “boy” who use to cut her grass. Only today, William is the big boss at a local manufacturer and he sends her a Christmas card every year telling her that he is willing to do anything for her, she only need ask.  You just don’t know who someone knows.

I like the Near-Far method. Near contacts I meet with face to face. Far contacts I talk to over the phone. Easy Peasy!  

Regardless of which method you use, call the person on the phone and ask to meet with them. (Of course if the contact is in the next state, don’t make a special trip, but if you’re going to be in the area this will work.) Let them know you’d like to use them as a reference and you’d like to talk face to face in order to let them know what you’ve been working on and what direction you are going. Then meet with them and ask them the three networking questions.

Then persist in following the steps of calling your contact, asking to meet, and then asking for other contacts who will get you closer to your goal -- Landing the Job!  Good Hunting!

Networking is for Everyone

As a compound word, Networking has two words that make it up: net and work. Net as in a contrivance of cord tied into an open, meshed fabric, for catching things; or anything serving to catch or ensnare. A net could also be a connection of things like computers as in the Internet.

Work is exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; or the result of exertion, labor, or activity. Author Lillian Bjorseth defines Networking as an active, dynamic process that links people into mutually beneficial relationships to create social capital.

It's important to realize that it is work, but it doesn't have to be toil. It requires talking to people and establishing relationships and this is sometimes difficult or scary for people. But if you are in sales, especially in today's marketplace, you'd better get good at networking.

The work comes in two forms: first, calling people on the phone; the second comes in meeting people face to face. Regardless of everything written, it comes down to phone calls and meeting people face to face. Without these two aspects you cannot build mutually beneficial relationships.

It's funny, the other day I heard someone call a "network marketing" business "relationship marketing."  Boy, they created a new terminology that hits the nail on the head. Building relationships is not easy: just ask anyone who is married or in a family. It's work and that's okay, it can be fun and invigorating building your network if you remember you will need to give before before you will receive.

It is exciting when you meet people to whom you can give something, something of value. In sales it might be the information associated with your product or service which will benefit the other people's life or business. In a job search it might be another connection or even the promise to pay the benefit forward. There is a Tao in networking where you only receive when you give freely. This requires being open and giving of yourself. This may be the scariest part of networking for some people.

I saw an interesting blog the other day that asked this question, among others: "do you have to be born with the ability to network?" Link The short answer is no, just a willingness to get to know people. The blog quotes Dale Carnegie, "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you."

 

So realize that everyday you are faced with countless opportunities to network with people and it could lead to something fantastic. Happy Networking.

The Ten-second Message

    I was working with a client the other day and he told me something that I hear often. He said, "Nobody is returning my calls!" Has that ever happened to you? You leave a voice mail message and they never call you back. It's not an uncommon occurrence in America today. Is it because people are rude? Maybe they are just way too busy? 

    Either of the above reasons may be true, but you have no control over those things. What do you have control over? You have control over yourself and the things you do.  

    Maybe eight or ten years ago I was listening to a speaker talk about how to improve sales through cold calling. I am better at it but still don't enjoy cold calling, however, I remember one thing about the talk; he told us he never leaves a voice mail message that is longer than 10 seconds. He said he gets better than an 80% return of his messages.

The formula was simple:

1. Introduce yourself
2. Establish a context for the call
3. Leave your number 

The call would going something like this:    "Hello Mr. O'Bryan, my name is Thomas Cunningham. Alice Henshaw from XYZ referred you to me and asked me to call you. Could you please call me? My number is 312-555-2121. Have a great day!"

    Why does this work? The point is that most people leaving a message, take away the reason to call back. They talk too much! When the message is too long or detailed, the listener believes they know what the call is about or they just don't listen to the whole message. The listener has made up their mind that they don't what to hear the rest of what you have to say. Or their is no curiosity or urgency and the listener thinks that they'll call you back later when they aren't as busy. Or they know what you want and cannot help you so why bother calling you back.

    On the other hand, being pleasant in voice and establishing a context, e.g., Ms. Henshaw, or the Greater Chicago Chamber, or St. Peter's taffy pull, builds a connection that interests them. They don't want to offend their friend Alice by not returning a referral's call. 

    Finally, there is the fact that it takes about ten seconds to decide to skip the voice mail message and go on to the next message and by then your voice is saying have a great day.