The Lion’s Pride: Networking - Asking Mr. Smith for Help, Part II: It's Not the Song, It's the Singer

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The Lion’s Pride: Networking

Asking Mr. Smith for Help, Part II: It's Not the Song, It's the Singer

By the time the door opens to Mr. Smith's office, you've done your homework (click here) and laid out a plan for how you want this networking meeting/informational interview to go. You have goals, you have questions and you have something to offer Mr. Smith for his time.

Now what?

Mr. Smith knows you're there to pick his brain and gather information. But it's convincing him to supply info - and how you ask that's important.

Read Sally and Mr. Smith's Dynamics. Read the interaction when Sally interacts with him. Is she nervous? Maternal? Flirty? Maybe even a little hostile? This interaction is telling: Mr. Smith may be hostile, angry, playful, friendly, etc. Reading this interaction is a good way to get into Mr. Smith's head and make any on-the-fly strategy changes.

Build Rapport. The door opens and you meet Mr. Smith. Now is the time to remember people like people just like themselves. Thank Sally, then, after the handshake, the door closes and you're seated, use Sally as a starting point. You have a snapshot of their relationship, so you have an idea of how he feels about her. Mirror his feelings, being careful not to be negative. If Mr. Smith makes disparaging remarks about her, switch topics.

Build More Rapport. Scan the room. Utilize the recon you gathered prior to the meeting. You know something personal about him, and now is the time to bring it up. Is he a golfer but you hate it? Mention the last 5K you ran. Is he involved in an organization? Mention your affiliation(s). This will help convince Mr. Smith that you're similar enough to like.

IN THE CARAVAN: Build rapport before asking for information.

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Networking

Business Card Pack Rats / Gump-Style Networking / Becoming the Hub Increases Your Brand / Becoming the Hub II: Building Self-Feeding Buzz / Myths and Truisms / Grow Your Network - Go Where The Employers Are! / It's Not What You Know... / Always Be Prepared...Even If You're Not a Boy Scout / How to Make Six Degrees of Separation Work (Even If You're Not Kevin Bacon) / Marketing and Branding Yourself, Part I / Branding II: Your Website or Blog / Finding the Right Contact Person / Give a Little to Get a Little / Why Join Organizations? / First Contact With Mr. Smith, Part 1 / First Contact With Mr. Smith, Part 2: The Winning of The Sally / First Contact With Mr. Smith, Part 3: First Impressions / Asking Mr. Smith for Help, Part 1 / Asking Mr. Smith for Help, Part II: It's Not the Song, It's the Singer / Asking Mr. Smith for Help, Part III: Getting down to business / Networking at Job Fairs / Doing It On the Road / Networking Online / Getting Info From Sally & Co., Part I / Getting Info From Sally & Co., Part II: Asking The Right Questions / Networking Out of Town Part I: Laying the Foundation / Networking Out of Town Part II: Touring for Interviews / Working the Network by Feeding the Network / 'Running' Into Contacts / You Only Get What You Ask For / Press the Flesh II: Small Talk / Press the Flesh Like a Pro / Playing the Percentages / Fishing and the Right Bait / Shrek Style / Get Your Butterflies Flying In Formation / Discover Other People’s Passions / Double Dipping Doing Good / Overbooking Your Way to a New Job / Shaking the Branches of Your Family Tree / Working Your Reunion / Parents of Your Kids' Friends