The Lion’s Pride: Networking - Asking Mr. Smith for Help, Part III: Getting down to business

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The Lion’s Pride: Networking

Asking Mr. Smith for Help, Part III: Getting down to business

The small talk is out of the way and hopefully you've built a certain amount of rapport with Mr. Smith (click here). You have a specific goal and strategy.

The hard part is, for the most part, done. Now, it's just a matter of putting your plan into action.

Set The Stage. The best metaphor, here, is the classic rule-of-thumb when giving a speech: tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you've told them. This gives the audience (in this case, Mr. Smith) a clear set of objectives and a basis for reviewing the success of the speech (or, in this case, meeting).

Become A Reporter. Ask questions. That's what you're there for, and Mr. Smith expects it. Pick his brain. Take notes (memory jogger for you and flattering for him). Make sure you have ten good, intelligent questions and use them as launch points.

Ask For Help. Studies have proven that people are more prone to like you if you ask them for help. Read that sentence again. People will like you more if you ask them for help. This runs contrary to the popular belief that people will like you more if you help them. The rationale: you respect their knowledge, talents and resources enough to look upon them as an authority or expert. This is quite flattering.

Offer Help. This is where your research and preparation comes into play. With practice, you can artfully pepper industry information into the conversation. You should also drop a few names of people you know who might be able to fill some needs or information gaps in Mr. Smith's company. This serves a few purposes: 1) It shows you're current with industry information, ergo a quasi-expert; 2) It almost guarantees further contact with Mr. Smith (you'll need to provide him with contact information, after all); and 3) It will help the contact you're connecting with Mr. Smith, thereby making him/her more prone to help you in the future.

Mind The Clock. Mr. Smith's time is valuable, so be careful not to overstay your welcome. That's not to say you should keep looking at your watch, but you should be aware of how long your meeting is running. Mr. Smith likely has a clock or two around his office and/or on his desk. Make note of their positions and casually glance at them once in a while.

Review The Take-Aways. This makes the meeting circular: you started by telling Mr. Smith what you were going to tell him, told him, and are now telling him what you told him. Your take-aways will be following up on the help and/or contacts you've offered him. His take-aways will be following up on the help you've asked him for.

IN THE CARAVAN: Your informational interview/networking meeting with Mr. Smith will be highly successful by following the steps listed above.

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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