The Lion’s Pride: Networking - First Contact With Mr. Smith, Part 1

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The Lion’s Pride: Networking

First Contact With Mr. Smith, Part 1

You've networked and researched and sleuthed. You know that Mr. Smith is the hiring manager at ABC Corp.

But how do you contact him for the first time?

Email. I steer people away from making initial contact with Mr. Smith by email. He's a busy guy, after all, and gets a log of email. If he doesn't recognize your name or email address, he'll zap your note to the electronic graveyard.

Phone. Unless you have Mr. Smith's direct line, you'll most likely be talking to his assistant, Sally. Sally can either be your friend or enemy. Be prepared to answer her questions, as she's good at screening people out. She'll ask you what the nature of your call is, whether Mr. Smith is expecting your call, and the like. Sally will also try to steer you to someone else so you won't be Mr. Smith's - or her - problem anymore. Be prepared to answer her questions in a non-confrontational way. An effective technique is to ask for her help. It's amazing how much information Sally will give you when you beg ignorance.

In Person. When Mr. Smith was younger, it was common for candidates to show up and apply for jobs. That seldom happens anymore, which makes this truly a gonzo approach. By that, I mean do so at your own risk. Mr. Smith may find you either rude for just showing up and expecting to take time from his busy schedule, or a delightful change from the ordinary. In effect, your odds of success are 50/50 - if that. If you're going to make first contact with Mr. Smith, it would be wise to meet him in more of a quasi-social situation, such as the Rotary Club he's a member of.

Mail/Fax. Unless you've laid the groundwork with Sally, don't waste your time, paper, nor postage. Sally gets the faxes and opens the mail. You aren't able to schmooze her if you don't talk to her. And her trash bin is right next to her desk.

There are ways to improve your chances of success for all four categories, however, and we'll explore the pros, cons, pitfalls and winning strategies for all of them in the coming weeks.

IN THE CARAVAN: Contacting Mr. Smith for the first time requires as much skill, effort and patience as it took to ascertain he's the hiring manager.

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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