You know that if you want to get something done or get where you want to go, you need to network.
Reaching out to people you know pretty well isn’t that hard. But what about reaching out to those you don’t know or barely know?
Unless you’re a rare social butterfly for whom reaching out to strangers comes naturally, you might need a little help formulating your approach. Here are some recommendations:
Have a sincere desire to build relationships.
Your networking activities might be driven by the desire to achieve some specific result. Maybe you want to explore potential collaboration, learn more about an industry or profession, get a job, make a sale, etc. Whatever your motivation is, keep in mind that networking is ultimately about building mutually beneficial relationships. Motivation researcher and leadership consultant Susan Fowler says that one of the psychological needs that we all share in common is Relatedness or Connection. An essential part of Relatedness is the need to belong to a community without an ulterior motive and that the motive is a noble purpose. Remember that as you start to reach out to people.
Keep your message brief and to the point.
We’ve always preferred people to get to the point quickly. William Shakespeare underscored this more than 400 years ago when he penned the words, “Brevity is the soul of wit.” Today, with how much information is constantly being streamed our way, brevity is even more pertinent and preferred. People are more likely to respond positively if they can quickly understand your request.
Establish the connection with a “them first” approach.
Rather than launching into a detailed explanation of who you are and making the message about you, start by mentioning how you came across their profile or heard about them. Express genuine interest in their work, achievements, or expertise. Be specific about what caught your attention. If you share common interests, mention them. This can be a great way to establish a connection and make your request more relatable.
Give “the why” – for both of you.
After communicating your interest in connecting, clearly state the purpose of your networking request. However, when you ask something of someone, it’s wise to consider what’s in it for them too. Why might they say yes? In addition to stating your purpose, point out how the connection could be beneficial to them, perhaps highlighting what value you can bring to the table or how your background aligns with their interests.
Make it easy to set up the conversation.
Suggest a specific time and method for the meeting. Whether it’s an in-person coffee chat, a phone call, or a video call, provide options. Depending on the context and if appropriate, offer the choice of a few times/dates for when you’re available with the offer of looking further out on the calendar if needed.
Additional Resources
Though the main focus of this article is email subject lines, it also offers some additional good advice on the topic of cold emails in general – https://www.careercontessa.com/advice/cold-email-subject-lines
This article has some helpful insights and a template that might be adapted depending on context – https://life-longlearner.com/the-art-of-asking-someone-to-meet-for-coffee
Here are a couple of pretty good articles from The Muse with tips on reaching out to people through LinkedIn:
- https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-write-linkedin-messages-that-actually-get-read
- https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-default-linkedin-feature-you-need-to-avoid-and-the-templates-to-use-instead