Networking Picking up that 800-pound phone - Hire Imaging

Networking Picking up that 800-pound phone - Hire Imaging Networking goes beyond talking to your family, friends and acquaintances. Now you’re at the point of reaching out via phone to those you don’t know well or at all. They may be referrals from others; they may be people you only met briefly. Either way, the hardest part can be picking up the phone and making that first call of the day. Networking: Take a breath and become the little engine It can be a real sweaty-palms moment for many to “pick up that 800-pound phone”â€"as my husband refers to it. The negative emotions creep in and it feels woefully heavy. I’ve talked with clients about what they do when this dread sets in. I love some of their warm-ups! All are said to have worked! You can: Run around the block or do 15 minutes on your favorite exercise equipment Read your favorite blog posts, a chapter from your favorite book, or newspaper funnies Record a DVD of short comedic routines, bloopers or funny sit-coms. Laugh! Look at yourself in the mirror and say “You are great! Go get ‘em” Review your resume or other documents that should remind you of your success stories Make a phone call to a positive friend or supporter who will champion your networking Now remember that simple but powerful message from the children’s story, The Little Engine That Could: “I think I can!” And at story’s end, “I thought I could!” Networking: What do you want from these phone calls? Your goal in a nutshell is to meet people in person. It is much harder to say “no,” or “I’m sorry I can’t help you” to someone sitting across from you, than it is over the phone. But life is busy; so are people. The phone call is to get that face-to-face time. Networking: What do you say? Script for calling someone you met briefly: Hi Skip! My name is John Brown. I’m not sure if you remember me, but we met last month at the Mites hockey game. I was sitting next to you and we were chatting about investments. Pause. Right! Our sons played on the same line! Anyway Skip, I know you’re busy. The reason I’m calling is that I’m looking at job opportunities in financial planning and wondered if you had 15 minutes sometime this week when we could get together and chat. I thought you might know of someone who was hiring or have some ideas or suggestions about who else I could talk to. Sure, Wednesday would be great. I’ll meet you at the coffee shop near the arena. See you then; and thanks!” Phone networking tip: Hopefully, Skip remembers you. If not, don’t be discouraged. Try to jog his memory a bit more and if he still doesn’t remember you, ask to meet with him anyway. You might as well, since you’ve got him on the phone. He’ll remember you when he sees you. Script for calling someone referred: Hello June. My name is Carol Little. A mutual friend of ours, Greg Lake, suggested I give you a call. I recently graduated from law school and am in the job market. I’m not asking you for a job! I wondered if we might get together sometime this week for 15 minutes to discuss what it’s like to work for your firmâ€"I’m always interested in potential opportunities with a practice that has the reputation yours enjoys. But I’m also hoping we could discuss other firms you might know of, people to talk to, or suggestions you might have for me. I know you’re a busy woman. I promise not to take more than 15 minutes of your time. Great! I’ll meet you at your office next Tuesday at 12:30. Thank you very much, June! Phone networking tips: Don’t hang up without either an appointment scheduled or having asked if they know of anyone else you might contact. If you feel you’re not getting positive responses from the people you call, try out your script(s) on a few who are part of your support team. Ask for constructive feedback; make positive adjustments. The near misses you’ve had were a sign that you needed to readjust your course, not an indication that you’ve wasted your time. Networking: Rethinking the engine analogy As I think about it, The Little Engine That Could was a story to teach us about overcoming obstacles. That if we “think we can” or “thought we could,” we’d have mastered that hurdle. A better mantra for picking up that heavy phone? “I know I will!” And it just gets better from there. Phone:   AndyManGold