Cold networking DOES work

Want an example where cold networking actually worked?

A client of mine used cold outreach to land an interview at a $2B industry-leading personal fitness company, and I'll show you how.

First, it's important to understand that there is no magic wand for networking. There is no "one size fits all" approach. Depending on your title, industry, or experience, you may need to keep adjusting your strategy until you find a method that works for you.

Nevertheless, here is an extremely simple approach that anyone can replicate:

1. My jobseeker client identified a role that appealed to her at a company that aligns well with her experience and applied.

2. Then, instead of waiting to hear back from the company on a cold application (a poor strategy), she identified a Director of Talent Acquisition at the company and sent this very simple email:

"Hi [redacted],

My name is [redacted], and I came across your profile while applying for the role Executive Program Manager at [redacted]. I was impressed by your expertise.

I'm curious to know: in your experience, what qualities or experiences do you believe [redacted] prioritizes in candidates for this role?

Thank you for your time.

Best regards,

[redacted]"

3. The Director of Talent Acquisition wrote back:

"Hi [redacted],

Thank you for reaching out and your interest in [redacted]! Thank you for your kind words about my profile.

For the Executive Program Manager position, we're definitely looking for someone that can decode the messaging of our executives pertaining to board meetings, business initiatives and alignment. Essentially it is similar to the role of a Chief of Staff, with the ability to manage projects smoothly and efficiently. Also, a person that is an active listener with the ability to communicate effectively with multiple personalities at the executive level.

I hope this helps!"

4. I then advised my client to reply to these desired characteristics and outline how she had delivered upon those skill sets in her previous role as COO of another fitness brand, which she did.

5. The response?

"Thank you for sharing your relevant expertise! I will forward your information to my teammate who is actively recruiting for the position and take the next steps from there. Have a great weekend!"

Five days later, a Talent Acquisition Specialist reached out to coordinate an interview for the role.

---

The main takeaways:

-Reach out to an internal contact for EVERY role you are interested in. You never know who will take the time to reply.

-Know your value and be able to articulate how that value matches the needs of the organization for that role.

-Ask questions. Questions are essential part of basic conversation. By asking questions, you can elicit more responses.

-Keep it simple. Don't bombard someone with too much information up front. Focus on one or two crucial requirements of the role and demonstrate your value there.

Implement this immediately and start landing more interviews!

If you need help adopting this strategy or understanding best practices for networking without wasting time working through the wrinkles yourself, schedule a free call with me to discuss.