Marketing You, Pt. 3: Natural Networking

📋 At This Point, You Should Have:

☑ A chosen job title, thoroughly researched (plus two backups).

☑ A list of five Tier 2 companies you're interested in applying to, also thoroughly researched.

Say John and Amy are on their first date after meeting on Match.com. At the end of the date, John turns to Amy and says, "This was fun. Shall we enter a long-term relationship?" Silly, right? But most job interviews are the same: Two near-strangers meet for an hour, then decide if they want to enter a serious relationship. Whenever you "cold interview" like this, it's hard because the interaction itself is forced and awkward from the start.

There's a better way. What if, by the interview, you and your employer were practically "friends first?" Ramit calls this the Multi-Touch Strategy and it relies on Natural Networking.

If you connect on a personal level, you're no longer competing with other candidates — you're automatically above them. Why? Because of psychology: We all like people we know. We all want to "de-risk" big decisions. (Even hiring managers.)

Getting Started with Natural Networking

You've picked a target job role and a few companies. You've done your homework. But there's only so much you can do from your room. You still have lots of questions, like: Is this what I really want? Can I actually get this job? What should I do next? How can you find out? Again, by testing. Here's what that looks like:

1. Find five experts in your field.
2. Email them and for either a coffee meeting or a phone call.
3. Show up and ask good questions.
4. Follow up and build real relationships.

Finding Experts

Classic networking advice that makes me want to die: "Talk to everybody!" This works sometimes, but I can show you a better way. I want you to talk to an expert: someone who has experience doing what you want to do.

This can mean:

• They have / had your Dream Job
• They work / worked at your Dream Company
• They're some kind of authority in your industry

Do you know any of these people? Chances are you do, and if not, you can easily find them.

Emailing Experts

Once you find your experts...

• Reach out and ask for 15 minutes of their time. (You can find word for word scripts in the additional readings and in the attached files.)
  • Be specific and don't be chatty. At first, use 5 sentences max if possible. Be enthusiastic! It makes a difference.
• Meeting in person is ideal, but a phone call is fine too.
• Send the email Monday or Tuesday and ask to meet later in the week.
  • Give any excuse to meet: "I'll be in town Friday" is a social trigger.

Showing Up & Asking Good Questions

Informal meetings are for you to test your ideas and gain new insights. They are NOT to get hooked up with a job. Never ask for one here. They're also not to talk about yourself, so kindly shut up and listen. Right now you're just gathering information.

You have a lot of questions, but they all really boil down to two:

1. Would I like this job?
2. Can I get this job? If so, you can move forward. If not, you need to stop, step back and adjust either your target job role or your target companies.

Planning Your Questions Before You Arrive

Try to answer each question yourself before you actually ask it. This weeds out dumb or useless questions that you can easily answer on your own. Plus, it's just considerate. Don't make the busy person do more work than you! (That doesn't make them want to keep in touch.)

Good Questions: For "Would I like this job?"

• "As someone who's been in the fundraising industry for 2 years, what has been the the biggest surprise to you?"
• "It seems like consultants either get promoted quickly, or leave to work for one of your industry clients. Is that usually the case or are there other common paths?"

Good Questions: For "Can I get this job (and how can I maximize my chances)?"

• "It looks like this job requires some ad software experience. Can I learn that on my own, or not at all?"
• "You've worked with a lot of game designers in your career. Besides raw talent, what's the #1 thing you look for in a designer?"

Following Up & Building Relationships

At this point, you've already networked far more effectively than most people. Even if others are able to get this far, here's where they drop the ball: They never follow up. Most people just take advice and disappear forever. And of course, the expert soon forgets about them.

You are going to build a real, long-term relationship with the people you contact. How? By closing the loop and adding value back to them.

Step 6: Contact 5 Experts & Close the Loop

1. Find five experts to reach out to using the LinkedIn method shown earlier. [30 minutes]
2. TIME PLANNING
3. This step will likely take you around 6 hours. I know, it sounds like a lot, but this is important and can change your life (if you let it) and will change your job searches in the future for the better.
4. Draft a clear, concise email and reach out to them for a coffee meeting or phone call. [30 minutes]
5. Do your homework ahead of time. When you show up, ask your 5 most important questions, then shut up and listen. [1 hour per expert]
6. Follow up every 3-4 weeks using the Closing the Loop technique.

Natural Networking Strategy Summary

Many people think emailing strangers is weird, "creepy," or just doesn't work. Decide for yourself. Ramit's student Annie sent him these numbers back in 2013:

• Cold contacts, Executive Assistant: Sent: 33, Replied: 9, Response rate: 27%
• Cold contacts, VIP Host: Sent: 21, Replied: 12, Response rate: 57%

Most people come off poorly in their emails, so, of course they don't get results. But when you act like a top performer — and prepare better than anyone else — everything changes.

• Most people think networking = sleazy. But there's a game being played around them they don't realize.
• Natural Networking is about being genuine, asking for help, and being willing to help in return.
• Act like a top performer: Writing good emails, asking smart questions and following up are all classic Competence Triggers.
• People will want to help you if you can show them you're smart and you're a doer. Winners want to work with winners.

Networking as part of the Bigger Picture

This is all part of the idea-testing process. Remember that! If after talking to experts you decide that YES, you love your target job role and companies, then great! Continue to the next step. If you discover that you don't, no problem: If it's not the right role for you, go back to Step 1. If it's not the right employer, refer back to Step 2.

Remember: You're not just doing this for the short-term. You're building real relationships. That's one of the smartest things you can do for your career, and also one of the most fulfilling.