Responding to an Emailed Referral Message

Might you have heard from Dave Smith yet?

I thought I had a blog post about this, but I can’t find it, so maybe it’s still in DRAFT. What I’d like to say is, often in these types of email introductions, there is an assumption that the person in transition and the person making the introduction have already talked about it. The assumption goes that you want to meet the person you’re referred to. So – this is a fine point – it’s tradition for the candidate to respond to the referral first.  Nothing bad happens if they respond to you first, but it indicates your interest in finding out more about the subject of the introduction. 

Since this is in email and I’m not sure how clear I’m writing, what I suggest is that you go ahead and contact Dave.  The procedure is to Reply All, thank the referrer, say you’re looking forward to connecting. Then when the second person responds, you drop the referrer off the email thread to go ahead and make your plans.  Make sense?

Hope this helps,

Your Fortune Is In Your Follow-Up

“The fortune is in the follow-up.” If you are in sales or have studied sales at all, you may have heard that phrase, and it is true. In networking, as in sales, follow-up is crucial because it is a key to remaining top-of-mind with those in your network. Who you follow-up with, how you do this, and when to follow-up are important things to consider in your networking process because as your network grows, you can become overwhelmed by the options. Certain modes and methods are better suited to particular groups of people in your network, and thinking about how you will continue to engage with those specific groups will help you create systems to efficiently cultivate your network.

Even if you know that you should follow-up with your network, you may not know of the different types of follow-up, and you may not have considered different techniques of follow-up. In all of these cases, the primary reasons for the networking follow-up are the same: to grow your relationship and to remain of value to your network partner. This is different from sales follow-up where the primary purpose is to move a prospective buyer to the next step in a sales process, and this difference is important! If you mix the messages, you can confuse (or possibly offend) your networking partner.

Here I am going to suggest several different types of networking follow-up communications. And while this list is not exhaustive, it will help clarify your thoughts on connecting with your network. In a later note I’ll suggest various methods to implement these types.

The Check-In Follow-Up

The most basic follow-up is what I’m calling the “check-in”, as in “I’ve not heard from you in a while, I’m just checking-in to see how you are doing.” This is done to show you were thinking of someone, or perhaps another person asked you if you’d talked to this person recently. It may be that the partner offers a product or service you need now, and it’s been a while since you’d learned about it so you don’t even know if they are still in that business. The check-in is usually not expected by the partner, but you will find that most people enjoy receiving them.

The Check-Up Follow-Up

This is the post-interaction touch-base contact. It could be post-sale follow-up, but it also could be testing to make sure an email you sent was read or useful, or to see if the results of a suggestion you offered were as helpful as you hoped. Usually you have an additional goal with this follow-up: you want to get some feedback on their experience to correct your service, process, or product. If you prepare the partner for this check-up you are more likely to get the information you desire, so set the expectation of this follow-up during the prior interaction. Ask something like “is it okay if I follow-up with you next week about this?”

The Check-Back Follow-Up

In some ways, the check-back is the reverse of the check-up. Post-interaction, you contact the person who helped you to keep them apprised of the situation. Letting them know that your search continues, or that you solved the problem, or that you reached the person they suggested you call completes a task in the partner’s mind. They are more likely to give you more help in the future when they know the results of the help they gave you. This sort of follow-up requires diligence on your part. For most of us, once advice or help is received, we forget to give feedback to the giver. This is a mistake.

The Check-Out Follow-Up

One of the most powerful ways to build and maintain relationships is to continually offer items of value to the partner. The check-out follow-up is the process of sharing items of interest - “here, check this out...” or “I saw this and thought you’d like to know…” It reinforces the fact that you care (you took the time to send the follow-up), you pay attention (you found something you believe would add value to your partner), and that you value the relationship (you did this unprompted and not expecting anything in return). As you explore the world with “networking eyes and ears” you will learn of the interests, hobbies, and needs of others. You will also encounter resources that while they have little or no value to you could offer great value to others in your network. Share that information in a proper check-out follow-up and see what happens.

The Check-Off Follow-Up

People’s lives change. Perhaps they are no longer in a position to have the bandwidth to communicate the way you want them to. The check-off is the simple and kind way to respect the relationship and keep it available but on-hold for now. Just ask something like “I’ve not heard from you in a while, I respect you and I don’t want to be a pest… if you want me to stop trying to contact you, please let me know and I’ll stop.” The door is always open to continue the conversation, but now is not the time. Alternatively, the check-off could request a possible future date to continue the additional follow-up (something like “I’ll check back in 6 months to see how you are doing…).

The Thank You Follow Up

Staying top of mind with your network by appreciating them is the best form of follow-up. I highly recommend a short book on this topic: Appreciation Marketing by Tommy Wyatt and Curtis Lewsey. Properly appreciating your network partners is the surest way to encourage them to generate more of the referrals you want. The key here is “properly” - proper appreciation is sincere, specific, timely, appropriately personal, and positive. It says “thank you” for something & ONLY EXPRESSES APPRECIATION. How many times have you received a form letter thanking you for your business? How many times have you received a note of thanks that ends with a plea for a sale or another referral? All the good feelings the sender intended are reduced by the mixed message.

 And now, thank YOU for reading!

-Jeff Hexter

How Candidates With Disabilities Can Develop a Political Campaign

Patrick Young writes blog posts for The Job Search Center about special topics in career development for professionals. His insights come from his experience as an educator and activist for persons with disabilities. You can find out more about him and his work at https://ableusa.info/.

PLEASE NOTE: Our Guest Blogger is providing a number of hot links to resources throughout this article. They are hard to see due to the way our platform formats this. Please move your cursor along the text so you can find the links that may interest you.

Orchestrating a political campaign is a big job. From creating a team to support your political goals to getting to and from events, you’ll need to be creative when running for office if you have a disability. But thanks to trailblazing politicians and community resources, you can make it happen. Check out these insights.

Develop Your Team

You likely have tons of great ideas about your political campaign and how you’ll spend your time in office. But before you can get there, you’ll need the support of a cohesive and dynamic team, simply because nobody has the time and energy to do it all. Even if your social network is small, there are ways you can grow your campaign team.

For example, you can hire someone to handle tasks like speech writing, social media posts, and more. If you’re new to politics in general, research will also be a significant part of your pre-campaign prep work. In that case, hiring a highly skilled freelance researcher to learn more about the opposition and research policy initiatives could prove invaluable.

If you lack manpower or funds for all the help you need, there is, as they say, an app for that. Software can fill in other holes; Tatango helps send texts for timely messaging to your constituency, and TrailBlazer can act as a digital campaign manager. When push comes to shove, electronics can help.  

Know Your Platform

Like many other individuals with disabilities, you have plenty of unique knowledge about the challenges people in your community face. Though Quartz notes voters with disabilities are an often-overlooked demographic, your campaign should go beyond inclusion. Use your unique perspective to create a platform that speaks to all people, including diverse communities and populations.

As an example, you might advocate for stronger accessibility on the web and talk about your own experiences. If you feel uncomfortable discussing the issue, taking some classes in information technology can boost your confidence and knowledge base. Plus it will impress voters with your dedication to the cause.

Be Sure to Network

Once you develop your team and start your campaign, the need for networking doesn’t end. After all, you can’t expect voters to recognize you or vote in your favor if they’ve never heard of you. Here are some networking methods:

Via social media pages specific to people with disabilities. Make sure to make your messages about connecting—not just about getting support for your campaign. Think of ways you can help others before contacting them and take time to get to know them, too.

By canvassing door-to-door. Many political campaigns rely on grassroots campaigning, Thoughtworks explains, which involves starting in your local community and working your way up. This type of campaigning often means walking around a neighborhood, speaking with voters, and handing out fliers.

Through professional connections. Talking politics with your co-workers isn’t always fun. But when you’re passionate about a cause, spreading the word can garner support for your campaign.

Follow in the Footsteps of Politicians with Disabilities

While politicians with disabilities are a minority—only one in every 10 politicians—they do exist. Looking at how these politicians handled their campaigns and advertised their platforms can help you develop a political plan, too.

Past politicians have had disabilities such as epilepsy, blindness, combat injuries, and a long list of other conditions. One noteworthy example is Senator Tammy Duckworth, who sustained injuries in the Iraq War and is now a double-amputee and wheelchair user. Senator Duckworth has helped impact change in the form of policies to support veterans, families, and more.

Like Senator Duckworth, you can use personal experiences to inspire your platform and campaign. 

Spearheading a political campaign is challenging no matter who you are—or whether you have a disability. You’ll need the support of your team, your community, and donors to organize and implement a strong campaign. But with hard work and determination, there’s no reason you can’t go on to become a successful politician.

The Job Search Center is dedicated to helping you prosper; connect today for more tips and information that can help pave the way for your success!

Photos via Rawpixel, Pexels, and Adobe

Becoming VISIBLE to Your Network

I explained before that you need to be known, liked, and trusted as a networker before you can expect to get referrals. That takes some interpersonal communications skills, some effort, and some commitment. The good news is if you are reading this, you have already accomplished at least some of that.

There are still missing ingredients to getting the referrals you want. The first of these is becoming remembered when the opportunity to refer you presents itself - you need to be top-of-mind among your network. You become top of mind in at least two ways: by reminding your network, and by increasing your visibility within your network.

You get to remind your network each time you meet for your 1-2-1s, and each time you do your networking presentation. You increase your visibility when you give testimonials, when you give referrals, when you share your networking successes and knowledge, and when you take on leadership roles within your network. The common thread here is that your visibility grows when your network sees you consistently working for the benefit of others.

One reason I share these networking notes is that they give me greater visibility, but for me that is really secondary to the opportunity to focus on learning more about networking, hone my skills, and create something of value.

I’ll deal with the second missing ingredient in my next note, but I want you to consider this:

Your visibility is relative to other individuals in your network, not to the network itself.

To some networkers, you will just be barely visible, to others you will be highly visible. You will get the most benefit from your network when you are highly visible to your contact sphere and - if you are in one - to your power team (this is a topic I have not yet covered).  

KLT Is Not Enough

(There is more to getting referred than just being known, liked, and trusted

All things being equal, people prefer to do business with those they know, like, and trust. We all know this, but there is one other thing that needs to happen for people to make referrals to you: you need to be remembered when the opportunity to refer you presents itself.

The process of becoming the person who gets remembered is a topic for another note, and it is closely related to the process of becoming known, liked, and trusted, but it is not identical. And in any case, KLT must precede being remembered. We resist sharing our networks with people we do not KLT. Therefore, our skill at achieving KLT status will greatly improve our networking. 

To understand why this is required first, simply look at the opposite: no one would willingly refer business to someone they did not know, did not like, and did not trust, no matter how visible, credible, well-marketed, and remember-able others believed them to be.

So, how do you become the kind of networker who has achieved KLT status? It is, literally, the same way you become friends, and yes, I’ve explained this before: in your initial 1-2-1 conversations, hunt for areas of common interest and dwell on them. If you start there, and return there, you will become someone who is known and liked.

Trust is different. Trust requires confidence in your reliability, and therefore it requires proof. It can start small - just commit to a scheduled 1-2-1 and be there, on time, and ready. It will grow as you share stories about how you’ve helped others, and as others share stories about you. It will grow as you are asked for information and deliver it. 

At some point, through these interactions, you will shift from being someone who is just another networker, to being a friend. And then you can become the friend who is top-of-mind when someone needs what you offer.   

If meeting indoors makes you nervous, try “net-walking!”

Almost Hired? That Window of Opportunity is More Special Than You Think

Dear Sue,

I've made it through several rounds for a Director of Programming role with Favorite Organization in Cleveland. This is the job that I've wanted and pursued for 3 months now. I should hear next week whether I've made it to the next step, whether I'm still in this. I certainly hope so.

I also am in the running for a senior VP position in a not-for profit located in Houston. It would be a remote position. And I will hear about potential next steps, if any, next week as well. -        Stan

Dear Stan,

Oh, my goodness! That’s a lot. Wonderful news! Please keep me posted!         Sue

Dear Sue,

Thank you. I will. I'm really happy about my decision to go back to a strategic leadership role in a social justice organization. I just need to find a spot where I can work. [Emphasis added] -        Stan

How Windows of Opportunity Open

Stan’s emails tells us almost everything we need to know about successful job seeking and finding. As you read, when he got clear, he got excited. We’re often taught that clarity is the right thought. But it’s a feeling - and it’s magnetic. Stan is feeling happy and committed. He’s out there networking like crazy so he could be found easily. He became “the needle” his preferred type of employers’ “magnets” are seeking. He was drawn into the selection processes in organizations where he can flourish. When the requests to interview came, he could maintain his integrity and enter the discussions whole-heartedly. And, when one became available, more than one became available.

There are three points I’d like you to consider.

#1, When you know what you really desire and communicate it clearly and with enthusiasm, your “needle,” is attracted to magnets. People not only find you, they pull you in – they want to get to know you better.

#2, We are attractable when our light shines through. We even call it magnetism! If we have inner work to do clarity is elusive, energy is dormant or tied up in other things, and we can’t get traction. Our light doesn’t shine.

#3, A window of opportunity opens when you have accomplished #1 and #2 and the community needs you.  (A community is always grounded on land. For some people “the community” is national or global, so don’t get hung up on the wording. It’s the best I can figure to say right now.)

Timing of Opportunities

When these three things come together there will be openings.  One of the interesting things is that “the community needs you” is most important for the timing of the openings. This is easy to see in the slowdown in hiring at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The community didn’t need a lot of new products or services. It also explains why there was a surge in hiring for a few roles, like drivers and nursing.

When we get excited about an opportunity and we get quite far in the hiring process, it’s very tempting to think we’ve got it; that it’s ours, it’s got our name on it, or that we should work harder to give ourselves the best chance. Yet, what I’ve watched over and over is that the more tightly a candidate holds on to a specific opening, the more likely it is that the deal will go away.

The analogy for this experience is transformative in a negative way. Sometimes a beautiful job seems to be truly in our hands. We hold it preciously, like a golden egg.  But if we grasp the egg too tightly - work harder to deserve it - it turns to sand.  Paradoxically, the tighter we grip sand, the faster it runs through our fingers. 

Inner Work is Essential

You’ll notice that Stan did his inner work. He took care of whatever was in the way of him recognizing his heart’s desire and communicating it. His new clarity narrowed his focus to the type of work he loves to do. He became fearless, willing to say no to things that aren’t right for him - even though he

• needs a job,

• feels uncertain about where he will land, and

• worries sometimes about how long it’s going to take to finally get an offer.

But his clarity and energy are compelling to the organizations which are put together and organized to serve the need he satisfies in the community.

If we keep driving toward only one job, we miss what the universe is presenting to us as the next step. This driving too hard delays our progress in the job search because our energy is going into warding off ideas and yearnings so we can stay focused on our singular goal – a job that is not ours to give ourselves.

It’s like driving

so fast we don’t see the street signs, notice a shortcut, or the sign for free ice cream where we run into an old friend who makes our day.

What we’re missing when we shield ourselves from ideas and yearning is strengthening and clarifying our inner game. Some people disagree that they need to do any inner work. They think I’m nuts and out of bounds. As you’ve heard me brag countless times, I’ve worked with over 4,000 candidates. That’s a lot of examples and over time patterns became easy to see. This is one you can bank on.

Inner work can be learning to rely on one’s instincts better; working through resentments and freeing up energy; finding a lost family member; finishing grieving the last job or something else; clarifying needs and wants and saying no to work that is inappropriate based on your preferences, saving energy. You needed to clean the basement or plant a rose garden and unemployment gave you time. Your mother was sick and you wanted to care for her. Or, you were just tired and needed to rest.  All of these are what I mean by inner work.

Step Up!

Job offers elude us for many reasons and a candidate has no control over them.  But a candidate can decide what his or her own actions will be. When you are getting “interest signals” you know you and the community are ready and a window is opening up for you to be in a place to contribute heartily. The signs of encouragement - like getting far along in selection processes – mean you will have more success hearing about opportunities out in the community than you did before.  

Re-energize your commitment to networking! Now is not the time to develop tunnel vision, to say no to more opportunities coming your way. It’s time to reach out to all your favorite people, telling them

• you’re ready,

• what you really want,

• what kind of organizations you want it with,

• how excited you are that openings are appearing.

• And ask for referrals to great leaders. Show your enthusiasm! It’s magnetic.

See if you can connect with enough people to land three offers. Then you will know your value, have more ideas when it’s time to negotiate, and know why you are choosing to accept this offer to join this organization.

You Have the Time You Need

Based on what I’ve seen, the universe gives us time. In over 25 years, I’ve never had a client’s worst fear come true - losing their home. The new role comes in time. We need time to collect the thinking that is missing in daily life. We can work with the knowledge that we are in a principled process and remember that fear is a deterrent to progress. Keeping track of what stage we are in and that we’re making progress means we are doing the right activities at the right time. If we get stuck or confused, coaching or counseling, or a good, friendly ear may be needed.  

Stay in the Game!

Don’t quit right before your miracle! When you are in the running for a really good job, get out there! Ask around for more connections, more people to help, more insight into what needs doing. Reinforce your clarity, your commitment to solving your favorite problems with others of like mind. Receive encouragement! You’re expanding. A terrific new role will come to you.  Just wait till you see all that is opening up for you!