⚡How to become great at networking (in 10 minutes)

Hey {NAME}, It took me 5+ years to become great at networking. I’ll teach you how in 10 minutes: 1/ Quality > Quantity Too many people passively network. They go to meetups or join communities and hope someone can help. The internet has changed the game. You have access to anyone! Don't cross your fingers. Get super clear on 5-10 people who can change your life. 2/ Scrap The "Me" Mindset The #1 networking mistake is leading with your needs: "Can I pick your brain for 30 minutes?" "Can you pass my resume along?" "Can you tell me how you did X?" Nobody has time to do that for a stranger. If want you want in? You need a new approach. 3/ Relationships Are Like Banks You need to deposit capital before you withdraw. Say a referral costs you $20 "Social Dollars." You need to start by making "deposits" in the relationship. When you've made $20 worth of deposits? Now you can ask. 4/ How The Heck Do I Make Deposits? Deposits take many forms: 1. Recognize someone for something they've done 2. Recognize a career transition or achievement 3. Add new information to a shared interest 4. Help the other person achieve a goal Those are just a few examples. 5/ Learn About Your Contact Read their LinkedIn profile from top to bottom. Run a Google search for their name. Check out their other social profiles. All while looking for "connection clues" that you might be able to use as an in. 6/ Use The "10 Idea Strategy" Grab a pen and a blank sheet of paper. Pull up all of the information you got on your contact. Now come up with 10 ideas for ways you could add value to them. Don't stop at 3, or 5, or 8. Brainstorm 10 ideas. [More on this strategy here.]() 7/ Build An Engagement Plan Now you have 10 ways to potentially connect. Rank them based on two criteria: 1. Chance of success 2. Ease of implementation Now you have a plan of action. 8/ Make Contact! Take action on your #1 idea. If they engage? Awesome! Use the rest to build the relationship. If they don't? All good! Fall back to idea #2, then #3, etc. Sales data tells us that most prospects take action after the 3rd touchpoint. The same is true here. 9/ Create A "Second Brain" This is a sheet where you track your relationships. It has all of your contact's info, plus: 1. Date of last contact 2. Notes from last convo 3. General notes on contact (updated as you learn more about them) Reference this before every touch point. 10/ Make It A Habit Great relationships are built in consistent layers. Every day, open your Second Brain sheet. Filter by "Date." Find the person who hasn't heard from you for the longest period. Review your notes and engagement plan, then reach out. 11/ Compound The Reciprocity This is my last and most important tip: Delay your ask as long as possible. The more value you add and the more goodwill you build? The bigger the ask you can make. And the larger the return you'll get. You've got this! Be well, Austin PS - Need help leveling up your networking game? We can help. [Click here to book a 45 minute Career Clarity Call]() with our team to learn more about how we help people like you create an predictable pipeline of referrals at their dream companies. [Cultivated Culture] Land a job you love without applying online. How Can I Help You? [Build A Resume](=) [Score Your Resume]() [1:1 Career Coaching]() [LinkedIn Analyzer]( [Twitter]() [Twitter]() [Podcast](=) [Twitter]( You are receiving this email because you subscribed to get more career-related content on [cultivatedculture.com](). If you do not want to receive these emails or other communications you can easily remove yourself from our email list by [clicking this link to Unsubscribe](.                              Â