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Cracking the networking CODE by Dean Lindsay
I can’t seem to talk enough about networking. Maybe it’s because most jobs are found via networking and job seekers MUST empower themselves with good information and techniques (in addition to great job search materials) in order to successfully land a targeted position.
Most of my clients ask, “How can I network well? What steps should I take?” Dean Lindsay’s book: A Progress Agent’s Guide to Cracking the Networking Code – 4 steps to Priceless Business Relationships, offers a lot of terrific ideas for all job seekers and careerists, as well as entrepreneurs and anyone hoping to succeed in business.
I love acronyms…(what would we do without STAR and PAR stories for interviewing?) The title of Dean’s book incorporates a crucial acronym.
CODE stands for:
C: Create Personal Curb Appeal
Effective networkers feel successful and display a genuine desire to help others progress. They look and act the part of someone with whom you would want to have in your corner.
O: Open Face-to-Face Relationships
Effective networkers research the various networking options and commit to a networking strategy. They get out and about and reach out. They open relationships.
D: Deliver Solid First Impressions
Effective networkers know the first impression sets the foundation for all future impressions and make sure it is a good one.
E: Earn Trust
Effective networkers follow-up and keep in touch. They stay involved with the people they meet and earn their trust through a series of progress based impressions. They continually find ways to help. This is where most ineffective networkers drop the ball.
Dean acknowledges most peoples’ perceptions of networking as something manipulative or excessively self-serving. He goes on to explain how those are misperceptions of networking – and convinces the reader that networking is about relationship building.
His assertion that people we meet should ideally view us as offering “progress, not change” is an interesting and perceptive point! Let’s face it, when we hope to engage in a relationship with someone, most of the time we aren’t looking to make a change in our lives. Dean notes, “It is natural to resist change but we embrace progress (p. 26).” If you “genuinely want to understand and help fulfill the needs of others,” a key factor for networking success, Dean offers a step-by-step guide to help readers “Be progress.”
I love the messages in this book: “Don’t make networking more complicated than it needs to be (p. 47).” “You make a much more powerful impression, a much more memorable impression being interested in others rather than trying to be interesting to others” (p. 95).”
But Dean doesn’t just offer quotes and platitudes – he shows readers what they can do to become successful at networking. If you’ve been uncomfortable or hesitant in your in-person networking, this is a great book to give your plans a jump start. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I have!
It’s your lucky day…Dean is giving away several copies of his book to my readers. All you need to do is share a brief comment or story below about networking. Do you have a success story? Or, tell us what makes networking difficult for you. At the end of the week, I’ll randomly choose several winners. (Be sure to give a correct email address so I can notify you.) Feel free to enter at each of my blogs to increase your chances of winning:
Need more help to get your job search running? Contact me for advice and coaching to get your career in gear!
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This looks like a great resource for people who are out of touch with the concept of networking. A simple method to help job seekers put their best foot forward. Now my question is…
What happens when your network members are sub-par?
Agree with David’s comment, with a twist: Agree this is a could be a good resource for those in need of better networking, if they accept that they need better networking skills.
I’ll accept that I could improve my networking ability. Perhaps I could improve my tactics through use of strategies identified in the book.
@ David and Jim – I think the book could absolutely give you some ideas to up your networking efforts. As for your network members being sub-par…It seems that a job seeker who finds his or her network not useful would need to ramp up networking efforts to include people who could share useful information. Thanks for the comments!
Sounds like a great book to help develop networking skills. I often get stuck, ok paralyzed, by the thought of what do I have to offer someone. Maybe I’m making it to complicated?
This comment is to enter the contest for Dean Lindsay’s book.
As an HR professional in transition,I joined Dallas HR for networking opportunities. I attended a lunch and learn of the benefits emphasis group. I was then invited to join their yahoo group, which I did. The chair sent out someone’s resume to the group the following week. I then asked him to send out mine, which he did. I week later, one of the members, a recruiter from Ericsson called me about an upcoming position. We chatted about my qualification and she passed on my resume to the hiring manager for the position and I scored a phone interview with her recently. While I don’t know if I will get the job, the networking definitely got me the inside track to get my resume seen by the right person and put at the head of the stack.
Ilene Brill
Networking in todays market can be a challenge in the metro Detroit area with so many people out of work it is tough to find people who are still working to network into an organization. On the line of getting out and about to have face to face networking opportunities I was lucky to find out through my wife about a company that was possibly in need of a program manager. So I drove over to the company and was going to drop off my resume to HR and the General Manager took the time to meet with me and talk. He stated that they don’t have a position right now as their business is still down, but it always feels better to have the face to face contact at least. I plan on keeping in touch with him in the hopes that something will happen later at least.
I still shy away from networking at the thought of small talk and keeping a conversation going. I struggle with the balance between talking about me enough to sell myself, but not going away feeling all we did was talk about me – so I tend to spend most of the time asking about the other person and then going away wondering if they learned anything about me.
The concept of informational meetings is a new one, but I like the idea of bringing good questions so they at least learn that I was prepared and had some idea of what to ask.
Laura Navarro’s last blog post..Weekly status for 4-10
I know that I could do more face-to-face networking. Who couldn’t benefit from additional business contacts? So many of us are uncomfortable with the thought of networking – the more information we can get our hands on, the better. It’s hard to find that balance between talking too much about ourselves and completely focusing on the other person. But when you find the sweet spot, you’re golden and a valuable connection has been made.
Great review and summary of the book, Miriam!
Cindy Petersiel
Design Your Success Coaching
Cindy Petersiel’s last blog post..Procrastination: Taming the Project Beast