Your outreach Document!

Whether we are looking for employment or new business, we should all have an "Outreach Document" in our briefcases.

Sample question: "Do you know of any opportunities for me?"

Reaction: "Uhhh...sorry"

Better question: "Can you take a look at this list and see if you know anyone from any of these companies?"

Reaction: "Let me look at your list...OK...my cousin works at this company, my wife's boss used to work at this one and I actually golfed with the CFO from this company last month - I had a great time, although he beat me by 5 strokes!"

Dorothea Schramm and Dave Freeman (both marketing whizzes) are responsible for me being able to offer this Outreach Document for you to use. I have left it in Word format so you can customize it and carry it with you! Thanks Dorothea and Dave. To get you have to give and you both have given generously.

Why doesn't anyone return my email? An article in today's Globe and Mail

...a new survey which found that 80 per cent of U.S. executives believe they receive too much regular communication every day from both internal and external sources. To cope, they are increasingly looking for ways to filter out non-essential e-mails, voicemail, memos and messages, according to the survey of 237 senior executives and managers....*

Remember to: Pass the POI. People respond best to People, then Objects, then Ideas. No email will ever be as effective as your personality in selling yourself or your product. A warm referral is better than the most effective email.

Want to read the article? Go to www.globeandmail.com and search for "Is anyone really listening?"

An email from a nice person - and my response

Dear Dave,

My friend, [________ _____] spoke very highly of you and suggested that I contact you. I'm finishing my PhD in pharmacokinetics, and I'm starting my job search. I was wondering if you could give me some names of specific people in the PK/PD field that I could contact? I'm hoping to be able to work in the GTA, but anything, anywhere in Canada would be of tremendous help!

Thanks very much,
__________

Dear ________,

Thanks for your email - I'd be delighted to help you but first, may I ask a favour? Please go to my blog site and read through the postings - starting in March 2006. http://davehowlett.blogspot.com/ They outline my way of helping people (e.g. I can't get you a job, just an introduction, I also can't introduce you to someone unless I know what company you want an introduction to).

I'm afraid I don't know a lot about PK/PD but do have a lot of connections with many different companies in many different industries.

You may also consider coming to one of our huge networking nights this Fall in Hamilton, Waterloo and Toronto (see below). You'll have fun, learn a lot about networking and meet some great people! If you can't make it, I am producing a DVD based on the last 2.5 hour evening - let me know if you want to get one.

And please me know when you've finished your homework!

Cheers,

Dave

Networking Tip of the Week at http://davehowlett.blogspot.com/

Hamilton
Knocking down Silos Networking Night - benefits "McMaster Bread Bin"
September 26, 2006
To register: http://www.mcmaster.ca/ua/alumni/students/
events.cfm#knocking_down_silos

Waterloo
Knocking down Silos Networking Night - benefits "Sunshine Dreams for Kids"
October 3, 2006
To register: http://www.sbsa.uwaterloo.ca/kds

Toronto
Knocking down Silos Networking Night
November 2, 2006 - save the date!

What goes around - comes around.

Dave talks about going outside your comfort zone. The other day, I pulled a "Dave Howlett" and talked to a stranger...something I had never done before.
I am a senior claims adjuster with over 20 years in the insurance industry.
In 2003, I was transferred from Ottawa to Mississauga and looking for ways to meet people in our Oakville community. I had taken some running classes with the Running Room in Ottawa and thought I could meet some runners through the local Running Room store, but it's not easy to make new friends and I ran alone most of the time.

One Sunday a large group of joggers came up behind me and the next thing I knew, this smiling guy was chatting with me. We discovered we had both lived in Ottawa and discussed places and people we knew. He invited me to run with his group, later I discovered that he was teaching the marathon clinic at the store. It's been 2 years since then, I am on my 5th clinic, one of the group leaders and we have made terrific friends in the Oakville community.

So now I get to "pay it forward" - watch out if you are jogging on your own!

To get, you have to give...how about the gift of a smile?

Another way of keeping in touch with people (and keep on their radar screen) is something many of us do instinctively ...we send them a joke or a small movie to make them smile. They send this on in turn to friends and family.

Just like everything else though, it has to be personal and applicable. Sending one to a person with a brief header telling them you were thinking of them and that the attachment might cheer up their day...can be very powerful.

Need an example? Go to http://www.geocities.com/dhowlett2004/mypage.html ... listen to the little song about a cubicle. Save it on your computer. Then think about who you can send it to (someone who works in an office?) This way, when you contact them later, you have something to chuckle over...and you gave them the gift of a smile.

I was wondering if you could help a friend?

Dear Dave,

I have a connection favour to ask...Attached is a resume from a friend of mine who is looking for employment..she is a hardworking and decent person who is truly in need of employment..any employment after the ending of a personal partnership and the resulting turmoil that creates. I offered to email you. I understand if you are not able to assist her with the "famous five" connection you are infamous for! She has a varied background but would love to work for...

Signed Helpful Friend

Dear Friend,

It's great to hear from you! Can you ask your friend to contact me directly please? Between you and me, I have stopped doing a lot of networking for 3rd parties. I have found much gets lost in the translation and sometimes the enthusiasm comes from the middle party, not the person who needs the opportunity or job. (I really see this with parents of kids looking for employment.)

Besides, networking takes courage and the easiest first step is to call someone who is offering to help you. That’s actually my first filter and you would be surprised how many times I never get a call from the person who needed the help (it happened 3 times last month).

I know you understand this type of thing and compliments to you again for your generosity in helping people. Tell her to please contact me with her "wish list" and we'll put the wheels in motion!

Dave

PS Please tell your friend that I’m doing more Knocking Down Silo events this Fall – details are at www.davehowlett.com

Wearing a pin - trying to practice what I preach

People look for points of commonality with you. Where you came from. The school your kids go to. Whether you own cats or dogs. Even the pin you wear on your suit gives people an opportunity to find out what you do for fun on weekends. That invites conversation and relationship-building.

My wife and I just completed another Ironman competition (you can find our story by clicking on the marathon site at http://www.geocities.com/dhowlett2004/running.html)

And of course....I bought a pin!

Paying it Forward

Dave, Thanks to you, B's assistant got in touch with me, on instructions from B and asked me to send my resume. In line with your coaching, I sent her an email with my resume asking her as to the career opportunities for someone with my background! I’ll let you know what happens. Cheers.

Warm Regards
MA

Dear MA,

That's great to hear- good luck! BTW - B is a runner training for a marathon, so when you send him a thank you card, you can wish him the best on his upcoming race; or you can even pick out a card with a sailboat on the cover as I'm sure he will appreciate the reference to his Catalina sailboat story. (it's all about get people to remember you and like you).

Thanks for keeping me informed.

Dave

Dear Dave

I deeply appreciate you coaching me on these things; absolutely precious and while I am 100% genuine, the semantics are different. I’ve never been good at this card thing but I am learning from the best. Mighty thanks. Should I send him a card before he talks to me or after?

Warm Regards
MA

Dear MA,

You can send him the card after - remember the purpose of the card is to thank someone for something they did for you (in this case, their time, their advice, their referral to someone else). I have a good friend, Adi Treasurywala, who says in his culture, if someone helps you, a thank is best expressed by helping someone else and using their name in the process. I really like that as well ; it's a "pay it forward" philosphy.

In fact, I just did it by helping you and using Adi's name in the process.

From the 10,000 pile and put into the 300 pile

Building great word of mouth and developing a network can "scoot your file to the top of the pile"

That file could be your resume. But sometimes it's a business plan and a request for funding from a venture capitalist:

Here is a great article by David Robinson of "The Buffalo News"http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/
20060709/1043924.asp
Check out especially the last paragraph.

2 cards a week - for the rest of your life

Make sure the card says "Thank You" on the front.

Sincere: mean what you say
Specific: tell them exactly what you are thanking them for
Succinct: keep your thoughts direct and your handwriting legible
Summarize: include your address and email


We don't accomplish anything in this world alone ... and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one's life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something.
-Sandra Day O'Connor, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice

Got your prospect list?

Dear Dave,

There is nothing I would like better than to find an entry level IT position which will allow me to develop my software development/systems analysis skills in the banking/consulting/software industries. Any chance you can help me in my search?

Signed, Searching

Dear Searching,

During your job search, do you have a list of companies you are looking for entry to? A prospect list? Banking/consulting/software is too general for someone like me (and most other people) and unless you know of a specific position available, I can't help you too much. A lot of my conversations with job seekers go like this:

Could you please help me with some assistance?"

"Sure! How can I help?"

"I'm looking for employment?"

"I'm afraid that's too general for me, please be more specific."

"I'm looking for a position in marketing."

"I'm afraid that's still too general, please be more specific."

"I'm looking for a job in the pharma sector in marketing."

"Still too general, what company?"

"I don't know."

"Toronto based? Ontario based? Large company? Small company? Private? Public? Generic? Brand?"

"I don't know."

"That's OK, but you are making me (and other people) work too much on your behalf. Pick 5 companies to start with, write them down and start showing them to friends and family. Ask if they know anyone who works there and could you have a conversation with them? Most people response very well to this.

"But who do I know they are the right companies to work for?"

"This isn't a job interview, it's an informational interview. They may reveal this is NOT a company you want to work for. Often these talks result in the person telling you about another company in their industry with another opening. You just have to start getting in front of people and quit just being a resume."

e.g.

Could you please help me with some assistance?"

"Sure! How can I help?"

"Do you know anyone who works at GSK, Pfizer, Altana, Roche or Medical Futures?"

"Sure, I know folks who work in all those companies."

"I'm looking for a job in the pharma sector in marketing; any chance I could chat with one of them and get an informational interview for 5 minutes, or maybe a chnce for a face to face?

"Sure, don't send me your resume, just a one-paragraph outline listing your degree and experience and what you are looking for . I'll send it over to them and I'm certain they would be happy to take your call."

THEN,

1. Use this script:

"Hello, Dr. Brown? My name is Dave Howlett. I am looking to acquire some information into [their industry]; Susan Smith recommended you as someone having insights in this industry and into some opportunities where someone of my background and education could have a fit. I would really love the opportunity to meet with you."

(This gives you an introduction though an associate, it compliments them as an industry expert and accomplishes the purpose of having a meeting with them. Many positions in companies are unadvertised and something may be available. )

Don't forget:

- respect their time - they are busy people.
- make sure you have done research on their company and can speak about their successes and challenges (use news.google.com)
- ask the person you are talking to how you can help them in turn? (just offer it, people are charmed and complimented when you do)
- send them a thank you card (not just an email)
- let the original person who gave you the contact know how the conversation went.
- remember they will open door for you as a person (not as a resume) if they think you will make them look good and not embarrass them in front of others. Be nice, brush your teeth, polish your shoes, be courteous.

I hope this helps!

Keep track of all your Contacts and Leads

Dear Dave. Hope you are well. I'm starting to realize that my methodology for tracking, archiving, and storing contacts is somewhat limited. I'm just using excel spreadsheets (and my brain); but am reaching capacity :-). I thought I'd ask the expert... Do you a certain piece of software to keep track of contacts etc..?

Signed, K.

Dear K,

Yes, there is a Free edition of Salesforce at http://www.salesforce.com/products/personal.jsp This is a business development tool offered by Salesforce in the hope that this "viral marketing" will get their product into companies. I've used SF for years. It's a follow-you CRM that you can access anywhere (no software) and customize to your needs. Take some time and go through the tutorials as the important thing is to make sure you have the correct fields set up (garbage in- garbage out). They also have a great Stay in Touch feature you can send to people to allow them to update their information. You can also generate pipelines and appointments when and how to keep in touch!

Word of Mouth - Your reputation matters

Some of you who have attended my "Knocking Down Silos" seminars know that I ask you to write down what you want people to say about you when you are not in the room. In reality, you are writing your own epitaph.

Last week, I was in Vancouver presenting to the Canadian Society of Association Executives and talked about this concept. Tamera Olsen of MBABC related the poignant story of her mother-in-law who is adamant that her tombstone will NOT read: "I kept a clean house."

I thought that was terrific, then Angela Hold of CUFABC chipped in. The inscription Angela wants on her tombstone?

"If you can read this...you're not crying hard enough."

How do you keep in touch so they don't forget about you?

1. Set up a Google Alert to send you information that they would find interesting
2. Send them an email that a) tells them you were thinking about them b) gives them something of value c) refers to something about them as a person. Keep it short.

Lyndsey knows how to do it well!

-------------------------------

Hi Dave,

I'm in Edmonton right now for a Pharmacy conference, and do not have your regular email address. I was checking my email, and came across an article on networking - and obviously thought of you!

It's mostly what you explained to us during our cycle meeting, but I thought it might still be of interest to you. It can be found at http://www.wwwork.com/corporate/news/
ready_set_hired.asp#FeaturedArticle.

How's the training going? I'm loving this hot weather lately - I find it great for motivating me to get out there and run more often!

LM

There's Millions of Dollars in being "a good guy"

(overheard by a US Venture Capitalist at BioFinance 2006, in Toronto , Canada)

"Your personality determines whether I invest in your company. Your science determines how much I invest."

Want good word of mouth: Just be Convenient

Be convenient. Which phone call would YOU return?

"Hi - umm, this is Steve, I got your business card last week and you said I should call you this week to talk. Maybe I'll call back later.
Thanks."

"Hi, this is Steve Ong, it's 9:30 Monday morning. You and I met last week at the BioFinance seminar. I was the gentleman who went to Queens University as well; you and I also talked about John Daley's career as a golfer. Robert, you had asked me to call you this week about some opportunities with your company. My number is ____ - __________ . I'll be in this morning and out this afternoon. If you do get my voicemail, please leave a good time for you and I'll call you back then. I appreciate the chance to touch base with you Robert, again, it's Steve Ong, my number is ____ - __________. Have a great day."

Conversation Starter

Dear Dave,

I have been trying to network the past couple of weeks and now I have accumulated a lot of phone numbers. However, I am not sure how to call these people and start up a conversation regarding a possible job opportunity. Do you have any advice?

N.

Dear N,

Two weeks of networking should have gotten you a lot more than just phone numbers. If you met them already at a function or seminar, you should know:

- what their greatest challenge is
- what they like about their job
- what they do for fun on weekends

Use any of these to touch base again with this individual and bridge the gap to positioning you as a solution to their needs.

If all you have is a name and a phone number, do you have a name of the person who gave you the number? If so, try this:

"Hello, Dr. Brown? My name is Dave Howlett. I am looking to acquire some information into [their industry]; Susan Smith recommended you as someone having insights in this industry and into some opportunities where someone of my background and education could have a fit. I would really love the opportunity to speak with you for a few minutes."

If people upset you

Ever get frustrated or upset with certain people? They don't return your calls or emails and you assume this is because:

- you may have done something wrong to upset
or anger them
- they don't like or respect you
- they think they are better than you.

Whenever I feel this way, I think back to the wise words of my friend Pastor Joe Paluschak (he provided counselling to the rescue workers during 911 at the World Trade Towers).

"You would care less about what other people thought about you, if you knew just how little time they spent thinking about you."

To get you have to give

Oscar sent me a great email on Guy Kawasaki's blogsite on entrepreneurship and networking (see below in comments)

If you cruise through Guy's blog, you'll see oodles of hints, tips and links to other great people and resources.

If you want great word of mouth, be generous in your mentorship and your connections. Watch the hits on Guy's blogsite and you'll see he attracts huge success with his largesse.

Another example of this generosity is the assistance I've received from an Ellusive Fish. Rob shot me an email after he reviewed WOMBLOG and gave me some suggestions on linking.

Hide your knowledge and release it only when the purchase order is written, you'll be one of the crowd.

Share your wisdom and you'll gain that most valued description: "he's a good guy" or
"she's a nice person"

WOMBAT: it's not always about the product

[an actual email received by an associate of mine]

Dear _____________,

Today, I received your thank-you card. Thank you for this extremely kind behaviour which is very rare to find in this decade and in this continent. As I mentioned in my previous e-mail, I am also looking forward to cooperate with yourself and develop more business.

Signed

[senior executive from _________with previous experience in Europe and the Middle East. ]