Building relationships with people in positions of power can be a valuable skill for advancing your social impact career. Whether you want to influence decision-makers, secure funding, or gain visibility, you need to know how to connect with influential people and make a positive impression. Here are some tips on how to build relationships with people in positions of power.
Before you reach out to someone in a position of power, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve from the relationship. Do you want to learn from their expertise, pitch them an idea, or ask for their support? Having a specific and realistic goal will help you tailor your communication and avoid wasting their time. It will also help you measure your progress and evaluate your results.
To cultivate impactful relationships with individuals in positions of power as a business strategist, employ targeted tactics such as aligning interactions with their objectives, confidently presenting growth-driven strategies, assertively tailoring communication, engaging in events for proactive collaboration, demonstrating reliability and transparency, highlighting problem-solving skills, sharing insights to establish thought leadership, recognizing personal interests for genuine connections, adaptively adjusting communication style, and confidently presenting strategies aligned with long-term success.
Being on social means that you have to build your social strategy based on your goals. Those should be clear anyway when you build your business plan and account plan. They will help you to create your brand through your Linkedin profile. How do you want to be seen? What is your expertise? What is your personality? What value do you create for customers? This has to be ready before you reach out to someone. He might want to see who you are and that has to be ready. Make it all about him. Show that you have understood his market, his own goals. Don't tell to too much. Keep the mystery. If what you said rings his bell, he will ask questions and the conversation will start.
Each one comes from their individual perspectives created based on their experiences. Knowing this can help you factor the "How" they can help you. Once you have this information, it is possible to create a "What" you want from this connect. The most important element here is the "Why". And this clarity is required before you approach them. What is that you wish to achieve and Why should they help you, must be the storyline that you build.
Once you have identified your goal, you need to do some background research on the person you want to connect with. Find out what they are passionate about, what their challenges are, and what their goals are. This will help you understand their perspective, interests, and needs, and find common ground. You can use various sources of information, such as their website, social media, publications, or mutual contacts.
I heard very often that sales must do their homework such as knowing the industry of their customers, understanding the trends, finding the key of their success. How can you bring value to them if you don't have all those data. This listening should be a daily task. Social media can drive you to many content where you will find compelling insights to be used. They will hear you if you are Useful, insightful, educational.
The next step is to initiate contact with the person in a position of power. You can use different channels, such as email, phone, or social media, depending on the context and the level of formality. However, regardless of the medium, you need to make sure that your message is concise, respectful, and relevant. You need to explain who you are, why you are reaching out, and what value you can offer them. You also need to include a clear and specific call to action, such as requesting a meeting, a feedback, or a referral.
If you speak to someone, you don't know, the fisrt sentences are decisive. It will determine if he will continue to read your message or listen to you. So I would start directly with the value you can bring to an identified objective you know that person has. This will help to fish his attention. At that time the product or solution you are selling is not important. The person needs to think that grace to you she will be successful and maybe promoted. The how will come later during the sales process.
After you have made the first contact, you need to follow up and follow through with the person in a position of power. You need to thank them for their time and attention, reiterate your value proposition, and remind them of your call to action. You also need to keep them updated on your progress and achievements, and show them that you are reliable and trustworthy. You can use various tools, such as email, phone, or social media, to stay in touch and maintain the relationship.
One of the most important aspects of building relationships with people in positions of power is to be respectful and authentic. You need to respect their time, boundaries, and preferences, and avoid being pushy, needy, or demanding. You also need to be authentic and genuine, and avoid being fake, manipulative, or opportunistic. You need to show them that you care about them as a person, not just as a means to an end. You can do this by expressing appreciation, curiosity, and empathy, and by sharing your stories, values, and passions.
The final tip on how to build relationships with people in positions of power is to seek mutual benefit. You need to demonstrate that you are not only interested in what they can do for you, but also in what you can do for them. You need to find ways to add value to their work, their goals, or their causes, and to offer your support, feedback, or collaboration. You also need to look for opportunities to introduce them to other people or resources that can help them. By seeking mutual benefit, you can create a win-win situation and a lasting relationship.
Finding an added value from your end might not be easy. Sometimes, an idea can be enough - simply sharing the same values, showing that you care about the same thing or burn for the same cause. It might earn you more respect and show how you bring value to the table rather than finding something specific you can do for the person, but so do many others, too. People will likely not recall your proposal, but they often remember, how they felt about you. And their benefit just might happen to be a pleasant conversation about their favourite topic they shared with you.