Connecting with decision-makers is crucial for advancing your career, landing new opportunities, and building valuable relationships. But how do you reach out to them without being pushy, annoying, or intrusive? Here are some tips to help you network with the people who matter most in your field.
Before you start sending messages, emails, or invitations, you need to know who you want to connect with and why. Do some research on your industry, niche, or sector, and find out who are the key players, influencers, or experts. Then, narrow down your list to the ones who are most relevant, accessible, or aligned with your goals. Think about what value you can offer them, what problems you can solve, or what interests you share.
Multilevel communication might be of the most important. Contacting target on many levels builds trust and confidence. One of the opening questions is who from my organisation should talk to who in your organisation: president to president, director to director, operational experts to operational exxperts on apropriate technical level.
When targeting for any communication strategy make sure you built at least 1 buyer persona to understand who you are looking to reach. Identify the qualitative and quantitative attributes of your audience. Don't be afraid of built more that 1 buyer persona tied to different use cases of your product / service to align each buyer persona to a personalized message.
Connect with decision-makers on LinkedIn respectfully: personalize invitations, engage with their content, and join mutual groups. Send thoughtful messages, offer value, and respect their time. Attend networking events and seek warm introductions. Build credibility over time, prioritizing relationship-building. Avoid pushy sales tactics.
Join organizations that they attend. There is usually time before a meeting starts for introductions. Know ahead what the individual looks like and ask them an intelligent question.
Understand their role, interests, and challenges. This knowledge will help you approach them with relevant and valuable propositions, making your interaction more meaningful and less intrusive.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to cold-contact a decision-maker without any prior interaction or rapport. This can come across as spammy, desperate, or opportunistic, and may damage your reputation. Instead, you should try to warm up the connection by following them on social media, liking or commenting on their posts, joining their groups or communities, or attending their events or webinars. This way, you can show your genuine interest, appreciation, and engagement, and make yourself more familiar and memorable.
The fastest way to power isn't a direct message It's about weaving through their inner circle first. Build genuine relationships in the community to build your reputation and gain access through genuine networking. Example: 20+ connections with their trusted peers in the industry. Other tactics: - Show up in their comments & don't connect until you have a real interaction - Tell them why they're on the list, if you can't... you need to do more research or it will always feel spammy - Show up in influencers comments that they engage with to earn trust through association. - Earn introductions or referrals to start with trust from the first conversation
Following and engaging with potential connections content is a great way for them to become familiar with you but also support them as well. Finding out if they are presenting or leading any upcoming trainings, you could learn from them in their comfort zone and connect with them naturally after to continue the knowledge and discourse.
To warm up on social media, just follow and comment on their posts. I like the movie The Last Samurai. The scene where Tom Cruise and the Samurai Leader met in person for the first time. The leader was content with the first introduction. They know their name, and that is enough. While Tom Cruise was pushy and asked many questions. Be the Samurai Leader and take it slow.
I agree with the strategy of warming up the connection before reaching out to decision-makers. Cold-contacting can often backfire, so building rapport through social media engagement, event participation, or genuine interactions is essential. It demonstrates sincere interest and helps create a more favorable impression when you eventually make contact. Building relationships should be about authenticity and respect for their time and expertise.
To connect with decision-makers effectively without being pushy, follow these steps: Research: Understand their role and challenges. Leverage Network: Use mutual contacts or referrals. Provide Value: Offer solutions aligned with their needs. Personalize: Craft personalized messages. Be Clear: Explain your purpose and alignment. Share Success: Highlight relevant success stories. Follow Up: Politely follow up if no immediate response. Be Patient: Allow relationships to develop naturally. Demonstrate Expertise: Share knowledge and insights. Offer Value: Provide free consultations or workshops. Respect Decisions: Gracefully accept declines. Build genuine connections based on mutual respect and value, avoiding pushiness.
Once you have established some visibility and credibility, you can reach out to the decision-maker with a personalized message. This means avoiding generic templates, copy-pasting, or mass-mailing, and instead writing a customized, concise, and clear message that addresses their specific needs, challenges, or goals. You should also introduce yourself briefly, explain why you want to connect, and suggest a clear and realistic next step, such as a phone call, a meeting, or a referral. Don't forget to include a polite and friendly tone, and avoid being too salesy, pushy, or demanding.
The perfect message is invisible It's the art of crafting a message that continues the story they tell themselves so that it feels seamless. This is where your research, insights, and confirmation of their genuine interest come into play, all before introducing solutions or your brand. Our study revealed: - Executives responded 80% of the time to learning & development themes. - Shared passions garnered 15% engagement. - Pain-point based messaging? A mere 5%. Key takeaway? Timing is crucial. Address their 'why now' to truly captivate.
Reaching out with a personalized message after establishing visibility and credibility is key to making a positive impression. Avoid generic templates or mass-mailing; instead, craft a tailored, concise message that addresses the decision-maker's specific needs or goals. Introduce yourself briefly, explain your purpose for connecting, and suggest a clear next step, such as a call or meeting. Maintain a polite, friendly tone and steer clear of being overly salesy or pushy. Personalization shows genuine interest and respect, increasing the likelihood of a meaningful and productive response.
Make sure on your personal message you do not include any unrequested content like website, pdf, use cases. Wait for a formal response that actually invites you to send more information. Sharing unwanted media content immediately turns your message on an non-personalized one.
Si en ese mensaje personalizado has sido capaz de encontrar un vínculo, mucho mejor. Siempre decimos en nuestras clases que 'la información es poder', y encontrar puntos de conexión puede potenciar aún más ese poder
Once the person recognizes you, either by responding many times, sending you a DM or you met in person at an event, it is the right time to reach out. But also here - don't start with an ask right away or try to sell something. Provide value to them. I use invitations to my podcast as a speaker as a token of my respect. Or I send the link to my podcast conversation when I think the content can benefit the person. Each episode is about 2-3 days of work, well invested in building relationships first.
After you have sent your message, you should wait for a response, but not too long. If you don't hear back within a week or two, you can follow up with a gentle reminder, a relevant update, or a useful resource. However, you should avoid being persistent, annoying, or aggressive, and respect their time and boundaries. You should also focus on providing value, not asking for favors, and demonstrate how you can help them, not how they can help you.
In my view, the key to connecting with decision-makers is a thoughtful follow-up strategy. After reaching out, patience is essential, but a well-timed follow-up can be effective. It's crucial, however, to avoid being overly persistent or intrusive. Instead, offer value with each interaction, whether it's a helpful resource or an informative update. The focus should always be on how you can assist them, not just seeking their assistance in return. Respect for their time and boundaries should guide your approach.
One thing I find useful are technical intensify to address your pain. Not deep technical in one specific issue but some solutions connected involving others players. Point out how priorize the solutions with your business needs.
Si no has recibido respuesta en un tiempo prudencial, quizás sea interesante enviar un recordatorio por otra vía o herramienta. Todos tenemos alguna que preferimos o que nos resulta más conveniente usar."
Once you have connected with the decision-maker, you should aim to build a long-term relationship based on trust, respect, and mutual benefit. You can do this by staying in touch regularly, offering support or feedback, sharing insights or opportunities, or making introductions or recommendations. You should also seek to learn from them, ask for advice or guidance, or invite them to collaborate or mentor you. Remember that networking is not a one-time transaction, but a continuous process of giving and receiving.
In my view, building a lasting relationship with decision-makers is paramount. It goes beyond initial contact and hinges on trust and mutual benefit. Consistent communication, offering support, and sharing insights can nurture this bond. Additionally, seeking their wisdom and inviting collaboration demonstrate your commitment to the relationship. Networking should always be about sustained interaction, not just a single exchange of favors.
A good principle is to “build relationships when you can, and use them when you need” When the two come too close in time for comfort, people feel the outreach and thefirst ask, almost are part of the same process. Let new relations age a bit before you float an ask for a favor or a decision, introduction
Don't start in right away with what product/service you can give them to solve their problem. Instead, slow down and take the time to give them insights in to their industry/role, and ask them questions to gain a deep understanding of their current situation. Help them find challenges they didn't know they had. After taking the time to build this relationship, then you've earned the right to offer up your product/service that will help them fulfill their wants and needs.
ASK QUESTIONS. Building relationships is about trust. You cannot build trust if you are doing all the talking. So Pause. Ask your client questions and LISTEN to the response. Once you’ve built this initial contact of trust, FOLLOW THROUGH. Do what you say you are going to do. Underpromise, overdeliver. Continue to build trust in the execution. Relationships are about trust. If I don’t trust the person on the other end, I’m certainly not going to work with them.
Finally, you should be aware of some common pitfalls that can ruin your chances of connecting with decision-makers. These include being too vague, generic, or irrelevant in your message; being too self-centered, needy, or desperate in your approach; being too impatient, rude, or disrespectful in your communication; being too passive, timid, or fearful in your follow-up; and being too transactional, opportunistic, or selfish in your relationship. To increase your chances of connecting with decision-makers without being pushy and create meaningful and lasting connections that can boost your career and network, it is important to avoid these mistakes.
In my experience, cold messages like "we've helped other companies like yours with X, Y, and Z" never get answered. Instead, send them an insight or trend that is relevant to their role or industry and ask them if they are seeing the same. Use this cold opportunity to start a dialog with them.
Don't focus on sales. Focus on relationships. People don't buy from people they don't like. Focus on helping the person on the other end of the line instead of driving sales. When you undergo this mindset shift sales get a whole lot less awkward.
Take sales out of your head, meet people, a lot of people. Let them know you want to help. Listen to their needs and pain points. Do your best to help them. If you can't, take a few moments to see if someone you know can. Stay in touch no matter timeframes. Be a kind human, we all need a few in our lives.
In my experience - be concise, genuine and show that you have researched the decision maker and their organization. Be thoughtful in speaking about what they do, recognize what their organization does - so do the research and prepare. Intro yourself and shared common professionalism and how you may work together.
After the other person knows you and is responsive, it is time to place "The ask." Make sure that you ask for something that also benefits the other person. Happy networking.
Throughout my work career, I find one thing that will help me to get thru to the decission makers are DATA. Get prepared for the meet by gathering details and data for the meeting. Know your data. you need to be able to present and view point thru simple datas. Let them make the decisions. Show for the plus for making decision you pushing vs what the pitfall for the other decision.
One way to tie some of these topics together is to volunteer. That can involve meeting (whether in person or online), providing value, expanding one's network, deepening relationships (especially over time), broadening one's skill set, and having something tangible to show (e.g., written plan, online presence, a line to add to the resume). This can get the attention of decision-makers, either directly when they notice or indirectly when one of their connections notices.