What do you do if your professional network in the Environmental Consulting industry is weak?

1 Identify your goals

Before you start reaching out to potential contacts, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your network. Do you want to find new clients, collaborators, mentors, or peers? Do you want to learn new skills, explore new opportunities, or gain insights into the industry trends? Having specific and realistic goals will help you focus your efforts and tailor your messages to the right people.

2 Research your target market

Once you have defined your goals, you need to research your target market and identify the key players, organizations, events, and platforms that are relevant to your niche and interests. You can use online tools such as LinkedIn, Google, or industry-specific websites and directories to find and follow potential contacts, groups, and publications. You can also look for local, regional, or national associations, conferences, workshops, and webinars that cater to environmental consultants and related fields.

3 Engage with value

The next step is to engage with your target market and offer value to your contacts. You can do this by sharing useful content, commenting on posts, asking questions, answering queries, giving feedback, or offering referrals. The key is to be genuine, respectful, and helpful, and to avoid spamming, pitching, or selling. You want to establish yourself as a credible, knowledgeable, and friendly professional who can add value to the network.

4 Build relationships

Networking is not a one-time event, but a long-term process of building and nurturing relationships. You need to follow up with your contacts regularly and keep in touch with them through various channels, such as email, phone, social media, or face-to-face meetings. You also need to show interest in their work, challenges, and achievements, and provide support, advice, or recognition when appropriate. You want to create rapport, trust, and mutual benefit with your contacts, and make them feel valued and appreciated.

5 Expand your horizons

Finally, you need to expand your horizons and look for new ways to grow your network and diversify your connections. You can do this by joining new groups, attending new events, volunteering for causes, or taking on new projects that expose you to different people, perspectives, and opportunities. You can also ask your existing contacts for introductions, referrals, or recommendations to expand your reach and access new networks. You want to be open-minded, curious, and proactive in seeking and creating new networking opportunities.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?