3 Simple Ways to Network With the Most Powerful People

Networking is never truly fun, but it's vital to your career. Some people are natural at it, while others struggle.

When I first graduated from college, networking meant going to conferences or cocktail parties with a name card stuck to your lapel and engaging in awkward conversations. It feels so 1990s, but it's still the way many of us do it, and it's not effective.

True networking is a much more organic experience. I've learned through the years how very powerful people network. If you're trying to get a powerful person to talk to you, the usual methods—e.g., cold calling or emailing an intro—almost never work. The fact of the matter is that these people are just too busy. They field hundreds of phone calls and emails a day, and the last thing they have time for is a generic correspondence from someone they don't know.

Instead, think of how to make yourself someone they would want to connect with. A great Harvard Business Review piece likens effective networking to "inbound marketing." Like the best marketers, the HBR piece suggests, you should aim to generate interest from outsiders so that they seek you out.

Here are three time-tested ways to do just that:

1. Create a brand that you're known for. I've talked before about creating a "book" about you. What is it that people immediately think of when your name comes to mind? If you're the problem solver, build on that brand. If you're the genius marketer, build on that, too, and become known for it. Once you have carved that niche, you can bring much more to the table in any situation than if you're just a generalist. Before long, powerful people who need help will seek you out, or you'll become the person others refer to for special situations.
2. Turn from powerless to powerful yourself. Serial entrepreneur Kevin Ryan gave me a light-bulb moment during an episode of our Radiate podcast. Ryan goes into pitch meetings with the mindset that, rather than asking for money, he's offering investors an opportunity to make money with him. That little change in mindset is all you need to go from hat-in-hand beggar to warrior. Some ways to get yourself in that mindset include hosting dinners where you invite powerful people to connect; writing articles that turn you into an expert; and even, if you have some cash to invest, becoming an angel investor so that people turn to you for help and advice.
3. Make yourself interesting and memorable. When successful people get together, they almost never talk about business. They prefer to discuss politics, sports, pop culture, and whatever else excites them. A lot of successful people have hobbies or interests like golf, wine, and sports; a classic example is Warren Buffett and his love of bridge. I guarantee that your being a great bridge player would get Buffett's attention far faster than your being a smart investor. Think of how you can expand your knowledge and areas of interest to make yourself much more memorable when people meet you.

Sometimes, though, despite your best efforts, you'll get turned down by the CEO or VC you're angling to work with. Maybe you'll even have to reject someone yourself! Whether you're staring down the barrel of a hard "no," or contemplating delivering one to someone else, you might like my chat about humane rejection with investor Alan Patricof for Radiate.

So, LinkedIn readers, what are your tried-and-true networking tips? How do you make yourself irresistible to powerful people?

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