How to Network Without “Working”

Even those of us with the most outgoing and sparkly of personalities can dread the idea of networking.  Working a room, calling up contacts and fishing for opportunities while exchanging stacks of business cards can make even a seasoned sales person cringe.  How to avoid feeling like a phony?  Don’t wait until you need your network before you start getting your network into order.

We’ve all been there—a phone call or email from a distant past.  The polite opening chit chat followed by the hit-up for a favor, a reference, a job lead.  Inevitably, both parties are left feeling a little awkward but you can avoid this scenario and all that’s required is a little socializing along the way!

Taking Stock

Begin by taking stock of the people in your life and work on getting their contact details.  For work colleagues you would like to stay in touch with ‘after pharma’, make sure you have personal email addresses.  Remember that the company laptops with their convenient address books will have to go back eventually and you’ll need an alternative way of staying in touch with colleagues.  Same goes for reps from other companies.

If you’re meeting up at conferences or in the field, make sure the business cards you are handing out and receiving in return have a personal contact number or email.  One of you may be affected by job change and you’ll appreciate not having to go through others in your network to track these folks down.   When it comes to your personal contacts of friends and family, well, let’s hope you already have a way staying in touch!

Take Action and Reach Out

Next up requires actually taking a few minutes every day and reaching out to a couple of folks on your list.  Make a call, send an email or even get together for a quick catch-up.  Remember, these are people you actually like and want to stay in touch with so don’t think of it as another thing to be crossed off your ‘to do’ list.  Enjoy the process of finding out how people are doing and what’s new in their world.  A funny thing happens when you make a conversation about someone else, instead of yourself.  You often get more out of it anyway!

(For a great perspective on “Rules of Engagement”, check out Career Consultant Leesa Barne’s article).

Make Your Customers Work For You

Lastly, don’t forget your customers!  If you’re doing your job right, you’re probably already servicing the hell out of them but if you’re not, you’d better start.  They can be your biggest advocates in your future job search, especially if your plan is to stay in the industry or a related one.  The busy customers have multiple reps walking into their office every day and can connect you to opportunities.

What company wouldn’t look at a rep a key physician has put forward for a position?  Let your customers know that change is up ahead and find out if they’d be willing to write a letter of recommendation or act as a reference.  Again, a lot less awkward now while you’re still calling on them in a professional capacity than if you’ve disappeared for a while and left them wondering where you’ve been all this time.

Summary:

The best advice is to just be genuine, and be yourself.  If you need a little help getting started, check out some of the great resources available such as:  Networking for Dummies, and Let’s Connect:  A Practical Guide for Highly Effective Professional Networking. Get those connections going now and you’ll minimize the drama associated with the industry changes we’ll all be facing eventually.

Good luck!