Expanding your business relationships

MBA 2015 Claire Hewitson

Agenda Networking

Informational Interviewing

Branding and Elevator Pitch

Alum experience of Networking in Denmark

Expanding business rela1onships

Exercise: Get into groups of 4 and outline:

1. Who is in your network?

2. How can you expand your network?

Informa1onal Interviewing A meeting in which a potential job seeker seeks to gather information

on a potential role, industry, and company

Provides an non-threatening forum" for discussion as the two sides learn about the other

Will help you start to develop your network if your network is minimal

in a specific industry/job function

Timeframe typically quite short (15 min) Phone/Face to face

How does informa1onal interviewing help in the job search process?

Informational Interviewing Steps 1. Outline your objective for informational interviewing 2. Identify people to interview

3. Initiate contact

4. Prepare for meeting

5. Conduct meeting

6. Follow up

1. Outline your objective Where are you in the process? What do you want to get out of your interactions

Understanding more about the industry, loca5on or role Understanding more about the company Wan5ng to write a winning applica5on Wan5ng to ace an interview

These will change as you move along the job search process

Ensure you have done your desk research first!

Exercise: 1. Currently, what is your objective to undertake an informational interview?

2. How will you identify the right people to

interview?

2. Using the Alumni LinkedIn Group to identify people

LinkedIn Dont invite someone without common ground

Personalise connection requests

Ask for introductions if you have a common connection

3. Initiate Contact How would you go about it? Email Introduce yourself Outline how you know them (particularly if someone has

introduced you or if you have a connection) Refer to something you know about them, their company or

industry through research Outline what you would like to speak to them about Suggest a time and medium (but be flexible) Be courteous Be formal to begin with

3. Initiate Contact Phone Introduce yourself Outline how you know them (particularly if someone has

introduced you or if you have a connection) Refer to something you know about them, their company or

industry through research Outline what you would like to speak to them about Ask them if they have time to speak or if you could arrange a

time Be courteous

Exercise: 1. Draft an email to a potential contact you

would approach for an informational interview

2. Share with your neighbour and give

feedback

What professionals say about informational interviews As a senior executive, I often receive invitations to meet for coffee from other senior executives or younger managers. I respond well to emails where people have taken the time to relate it to current challenges or successes in my company things they have researched, seen in the news or heard through the grapevine. Demonstrating awareness and interest is key to capture someones attention, and I am usually very open to meeting people to discuss key learnings from challenges or successes. Job-related emails should always be honest, thorough in their research, well-written and relevant.

SEVP, Head of Consumer & Group CMO at TDC

4. Prepare for meeting Outline your objective for meeting Draft an agenda for meeting Know who you are talking to Know their industry Know their company Have questions to ask them be specific Have your pitch about yourself prepared

5. Conduct meeting Be on time Take control of meeting you asked for it so dont make

the other person have to control the meeting Be curious Listen (and make notes)

How could you poten5ally help this person? Be aware of the other persons time Ask insightful questions Good questions at the end of the meeting:

May I contact you in a couple of months once if I have any more ques5ons?

Is there anyone else you could suggest I speak to? Thank them on the day

6. Follow up Always email and thank them for their time

Specifically stating something you got out of the meeting

If they give you a lead, always email them at a later date once you have followed that lead and let them know the outcome

If they have indicated that you can keep in contact schedule it in your diary so you dont forget

Record your meetings Target Industry: Open

Target Companies: Maersk, Novo Nordisk, Lego, Danfoss, Cube PR, Coloplast

Target Role: Communica5ons

* Please note the red text is just an example

People that you would like to connect with Title/Company Company Industry How do you know them?

Emailed/Called

Responded Y/N Mee1ng Date Further ac1ons Link to Interview Template

Jannik Nielsen Communica5ons Execu5ve Novo Nordisk Alumni Called Y 13/4/15 Suggested I speak to Jacinta Mar5n from Jannik Nielsen

Jacinta Mar5n Communica5ons Manager Leo Pharma Aquaintence of Jannik Mar5n Emailed N Will follow up in 2 weeks 5me - 15/6/15 #N/A

Anna Milton Communica5ons Director Coloplast Met them at an event Emailed Y 12/4/15 Will follow up in 3 weeks Anna Milton

Jakob Sails Communica5ons Manager Maersk Is in the same basketball team Y 11/3/14 Followed up Jakob Sails

#N/A

#N/A

#N/A

#N/A

What is your brand?

Define your offering Who are you? What is it that you do specifically? What job/career/industry interests you and why? What makes you special and unique? What solutions do you bring to the table? What do you have that is interesting to the other person or group?

Build your elevator pitch Your personal pitch is a personal statement that clearly communicates what you do and how others can benefit. It gives enough information that is likely to rouse their curiosity and pre-empt further discussion.

Exercise: 1. Deliver your one minute elevator pitch to

your partner.

2. Can they summarise your pitch?

3. Did they summarise the things you wanted them to hear?

Networking at an event How to make yourself known to someone when they have a

huge crowd around them?

You want to meet the representative from a company, how do you start talking to them?

How do you join a conversation?

What do you do if you have been talking to someone for ages and you now want to move on?

What recruiters say about networking You can learn a lot about an industry, company or role by speaking to someone from the company. You can then use this throughout the application to make yourself stand out Hiring Manager, Novo Nordisk Treat contacts as you would friends and build a genuine relationship. These contacts won't turn into a job right away, but using these contacts to build a network is so important for many different reasons Mentor, Copenhagen Mentoring Programme