Strategic Connections in Networking with Anne Baber

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

We talk a lot about job networking here on the podcast, but it is a job search impediment for so many job seekers. It is an essential tool in the 21st century to find business connections and job opportunities. Anne Baber is one of four authors of the new book, Strategic Connections: The New Face of Networking in a Collaborative World is my guest offers a different approach to networking. This conversation will provide pragmatic and proactive strategies to discover and deepen your career networking and your ability to increasing performance production.

Many thanks to the publicists at AMACOM Books for sending me a review copy and setting up the interview with Anne. This is a holistic perspective for your career trajectory, not just to find the next opportunity.

What do you like about networking? What do you dislike about it? I would love to hear or read your feedback.

I can entertain your feedback in three ways:

Call and leave a voicemail at 708.365.9822
Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message
Send email feedback to [email protected]

If you are a career professional who advise job seekers and adds feedback whether it’s advice or a differing opinion, I will include a link in future show notes and read your comments on an upcoming show. Just let me know if it’s OK with you.

Anne is the Principal of Contact Counts LLC and author of seven other books and an expert in business networking. Her firm has a worldwide reach of clients for the last 24 years.

Here are a some of the highlights of our discussion:

Anne stated that over the last 25 years of research through her firm shows that only 20% of people are “natural networkers.” They get. They don’t need any help. The rest of us need to study up on networking
Networking can be overwhelming, even for extroverts, who also needs to know how networking works
Anne offered this twist on a standard line we hear all of the time, “I was working for XYZ company, but THEY lost my job!” She says that you didn’t lose your job, and THEY (the company that laid you off) lost your job. Then this will open the door for you to focus on a specific talent, not on a broad set of skills.
Anne shares the six stages of relationships in networking you go through or create

Accident. You are not going to meet that person again unless you make it happen
Acquaintance. You meet this person through someone else. You can meet them again and find them
Associates. You can join a community or group. You can make them an active relationship if you are giving. It is likely that the person will look for ways to give back to you. Be ready to give
Actives. You exchange valuable information with this person. This is the person you want to have a great conversation
Advocates. They are ready to go out on the limb for you
Allies. They are ready and willing to help you because you have known them for a long time

Anne cautions that you ruin chances when you ask for things too soon. She suggests six meetings before trust is created. People must see your character and competence before trust is given

Job leads often come from people they know, so it’s not through the 1st person (one of the six) but the 2nd (one of the six’s contact)

If you want to subscribe to our iTunes feed, and if you enjoy the show, please write a review for us about this interview.

What questions would you have asked? What would you like to know? Let me know what you think?

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.