What does it take to build a "Dream Network?"
A LadyDrinks Fireside Chat with
Author and Expert Kelly Hoey
Thursday November 14th, Author and expert Kelly Hoey and I engaged in a fireside chat at Seabird Restaurant in Manhattan about building the dream network for your ultimate goal.
As LadyDrinks is largely a group of women with businesses seeking clients for their product or service, my questions focused on:
- HOW TO GET CLIENTS
- HOW TO GET PRESS
HOW TO GET CLIENTS
Networking is about generosity and trust.
- One of the ways you engender trust is by retweeting, liking, reposting and pinning content from your fellow female colleagues.
- Subscribe to their blogs.
- Subscribe to their newsletters
Establish yourself as an expert. The question isn’t “Who do you know?” The better question is “It’s WHO knows what you know?”
- What do you do better than anyone? Your skills and your expertise need an audience.
- Publish thought leadership on this on a blog, on LinkedIn. Consider microblogging on Instagram
- Is this opportunity aligned with my goal?
- By going, does it add value to the attendees and does it add value to me?
- Does the opportunity expand my network and or strengthen existing relationships?
BE NETWORK MINDED
- Listen
- Provide information
- Share resources/ become a resource
- Share influence
- Be specific in your ask
- Do your homework before you approach someone and find out what is important to them
- When you join a network, you get out of it what you put into it
- Communicate with intention to add value
WHEN BUILDING COMMUNITY
- Surround yourself with people who give one another equal value and are inspired to do something together
- Be thoughtful in building up your community. Fill it with people who allow one another to see bigger versions of themselves
- Create kitchen table moments for people to collaborate and engage
ENGAGE ON TWITTER
- Become really engaged on Twitter, 99 percent of the media coverage Kelly got was through engaging on the social media platform. It’s also how she got 80 percent of her job opportunities.
- As a reader, you make ‘lists.’ Gather insights and market intelligence about your vertical.
- When tweeting be consistent in your messages content
- Tweet comments or questions to professionals in your industry
- Tweet at least 5 x a week
- Live tweet panelists including their handles
- Be generous. 90 percent of Kelly’s messages are articles and projects by other people, collaborating and elevating each other are very important
- Use it to create ‘water cooler’ moments
ENGAGE ON LINKEDIN
- Provide context
- Uses summary box to let people know about upcoming speaking gigs and events
- Connect the dots between your goals and how your network can help you
- Look at your goals. Look at your network. What is missing. What do you need to start doing today?
SOCIAL MEDIA IN GENERAL
Use social media to reach out on birthdays, shoot random notes, schedule one on one time with key relationships. Direct engagement is so key. Targeted emails, phone calls and notes are important.
