Crank Up Your Career

Effective Networking: What’s Love Got to Do With It?

Wendy Terwelp Leave a comment

Tina Turner asked a great question, one to think about when choosing a new networking group or eliminating one from your current dance card.

Before joining a group, consider why you want to join. Is the purpose for business development? Professional development? Social?

And review the organizations you’re already involved in. Are you involved with a group because it’s fun or because its members generate business for you? Maybe a little of both.

If you’re focused on business development, have you looked at your personal referrals versus sales results from each of your networking memberships? You’ve only got so much time. Review your networking plan often. What’s working? What’s not? Who is sending you the most and/or best business? Show them some love and reward them.

Which business networking groups are producing revenue for you and which are not? How much time does membership in each group take? How often do they meet? How big is your personal commitment? If a group is not working for you, it’s OK to cancel your membership. However, it’s not OK to break ties with those members you enjoy most. Keep the love alive by regularly staying in touch. Personally, I find LinkedIn notifications a handy tool to keep up to date on what’s happening with those in my network. You can send a quick note, pick up the phone or schedule an in-person get together to hear the latest.

Does the group you’ve joined offer some great dance partners? People with whom you can create strategic alliances and refer business? Then it’s a keeper.

Having a hard time deciding which group to dump? Could be love. If you’re in a group just to have fun or brainstorm ideas, that’s OK. Know that “fun” is the purpose of this group. Don’t expect new business from it or get resentful when members don’t send referrals your way.

Review all your networking organizations and your individual connections. Identify your key contacts and how you plan to reach out to them at least 10 to 14 times per 12-month period. Emails, phone calls, and cards count as reaching out. Lesser contacts can be communicated with three to five times per 12-month period, according to marketing expert, Dan Kennedy.

And finally, if you’re staring at a business card like a phone number on an old paper napkin and you can’t remember who the person is, that person is no longer a viable contact. Remove them from your networking dance card. No love lost there.

© 2006 – 2018 • Wendy J. Terwelp • All Rights Reserved.

Wendy Terwelp is a recognized expert on networking, both online and off. Her networking and career advice is quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Fast Company, Inc., More, The Business Journal, Careerbuilders.com, Monster.com, NBC, ABC, FOX, and other media. Wendy works with organizations and leaders who want to rock their networks internally and externally to close more deals, improve employee engagement, and increase brand awareness. Book her for your next event: https://www.knocks.com/speaking/

Networking Got You Spooked?

Wendy Terwelp 1 Comment
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Have you seen this Ghost at your networking event?

Do you break into a cold sweat at the mere thought of attending a networking event?

Have you been left in the shadows, ghosted by those you hoped to connect with?

Are you haunted by the possibility of running into creepy characters like these lurking at your next networking gathering?

Here’s how to spot them and what to say with phrases that slay:

The Vampire: Charms all the contacts and advice right out of you – for free – providing no reciprocation.

Slayer: No pointy stick is needed. Instead, try this phrase: “Vlad, it’s a real pleasure meeting you. Let’s schedule a call to discuss what you’re looking for and how we can work together. What’s your email so I can send you my calendar link and you can book a call?”

The Zombie: This person doesn’t eat brains but wants to pick your brain. For free. “C’mon. Let’s go for coffee,” they say. And they keep returning for more free advice while you haven’t earned a dime.

Slayer: Neutralize the brain-picking requests with this killer phrasing, “Zelda, thanks so much for your request. I’d love to work with you. Let me send my scheduling link, and we can discuss your situation over the phone. That saves us both travel time and maximizes our time on the call.

At the end of our call, I’ll recommend the services that best address your situation and will help turn things around fast.”

Or “Thanks for asking, I’ve got a great blog post on that exact topic. What’s your email? I’ll send you the link.”

The Werewolf: His hair is perfect. You have a nice conversation. You exchange business cards.

The next day, you find you’re subscribed to his newsletter and have received several sales pitches from him via all your social media accounts.

Slayer: Your silver bullet: Unsubscribe. And block, if necessary. Sure, you can try to educate Warren on proper social media etiquette, but chances are this Werewolf has bitten before and likely won’t change.

The Mummy: This person is wrapped up in themselves and their department. They don’t want to share information for fear of being exposed and losing their job, client, or whatever else they deem most valuable. (Maybe it’s a red Swingline stapler.)

Slayer: You understand. You can build trust by reassuring Mummy that sharing a little piece of advice won’t jeopardize their career. Instead, it may be a career boost because they’ll have a new ally in another department. They can build on this connection, create cross-functional inroads, and get their job done faster. And you benefit because you’ve got fresh eyes on your work situation from an expert with a long history at the organization.

The Ghost: You were having a great conversation. You turn around and poof. They’ve vanished. No exit conversation. No, “Let’s get a call on the calendar.” And no contact info. They’ve simply vanished. “Who was that person? Why did they leave? What did I do?” you ask yourself.

Slayer: It might not be about you. It may be the Ghost’s modus operandi because they hate networking events. If, however, it is you, examine the conversation. Might you have accidentally shown a few symptoms from the Mummy, Werewolf, Zombie, or Vampire? If so, work on improving your networking prowess. Focus on building a business relationship and friendship before asking for a favor.

Before your next event, identify ways to help your network, such as making a personal introduction or sending a helpful link or resource.

Providing value first helps your network thrive, and you survive.

I know you’ll slay it at your next event.

Drop your networking horror—or slaying—story in the comments.

© 2017 | Wendy Terwelp | All rights reserved. | Updated 2024

Wendy Terwelp is an award-winning career expert and personal branding strategist who empowers leaders, directors, and high potentials to win promotions, salary increases, and new gigs. A sought-after speaker, Wendy works with organizations who want to smash silos, increase employee engagement, and eliminate people headaches. Book her for your next event: http://www.knocks.com/speaking/ 

Reputation = Currency

Wendy Terwelp Leave a comment

Rep = Currency

Enhancing your visibility and personal brand the right way can advance your career. Your personal brand is either by default or by design. A default brand is one that others assign to you. A default brand sounds like: Gertrude is always late. Herman doesn’t follow through on projects.

A well designed personal brand is one you choose for yourself; you control and manage your personal brand through your actions. How do you take control?

First, you’ve got to know where your brand currently stands. Google yourself. Are the search results you? Or someone with too similar a name? For those results that are you, do they reflect how you wish to be perceived today for your current career goals? If not, check out these tips.

To find out how you’re coming across at work, take a personal brand survey. Ask three people whose opinion you respect what three words come to mind when they think of you? What do they feel is one of your greatest strengths? Were the results what you expected? Do these results reflect how you wish to be perceived at work? If there were pleasant surprises, what can you capitalize on? (Check out Bob’s story.) If feedback was not what you’d hoped, what can you do to stand out and be a rock star at work?

Next, take action. What’s one thing you can do to enhance your brand this week?

Results: When I conducted my Stand Out be a Rock Star at Work! program at a young professionals organization, I got a call a few months later from the executive director.

“Wendy, I’ve got something to share with you,” she said and shared the following:

While visiting a client company’s site and a dynamic, polished woman walked up to her. She realized it was K*, a member of the young professionals organization.

“What’s with the new look?,” the executive director asked K.

K said, “It was Wendy’s personal branding workshop. When we did the branding exercise in Wendy’s class, people thought I was shy and quiet. That’s not me! I thought I had to be boring to fit in with my new corporate job.”

“This is me,” K said, grinning with confidence and pointing to her new haircut and sharp attire. “By being more ME, I’m on track for a promotion.”

A promotion also equates to higher visibility in the workplace along with a salary increase.

I love it when I hear success stories from an organizer about someone who attended my workshop. Had K not assessed how she was coming across, she wouldn’t have known to make the change. And she took action to transform her career by design, not default. You can too.

Coaching Challenge: Which of these actions will you complete in the next week?

Want to kick your brand up a notch? Let’s talk. 

*Name pseudonym.

© 1998 – 2016 Wendy Terwelp | All rights reserved.

 

Revealing Your Personal Power in the Workplace

Wendy Terwelp 4 Comments

Have you ever had promotion envy?

John got the promotion and the raise. You didn’t.

You work just as hard, if not harder. You have similar qualifications and training. You both worked on some of the same projects.

What the?

You may be a best-kept secret — to those who need to know more about you.

Discover these strategies to cultivate and demonstrate your personal power in the workplace:

1. Brand-Building Treasure Hunt:

You need to understand how you’re perceived in the workplace so that you can capitalize on the positive, identify the gaps, and improve your visibility.

  • Ask 5 people you trust to tell you what they think your three greatest professional strengths are, and then ask them what three to five words come to mind when they think of you.
  • Choose One Word that best represents you and create a story that demonstrates one of your greatest strengths using this word. This can become a powerful networking tool for you.

2. Develop a “Me File”

  • If you’re employed, track your achievements, kudos from your superiors, projects you’ve worked on, ideas you’ve brought to fruition, programs you’re proud of, employees you’ve developed into leadership roles, and more. This will aid you’re next performance evaluation, next promotion, or next career.
  • If you’re not currently employed and want to return to the workforce, track your volunteer achievements, leadership roles, fundraising events, and related activities. These can turn into valuable, marketable skills for your job search.

3. Get Paid What You’re Worth

  • Do your homework on your company.
  • Find out about your company’s competition.
  • Keep track of your achievements, projects, and other “outside the scope” of your job activity.
  • When documenting, be specific. List quantifiable results.
  • When the performance review is set, let your boss talk first.
  • Present your case diplomatically.
  • Don’t take maybe for an answer.
  • When given a time/date for the raise or “consideration” to kick in, follow up.

4. Acknowledge co-workers, customers, and others positively for their contributions.

  • Go deeper with your compliment, instead of “Great job!” Try, “Your enthusiasm and proactive solutions will be an excellent contribution to our project.”

5. Have solutions prepared BEFORE you talk to your boss about a problem.

6. In staff meetings, actively participate, take notes, listen closely, provide ideas or solutions, and ask questions. Be visible.

7. Build your personal brand and your internal networks.

  • Who needs to know about you? Communicate your value in a positive, authentic way.

8. Smile when you speak on the telephone so the caller can hear the enthusiasm in your voice.

9. Dress professionally and carry yourself with confidence. Even when working remotely!

10. Develop your own personal sound bite (a 30-second commercial about yourself and/or your business) to use when meeting new people or at networking events, conferences, or other social gatherings where people ask, “So, what do you do?”

11. Always communicate positively, powerfully, clearly, and concisely.

© 2002—2025 Wendy Terwelp | All rights reserved.

Top 10 Secrets to Turn Networking Pain to Career Gain

Wendy Terwelp 1 Comment

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It’s not what you know; it’s who you know that gets you hired or promoted. We’ve all heard this phrase so many times our ears are bleeding, right? Here are the facts: more than 70% of people land new jobs through networking. And, according to CareerXroads Source of Hire Study, 41% land through internal promotions or movement. With that in mind, here are 10 secrets to turn your networking pain into career gain:

  1. Know yourself and your personal brand: Are you hip, trendy, and cool? If you are, then the networking group you join should match your style and your attitude. Sure, you want to meet different types of people to successfully manage your career, but you also want them to “get you.” And you want them to be fun to work with, right?
  2. Know what you want: when you attend a networking event, what is it you want from the event? Contacts? Referrals? Ideas? Notice I didn’t say “job.” Unless of course you’re networking at a job fair. The goal for networking is to create relationships that can help you propel your career in the direction of your overall goals.
  3. Know what you bring to the table that no one else does– what makes you or your qualifications unique among your competitors? “I’m a people person” is not a unique skill set.
  4. Know your audience: who needs to know about you to help you reach your goals? Does this networking organization serve your audience? Does it have members who are your audience? If not, it’s probably not the group for you. What groups should you join? Join at least three types groups. 1) A peer group for brainstorming, education, commiserating, and more importantly for creating referral or alliance partners; 2) Prospects: a group that is your ideal target market or knows your ideal target market; 3) professional business group or leads group. Hiring decision-makers often Google your name before meeting with you. A professional organization can boost your online presence as they often have a membership listing on their website.
  5. Know that the more you give, the more you get. It’s not all about you. You’ve got to fuel your network to fire it up!™ How can you help your new contacts?
  6. Know how to start a conversation. Develop at least 3 open-ended questions you can ask a person in your new networking group. And it’s not: “Hey, know anyone who’s hiring?”
  7. If you’re shy, know that it’s A-OK to team up with a friend to attend events and meet new people. Networking becomes easier when you can introduce your friend first and then yourself when meeting new people.
  8. Know when a group’s a great fit for your career goals – and when it is not. When you think about writing off a group, you want to think about how profitable the group is for you. And I don’t necessarily mean in terms of revenue. With some groups you’ll know after the first meeting it’s not a good fit; others take time to gel. For example, if you’re active in the group and meeting the right people, it may be a good fit. The goal is not to collect business cards; the goal is to build relationships that grow with you, your career, and your business. It comes down to this, if you are not building relationships in the group, and you’re just going for the food, it’s not a good fit. Follow up on those business cards.
  9. Know that in order to make the most of a group you’ve got to take an active role. Networking is more than just showing up. Joining a networking group is a commitment.
  10.  Know that networking is simply having a conversation with friends. Following these steps takes away the pain for your career gain.

Keep in mind, networking is a two-way street. A good networker gives to their network, maintains their network, and builds a positive, ongoing business relationship. Enjoy building your network and taking your career to the next level.

© 1998 – 2015 • Wendy J. Terwelp • All rights reserved.
Wendy Terwelp is president of Opportunity Knocks™ of Wisconsin, LLC, a career management and personal branding firm that helps you get hired faster and be a rock star at work. Learn how to rebuild your network 5 minutes a day with Wendy’s book, Rock Your Network® .