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33 views9 pages

Example Document For Health-Based Content Campaign

This is a draft document used as a sample in the preparation of content planning for health based content and materials.

Uploaded by

fvandenburg
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Managing Yourself

What to Say When You’re Reaching Out to


Someone on LinkedIn
by Kristi DePaul
November 02, 2020

If networking isn’t at the top of your to-do list, it should be — unless


you’re Beyoncé.

For those of us who aren’t Queen Bey, cultivating your network


offers many benefits: greater learning opportunities, broader career
prospects, access to leaders’ insights, and more immediate job
options, among others.

But what previously took place face-to-face in local meetups, alumni


gatherings, industry conferences, and happy hours is now largely
confined to video due to the global pandemic. Still, effective
networking online is key for young people seeking their next role —
possibly a remote job, given broader industry trends and permanent
WFH announcements from major companies like Facebook and
Twitter.

LinkedIn may be your best shot at expanding your network while so


many people are WFH. Sure, it may lack the light-hearted user
experience of other social platforms, but it offers the opportunity to
track trends, make meaningful connections, and maintain a curated
digital resume that recruiters and potential employers can easily
access and review. The problem is, while LinkedIn shows promise for
early career professionals too, few are using it well — especially
when it comes to outreach.

If you’ve been hesitant to reach out to people on LinkedIn, or if


you’ve been reaching out and not hearing back, there are strategies
you can use to increase your chances. But first, let’s look at some
common mistakes you might be making:

 You don’t know what you want.Have you thought about


why you’re reaching out to someone? Are you seeking more
information about a role or company? A relationship that can
grow? Or a lifeline to a potential future mentor or employer?
 You’re putting your own needs first. Don’t be self-serving.
No one will respond to “It would be good to connect with you,”
unless they know what’s in it for them.
 Your messages are weak. Being specific and sensitive is
especially important in 2020, a year of upheaval and loss on
many levels. Generic, non-personalized messages have a low
probability of success. As entrepreneur Larry Kim has said:
“What are the 11 most boring words in the English language?
“I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.”
 You’re using an awkward tone.Sometimes even the best
messages will be met with silence or ghosting. Still, many
continue to approach total strangers in ways they’d never dare
in person.
 You’re not being persuasive enough. If you haven’t been
able to convince the other person why you really want to
connect with them, chances are they won’t respond.

Now that you’ve identified what mistakes you’re making, let’s look
at how you can overcome these and flip the odds in your favor. No,
there isn’t a simple playbook or shortcut. But you can cut through
the noise by employing research-backed approaches such
as Cialdini’s principles of persuasion and by borrowing proven
practices from both regular folks and industry leaders.

I recently reached out to experts, entrepreneurs, and authors who


specialize in this area — from within my network and a few I wasn’t
connected to — in order to learn more about formulating messages
that:

a) Are authentic to your personal brand

b) Will resonate with recipients at any level

Here’s what they told me.

If you are seeking advice on a career path or job change

People aren’t employment oracles just waiting for your message


soliciting their sage advice. Think deeply about the kind of guidance
you want and then identify the most relevant person to approach.

“Clarity is key when you’re performing cold outreach,” Cynthia


Johnson, author of Platform: The Art and Science of Personal
Branding, told me. “Assume that the person you’re reaching out to
is busy and wants to give you the best advice possible. If you’re
direct and specific as to what you’re asking and why you’re asking
them, you will have created the perfect environment for a confident
and thoughtful response.”

Sending a vague (and all-too-common) “Can I pick your brain?”


message isn’t going to be helpful. Tim Herrera, founding editor of
Smarter Living at The New York Times, recommends being
straightforward and transparent to improve your chances of
receiving a reply. “Whatever the ask is, the best favor you can do
for yourself is not to beat around the bush. You’re teeing the
recipient up to give you exactly what you want because they know
exactly what that is. You’ve taken away the ambiguity for them,
which will save them time and mental effort, and you’re also setting
up the exchange to be as productive and efficient as possible.” Of
course, he added, you should always aim to be kind and courteous.

Here’s an example of a note that is precise, but is flexible on


timing:

Erica, your professional journey really stood out to me. I’m very
interested in building my career as a[role]. Since you’ve been in
that position, would you have some time to offer me a bit of advice
on pursuing this? I would really appreciate a brief call at your
convenience.

If you want someone to review your resume or cover letter

When making this kind of request, put yourself in the shoes of the
receiver and try to answer this question for them up front: Why is
this person contacting me? Acknowledge that you’re asking them for
a favor.
Here’s a persuasive and considerate one that was sent my way:

Hi Kristi, you’ve built a really interesting career in thought


leadership, and [mutual contact] mentioned you were a great
resource as she revised her resume. Since I’m hoping to advance
from [my current role], I’d love to get your brief take on my cover
letter if your schedule allows it.

Receiving a carefully formulated request like this is somewhat rare,


as it doesn’t make any assumption that I can provide a labor-
intensive line edit to someone’s application materials. Again, the
acknowledgement that I’m using my time to help matters. In cases
where I’ve been referred to jobseekers by other people I’ve helped,
I’m even more likely to respond. If someone I help then pays it
forward by assisting others in their own circles, that makes the
investment worth it. (In other words: always mention a referral if
you have one.)

If you are inquiring about a job posting and/or hiring process

“We all have demanding schedules and are a little burned out,”
explained Amber Naslund, principal content consultant at LinkedIn
— a role she landed after building a consistent presence on the
platform. “Open-ended messages like ‘I just wondered if you had
any openings…’ aren’t useful, because all of those details are on a
company’s career page and that puts the work on the person you’re
asking.”

According to Naslund, it’s better to ask about a specific role and see
if someone is willing to introduce you to a recruiter, make an
internal referral, or answer questions you have about that role, or
the company. “Being respectful of people’s time, expertise, and
relationships can go a long way when you’re trying to land your next
job,” she told me. The professional you reach out to could, for
example, be a teammate who works closely with the role in
question, or the person who would be the immediate supervisor.

You could try a message like this:

Hi Cameron, I saw that your company is recruiting a marketing


assistant. Since it seems you’d work directly with this person, it
would be wonderful to hear your thoughts on the role. I’m looking to
get some clarity on the role and responsibilities before I apply. Do
you have a few minutes to speak with me about it in the next week
or two?

If you are approaching a potential mentor

Before sending an invitation to connect, investigate whether or not


someone might be interested in serving as a mentor.

Johnson recommends looking for a leader who demonstrates that


they are A) experienced in the areas in which you’re seeking
mentorship and B) show signs of having some availability.

Johnson found her longtime mentor on LinkedIn. “I assessed his


expertise by doing diligent searches and thorough evaluations of his
communications online with others.” She identified the groups he
had joined on the platform, including some where she noticed that
he was very active, and joined them too. “His activity told me that
he was interested in discussion and possibly had a bit of extra time
to work with me,” she said. “You can do this type of assessment,
too, and find an amazing mentor.”

When writing to a prospective mentor, make sure you’ve done your


homework. Here’s an example of a message you could send:
Divya, your posts on edtech in the STEM education forum have been
really thought-provoking! I’ve interned for a few startups in this
space and am excited about my own next steps — but I definitely
could use some guidance from an experienced pro like you. Would
you be open to chatting about this?

If you are reaching out for help after a recent job loss

In need of others’ assistance? Contextualizing your messages will


make all the difference.

Jobseekers should aim to strike up a conversation about their


experience, what they’re looking for, and who they feel might be
helpful to them, Naslund said. “It’s a great way to warm up the
conversation and increase the likelihood that a new connection is
willing to make some helpful introductions. People’s networks are
sacrosanct; most of us have worked very hard over a number of
years to gain the trust of our networks and the people we’ve worked
with, so we’re not likely to open that up to just anyone and make
cold introductions.”

Here’s an example of what you could say to let the other person
know why you’re reaching out to them:

Eitan, I’m looking to join a mission-driven team like yours and just
happened to see your colleague’s post about the product manager
role. Would you be the right person to ask about one of the
technical requirements? Let me know if I could send an email your
way.

According to an old Chinese proverb, the best time to plant a tree


was 20 years ago; the second-best time is now. So if you haven’t
cultivated your network, you’d better get started. But don’t dive into
a new relationship with a request straight away.

Andreas Klinger, a serial entrepreneur and investor in remote-first


capital, recommended playing the long game. “Plan to have long-
term engagement with someone (for example in conversation via
Twitter) well before you need anything. Or you can engage through
content marketing — that is, sharing thoughtful articles on social
that you’ve written or admire — that will capture others’ attention.”

It’s worth noting that if you want to connect with Klinger, paying
attention to the preferred platform counts: in his LinkedIn profile, he
advises that you reach out via Twitter. Others may also indicate the
best way for you to contact them, which will up your chances of
hearing back.

Now it’s time to get started: Put these principles into practice
and tell us how it’s going. It’s understandable that reaching out to
people you’ve never met might feel intimidating— and that it
means facing possible rejection. Try to remember that not only is
rejection normal, but it also indicates you’re aiming high enoughto
achieve even greater success. Growth of any kind involves some
risk. The advantage: you’ll learn valuable lessons and can
continually improve along the way.

Kristi DePaul is a writer, speaker and global citizen who is passionate about technology
and education as vehicles for upward social mobility and access to greater opportunities.
She has written over 250 articles and blog posts on the remote work landscape, and her
work has been cited in research reports from international think tanks and universities.
She is founder and principal at Nuanced, a thought leadership firm focused on the future
of learning and the future of work, and serves as CEO of Founders Marketing, a fully
remote content marketing company. She earned a master’s degree from the H. John Heinz
III College of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University.
Read more on Managing Yourself or related topics Managing
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