SET GOALS
Setting a clear and simple goal will get you results more quickly than an unfocused, unclear goal. When it comes to networking, knowing what your mission is will ensure that your seeds are planted in as many places as possible and that maximum results are achieved.
Clear goals also make it easier for people to help you because they know exactly what you’re seeking. For example, if you say to someone:
“I’m looking for a job in marketing, if you hear of anything useful, please share it with me!”
They can then return to you and say, “I shared a link with you for a job opening in the marketing department of my company, I hope it will be helpful!”
Upon receiving the link, you realize this is for a job as a copywriter and your specialty is within project management. Oops! You forgot to mention this to your networking connection. Now this opportunity cannot be of use because it isn’t the right fit.
Having a clear goal saves everyone time and energy because the results will be in alignment with precisely what you’re seeking.
EXERCISE – Set your goal
STEP ONE
Choose one goal to begin your networking journey with. Goals can be created from the following categories:
- Job seeking
- New clients
- Partnerships
- Apartments
- Car shopping
- Hiring someone
- Mentors
- A new office space
Basically, any problem you’re trying to solve can be turned into a simple goal.
| I want an apartment. |
STEP TWO
Turn your goal into a clear and concise sentence. This sentence needs to be as specific as possible. Some people believe that being broad will give them more opportunities, but it only creates more confusion because there are too many options (and one of them may not be the right one).
- Create a first draft of your goal sentence. Here are some examples from the above list:
- Job seeking: I want to get hired for a position as a front-end developer.
- New clients: I want one new client for my graphic design business.
- Partnerships: I want three new partners for my online business.
- Apartments: I want a first-hand contract apartment.
- Car shopping: I want to buy a car that costs no more than 100,000 SEK.
- Hiring someone: I want to hire a photographer for my wedding.
- Mentors: I want a business mentor who can help me with my new business.
- A new office space: I want to find a co-working space I can work at.
Next, look at each sentence for “blind spots” or ways they could possibly be too broad. This is especially important in networking because the other person you are speaking to could return the wrong results if you aren’t specific enough. Think about things such as location, being company-specific, a budget, or expertise. Think about what a MUST-HAVEin your goal is – something that would be a deal-breaker if you receive an opportunity that doesn’t match this.
Your sentence:
| I want a first-hand contract apartment. |
- Make a list of your specifics, must-haves, and deal-breakers:
- Location
- Budget
- Fully-remote
- Industry expertise
- Etc.
| Must be located in Stockholm Södermalm area with rent up to 10,000 SEK / month. |
- Add another layer of specific detail to your sentence:
- Job seeking: I want to get hired for a fully remote position as a front-end developer at Spotify.
- New clients: I want one new client with an e-commerce business for my graphic design business.
- Partnerships: I want three new partners in the tech industry for my online business within the next year.
- Apartments: I want a first-hand contract apartment in Gothenburg by this summer that costs no more than 10,000 SEK a month.
- Car shopping: I want to buy a car that is large enough for a family of four and costs no more than 100,000 SEK.
- Hiring someone: I want to hire a photographer for my wedding who specializes in Nordic style photography.
- Mentors: I want a business mentor who has a successful online drop-shipping business and can help me with my new business.
- A new office space: I want to find a co-working space with a budget of 3000 SEK /month and a nice interior design that I can work at.
| I want a first-hand contract apartment located in Stockholm Södermalm area with rent of up to 10,000 SEK / month. |
