How to Create a Networking Plan as an Account Manager

Most people don’t have a networking problem. They have a clarity and courage problem. Here’s how my clients build high-powered networks—without begging for coffee chats or feeling fake. 🧠 Start here: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁. 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱. Here’s how: 𝟭. 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺𝗮 Stop “putting yourself out there.” Start targeting 5-10 people who can actually move the needle on your goals. 𝟮. 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 If your first message includes “pick your brain,” you’ve already lost. No one is waiting around to solve a stranger’s career crisis. 𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 Relationships work like capital accounts. You don’t ask for a withdrawal before you’ve made a deposit. 𝟰. 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁—𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 This doesn’t mean fake flattery. Try one of these instead: • Share something relevant to their work • Offer insight they might not have • Help them solve a current challenge • Send something worth 90 seconds of attention 𝟱. 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 Read every line of their LinkedIn. Look at interviews, thought leadership, old roles. Find the patterns. Spot the gaps. Now you’re ready to make contact. 𝟲. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 Write down 10 ways you could help or engage them. Yes, 10. Not 3. Not 5. Ten. This builds muscle. Clarity. Relevance. 𝟳. 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 Don’t wing it. Rank your ideas by effort vs. potential impact. Start with your top 2. Work the plan. Keep working it. 𝟴. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 (𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼) Reach out with precision. No long intros. No life stories. Offer one clear, relevant point of value. If they don’t bite, try idea #2. Then #3. Most connections take more than one try. That’s not rejection—it’s normal. This is how the game is played at the top. Strategic. Consistent. Relationship-first. And it works. 🧭 Question for you: What’s the biggest blocker between you and building the network you need next? -------------------------------------- ♻ Repost to help your network. ✚ Follow Courtney Intersimone for more tools and tips on executive career and leadership mastery. Showing you how to get invited into the (board)room where it happens....and thrive there! 😎

He wasn’t convinced that being active on LinkedIn would be helpful. 30 days later? Strategic LinkedIn networking brought in 2 new clients (estimated to be worth more than $100k in legal fees). The backstory: ⇒ Litigation partner in a mid-sized law firm. ⇒ Skeptical that LinkedIn could be used to network for business. ⇒ No time for writing or doing traditional “thought leadership”. Despite his doubts, he was willing to give LinkedIn a try. We put a simple strategic LI networking plan together that felt doable for him. Here it is: 1️⃣Identify (& then connect with/follow) 6-10 relevant people. These folks must: ✓ Be active on LinkedIn. ✓ Post about issues relevant to your ideal clients. And no, they don’t need to be competitors or attorneys (but they CAN be - don’t be afraid to follow and engage with those folks!). 2️⃣Set aside 15 minutes per day to review their posts and strategically comment (on any that are relevant to your audience). When commenting, don’t say “great post” or “thanks for sharing”. Instead, add value by: >>> Validating their point with specifics. >>> Adding a new perspective or insight. >>> Asking a question to deepen the discussion. 3️⃣Connect with people you engage with. LinkedIn is a networking tool. Use it that way! Any time someone you aren’t already connected to likes one of your comments or (even better) engages with it, reach out to them to connect. And then, DM them to say “hello” and take the discussion (already started in the comments) further. Yes, that's it. Here’s why this simple formula is so effective: ⏩ It's an easy way to showcase your point of view (and way of lawyering/thinking), which attracts better-fit people into your LI universe. ⏩ It shows your credibility and expertise (in a service-based, non-salesy way). By doing something that takes little time. ⏩ It builds authentic relationships. With people you probably wouldn’t meet in person. Stop thinking of LinkedIn purely as social media. Use it as the networking tool (it actually is). Now, the elephant in the room…Posting your own content. Yes, this will help. But it’s not necessary. If you don’t have the time right now (or are a bit shy about putting your own posts/articles out there), this is a great strategy to lead with. Ready to get started (now)? Do this: 1. Find 1 thought leader in your niche. 2. Make a thoughtful, strategic comment to one of their recent posts. 3. Connect with anyone who likes or engages with your comment. XO, Heather ~~~ P.S. Season 5 of Life & Law podcast is BACK. And this is exactly what we’re covering today. Dive deeper into how to use LinkedIn for networking by listening to Episode 204 (see my Featured Section at Heather Moulder to go directly to the podcast).

Before being CEO at Dimmo, I sold into large enterprise accounts (10k-300k employees). Here's how I consistently broke into accounts: Bare with me - this is a long, tactical post. 1. Created an Org Chat I wanted to understand the lay of the land from a people perspective. → C-Level → Any relevant VP → All Directors → Relevant Managers → Relevant Practitioners 2. Created an Account Plan. An account plan is key for large accounts and top prospects. → Overview → Investor Relations → 10k Information (if public) → Growth Insights → Recent news (are they doing well? bad?) → Job openings → Challenges → Concerns → Risk → How they make money → How do they go to market? → Their competitors → Their industry trends → Have ChatGPT summarize this info & why they're a good fit There's more you can do, but this is a great start. 3. Persona Information I did deep research on people - at a minimum Director level and above. → Podcast features → Article/Blog features → Accomplishments from current/previous roles → Video features → Twitter info → LinkedIn posts/likes → Any other relevant info when you type in their name and title in Google or ChatGPT *You can also use ChatGPT prompts to get this information and create a hypothesis as to why they would care 4. Use Multiple Channels Do a multi-channel approach: → LinkedIn → Email → Cold Calls → In-person events → Your current network Within these areas, get creative. 5. Signals I focused on 'warm' areas first. → Job changes → Industry changes → Intent (though most of this is eh) → People who open emails multiple times → People that click on links → Companies that are in growth mode Do this for your top 10 accounts & I promise you have a high chance of breaking into the account. Here are technologies that help understand who's in market: https://lnkd.in/e_J6witn Also, many of these technologies help me with account research: https://lnkd.in/dHmNdQt6

Struggling to “add value” when networking? Engagement Plans make it 10x easier. Here’s how to use them to land more referrals (6 simple steps): 1. The Struggle To “Add Value” Every job seeker is told they need to network. Every job seeker is also told they should focus on “adding value” when networking. I’ve coached thousands of job seekers and the idea of adding value / knowing what to say when networking is one of the biggest challenges they face. I came up with the “Engagement Plan” strategy to help solve for it. 2. What Is An “Engagement Plan?” Engagement Plans are blueprints for relationships. They’re step-by-step outlines for engaging and working to build a relationship with someone. The recipe is simple: - Research your contact - Identify areas of opportunity - Brainstorm ways to add value - Map out the plan Let’s break down each. 3. Research Your Contact Start with their LinkedIn profile. Review their past roles and experience, check their education, look to see if they create content, etc. Expand to other channels too: - Google them - Look them up on other social platforms - Etc. The goal is to learn more about them and what they care about. 4. Identify Areas Of Opportunity & Brainstorm Ways To Add Value You can use AI to speed up this process: - Take a full page screenshot of their LinkedIn profile - Head to ChatGPT - Attach the screenshot and use the following prompt: “Please share 10 different ways I could add value to this person that I'm trying to network with. I'm attaching a screenshot of their LinkedIn profile.” 5. Pick The Top 3 And Think Two Steps Ahead Choose the 3 avenues you think will give you the best shot of getting their attention. Pretend it does. Now brainstorm different strategies and value-adds you could use to progress the relationship and keep the conversation going. Repeat for each one. 6. Take Action On Your Plan & Track It Start messaging contacts and test the different avenues you brainstormed. Track your results for each strategy in a Google Sheet. It can look something like this: 7. Start Slow To Go Fast In the beginning this will take time and effort. But as you repeat the process, you’ll begin to see patterns. You’ll understand what to look for, which strategies work best in certain situations, etc. Then you’ll get to the point where you can build an engagement plan for a contact in just a few minutes. 💡 Want to turn networking into a repeatable system that actually gets referrals? 👉 Book a free 30-min Clarity Call & we’ll show you how to build your first Engagement Plan together: https://lnkd.in/gdysHr-r

If you want to build a network in 30 days, read this: Goal: Build a foundation for your professional network by forming genuine connections with 10 individuals relevant to your career goals. Before you start: Define your goals: What do you hope to achieve by building your network? (e.g., career advice, industry knowledge, potential job opportunities) Identify target individuals: Who are the people you want to connect with? Consider their expertise, experience, and potential value in achieving your goals. Days 1-10: Laying the groundwork Utilize social media: Update your LinkedIn profile to showcase your skills and experience. Join relevant groups and follow industry leaders. Start small: Reach out to 2-3 people you haven't spoken to recently or connect with 1-2 new contacts. Personalize your message and focus on value. Attend online events: Look for webinars, online conferences, or workshops related to your field. Participate actively and introduce yourself to others virtually. Identify industry influencers: Research thought leaders and key players in your field. Follow their work and engage with their content online. Volunteer your expertise: Research volunteer opportunities related to your industry. This allows you to give back, network, and build your reputation. Days 11-20: Building connections Follow-up with initial contacts: Send a follow-up email or message expressing your appreciation for their time and reiterating your interest in staying connected. Engage in online communities: Participate in relevant online discussions. Offer your insights, answer questions, and build your online presence. Connect through mutual connections: Research your existing network for potential connections who know people you'd like to meet. Seek introductions and personalize your outreach. Attend local events: Look for industry meetups, networking events, or conferences in your area. Prepare conversation starters and actively connect with new people. Leverage alumni networks: If you're a college graduate, reconnect with alumni in your field through professional groups or university resources. Days 21-30: Nurturing relationships Share valuable content: Share relevant articles, industry news, or resources with your connections through emails or social media. Offer congratulations and support: Celebrate your network's achievements and offer support during challenges. Show genuine interest in their lives and careers. Schedule informational interviews: Reach out to individuals you admire and request informational interviews. Use this opportunity to learn more about their career path and gain insights. Be a resource: Look for ways to help others in your network by offering introductions, sharing opportunities, or providing relevant information. Schedule coffee chats: Invite 1-2 people you've connected with for virtual or in-person coffee chats to deepen your relationships and explore potential collaborations. Source: "Reach Out" by Molly Beck

What's the best part about working with a scientist to help you build a networking roadmap? Using data to inform a custom-tailored plan, specific to you. Here's the 6-step process of what I put into your custom-tailored networking roadmap 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭 I get a full picture of your skills based on 1:1 time we spend together. I test out Boolean searches based on your skills, and come up with targeted terms that produce a manageable list of hits. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮 You receive the search terms, execute them, and provide me with a list of the results. The raw data includes, goodness of fit, company, search parameter, and job title 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯 I analyze the data you provided, produce a weighted score based on goodness of fit, your interest level, and the role seniority compared to your level of experience. I then narrow down to a list of companies that have the highest number of jobs that match you. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰 I further narrow the companies down based on a risk score that I come up with that factors their stock performance (if publicly traded), their layoff history, and their funding level to maximize career stability at for the companies you target. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟱 I produce a half page summary with a focused roadmap of which companies to network with, what titles the employees should have based on your qualifications, and what their seniority level should be. I also add search terms from your results that produced the most focused compatible list of jobs. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟲 We work together using applied examples to start building your network at your targeted companies. We then take jobs at those companies and target your resume to hit their specific pain points.  𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁 You learn to network with a clear objective, purpose, and plan that is informed by data custom tailored to your unique values & needs. Bonus - You also learn how to do it like a human and make real connections with people. If that's something you want. You know where to find me. #biotechnology, #careers, #networking

Build a network you can count on! H7 Network has taught me the value of platform. We always talk about "Having an audience, not being in the audience". Here are some tips mindset we frame for our networking community. Connect: Building a genuine connection with the person you're meeting. This could involve a warm greeting, a brief mention of common interests or acquaintances, or simply showing interest in their background. Be approachable and open-minded. Approach the meeting with a mindset of learning from the other person and valuing their perspective. Serve: Before diving into your own needs or goals, ask questions and actively listen to understand the other person's needs and goals. Offer help or support without expecting immediate reciprocity. Generosity and willingness to assist others can foster positive relationships in networking. Ask: After establishing a connection and demonstrating your willingness to be of service, you can then ask for what you need or desire. Be clear and concise in your request. Tailor your request to align with the relationship you've built. If you've already offered help or support, it's more likely the other person will reciprocate. Follow Up: After the meeting, follow up with a thank-you note or message to express your appreciation for their time and the insights gained. This reinforces the positive impression you've made. If you've offered assistance, follow through on your promises promptly. This demonstrates reliability and trustworthiness. Be Genuine: Authenticity is key. Be yourself and don't pretend to be someone you're not. Authenticity builds trust and makes networking interactions more meaningful. Avoid appearing transactional. Networking is about building relationships, not just about what you can get from others. Respect Time: Be mindful of the other person's time during the meeting. Keep the conversation on track and avoid monopolizing the discussion. If you have a specific time limit for the meeting, make that clear from the outset. Prepare Elevator Pitch: Have a concise and engaging elevator pitch ready that introduces yourself and your interests. This can help in the initial phase of the conversation. Listen Actively: Pay close attention to what the other person is saying. This not only shows respect but also allows you to identify opportunities where you can be of service or where your needs align. Stay Professional: Maintain a professional demeanor throughout the meeting. This includes dressing appropriately, using proper language, and being courteous. Reflect and Learn: After the networking meeting, take some time to reflect on what went well and what could have been improved. Continuously learn from your experiences to refine your networking skills. Remember, networking is a long-term endeavor, and building genuine relationships takes time and effort. "Connect, Serve, Ask" is a framework that can help you approach networking meetings with a balanced and effective strategy.