If youre a top sales producer looking to find that next great job, tap into the power of your network and make sure that you practice the same things that you do in your job, as you start looking for your next job. This may sound like foolish advice, but I see quite a few salespeople who actually start their job search and neglect to use the very tools that they used to be successful in their sales career! So this is something that you need to really think about.

The first thing that you want to do as you create your plan, once you decide on the type of job, size of company, industry and geographic location you are focusing on, is to start making a list of key people who youd like to contact in order to light up your network and start bringing yourself opportunities. Typically there are 10 to 20, maybe 30 people who you need to be talking to in any given town in order to really start building the network effect to find great job opportunities. Think about key people who are network nodes, both in your industry and beyond your industry, and who are in positions of business leadership throughout the community. In particular, think about people who are well networked and who make it their business to know everyone and maintain relationships with a broad spectrum of business associates. Those are the people who you want to put on your top 20 list as you start thinking about a job search. Target as high as you can, to get to people who can really help you.

Then, once youve created that top 20 list, rather than going out and just having a quick cup of coffee with them and asking them for ideas, create an actual agenda for your discussion. That agenda should be much broader than just saying, Im looking for a job, can you help me? The agenda should be to engage that person and to rejuvenate or develop a relationship with that person.

Building Networking Relationships

Not everyone is going to be as helpful as youd like them to be as you search for a sales and marketing job, but many people are actually willing to help; particularly when youve shown your desire to build a relationship. My best advice to you, is once youve created your target list and created an agenda, is to actually go about each of your discussions with those people as if youre trying to create a friendship. If you start from that premise as opposed to coming across as being a person whos just looking for a job, what youll find is that people will be more engaging and more willing to help you.

What kinds of questions would you ask and how would you engage in a conversation with someone who youre exploring a friendship with? Those are the kinds of questions that you should be starting with in any networking discussion.

Networking Warm-ups

Start by asking the person lots of questions about their career history and their company. People love to talk about themselves, particularly if you are genuinely interested in them.

Next, ask what views the person has about the market, the economy, hot sectors and companies that are doing well in the area. Ask broad questions about the persons view of the local economy, where things are going and where the opportunities might be.

State Your Career Goals Clearly

Next, tell the person very specifically what youre looking for in your next career position. Give them the ideal. Help them to see a clear picture of exactly what it is that youd love to be doing in your next job. Make sure that you spell out the size of the company, industry, geographic location, title, position, the actual functions that youd like to fulfill, etc. Give them a clear idea of what youd really love to do, what youre really passionate about, and what youre really good at. If youre able to articulate that very clearly, then a person in an information interview will be more capable of helping you.

Ask For Referrals

Once youve been able to cover those topics on the agenda, one of the things that you need to do is to ask the person whom they know who could help you along the way with your search. What youll be amazed to find, is that a lot of people are willing to open their Rolodex to help you.

The key when youre seeking introductions is to have them introduce you personally to their suggested contacts, as opposed to just giving you the name of a person. Why? If they introduce you personally, youll have a much better chance of actually making contact and meeting with the people that theyre referring you to.

Ask How You Can Help Them

Next, ask the person whom youre meeting with what you can do to help them. Show an interest in what their needs are. These needs may not be looking for a job, but it could include giving them referrals to potential new clients. It could be helping them out with a community service project. There are a number of different ways in which you could offer to reciprocate in your relationship building with this person.

Follow Up!

Finally, establish a clear expectation of follow up communication with this individual and stick to it. I see so many people come through my office, and Im happy to help them network and send them along to appropriate people. They tell me that they want to stay in touch, but they seldom do. I then find out several months later that they actually found a job, and many times I discover they found a job from a referral that I gave them. Yet many job seekers fail to follow up or to tell me that theyve landed.

Make sure that if youre going to build networking relationships, that you do it for the long haul and that you stay in contact with the key people whom youve met along the way during your job search. Why? This can add lasting value to your career and also lasting value to your ability to network and maintain relationships that can help you down the road.