One of the best ways to learn is from other people. People are databases of knowledge. Through conversation, you can tap into a professional’s experiences, opinions, and network.
The art of mastering cold outreach is one that takes practice but can become an incredibly useful tool. This article will explain how to make the most of cold outreach.
Why you should reach out
It is a good time to reach out to others when you have questions about a specific role, industry, or company. For example, as a student interested in management consulting you may want to chat with a current consultant to learn more about their work, lifestyle, and interests.
However, businesspeople are very busy. Only reach out to a professional if you have the bandwidth to engage in a meaningful conversation in the near future. For example, you do not want to reach out to a professional during your final examination period because you may not be able to commit to a phone call.
How to reach out
So, you want to learn more about consulting, directly from a consultant. That is great, the next step is identifying who to reach out to. Go to LinkedIn, search for a company name, then click the “People” tab. Filter this section by role or university to target your search. If the professional is an alumnus of your university, try to use your university’s email address system to contact them. If the professional does not have a connection to you, send them a LinkedIn connection invite with a note or send them an email to their company email address.
Here is a sample email:
Hi [Insert Name],
I hope you are well!
My name is Zuhair, I’m a labor relations student at Cornell University who’s interested in the consulting industry.
This past summer I was a product management intern at PNC Bank where I helped develop a growth strategy. I enjoyed the experience identifying opportunities, developing recommendations, and presenting to executives. As a result, I’ve become interested in the management consulting space.
I have a few questions about the work you currently do, and I am wondering whether you might be willing to speak with me?
Thanks, and I look forward to connecting with you soon.
Zuhair Imaduddin
Structuring Phone Calls
Before jumping on a phone call with a busy professional, it is important to do some research. Look at their LinkedIn profile and get familiar with their background. Have a document on your computer open with pre-planned questions to guide your conversation. Write down relevant notes as they speak. Keep these documents in a folder on your desktop or Google Drive named “Networking”. After a while, you will have a folder of people’s names and notes from your conversations to go back to.
Here is a basic structure that you can follow to ensure a smooth and successful phone conversation:
1. Introduce yourself
After some light chatting, thank them for taking the call and give some background about yourself. You should try to concisely explain what you study, a few relevant experiences, and why you are interested in their work. Briefly mention a few questions that you have that they may be able to help with. For example, if you are speaking with a consultant, you may be curious as to why they entered this industry or select this specific firm.
2. Ask them to introduce themselves
They may explain what role they have, what they do, who they work with, what projects they work on.
3. Ask your specific questions
Ask your questions. In the business space, we all learn from each other. Do not feel shy or weird about asking questions that you may think are “obvious”, however do try to avoid asking questions that can be answered with a quick Google search. Be respectful of the timeframe agreed to, especially if it was only meant to be a 15 or 30-minute call – time flies!
4. Follow up
Within 24 hours of your chat, send a thank you email. Share with them your appreciation for taking time out of their busy schedule to speak with you, and share at least one takeaway that you found meaningful.
By understanding these simple steps on how to reach out and structure a phone call, you are now ready to start networking with industry professionals. This will be a great way for you to expand your industry knowledge, and start building your network. Happy chatting!
Zuhair Imaduddin is a labor relations student at Cornell University. He was a Product Management Intern at PNC Bank and is an incoming Innovation Development Summer Analyst at JPMorgan Chase.
Image: Pexels