7 Steps to Creating Opportunity Out of Generosity

During 2002, I was a recruiter within London's financial district.

It was the aftermath of 9/11 and the bursting of the Dot.com bubble and so, just like the current market, it was a time of widespread job cuts and hiring freezes - so being a financial services recruiter (with earnings were linked to revenues) was not one of the most comfortable places to be. 

But despite the tough market, the commercial reality was that we just had to get on with it and find opportunities - it meant working harder, longer and making more calls and dealing with more rejections in order to stand still and survive. It was tiring, frustrating and quite often demoralising.

Faced with a constant barrage of bad news and a lack of opportunities, I decided in the summer of 2002 that I'd try something different. So I made a list of my 20 warmest clients - typically senior business leaders or HR leaders and invited them out for a coffee to 'just catch up.'

I figured that, rather than just making calls to new clients, I should be spending time maintaining relationships with existing clients who'd given me business during a boom market. And anyway, I love hanging out in coffee shops or hotel lounges (well actually anywhere with comfortable sofas!) so it would be a welcome break from making those soul-destroying calls in search of new business and job opportunities.

At one of these "coffee meetings," I met with the Financial Controller of a European Investment Bank. We had known each other 2 years. The first year we had a telephone relationship where I tried to convince him to meet me, the second year a business relationship where he gave us business after finally agreeing to meet me.

As we sat down with our cappuccinos, he seemed a little stand-offish and within 2 minutes of some small talk, the conversation continued like this:

Client: "Sital, I'm really not sure why you wanted to meet - I haven't any vacancies and have no budget to recruit. You're better off spending time with other clients who may have business, aren't you?"

Sital: "John, when we first met a year ago, I told you that one of our key differentiators was that we built long-term relationships with clients - we're not into just filling some quick vacancies with you and having a transactional relationship. So regardless of whether you're recruiting or not, I'm trying to fulfil that commitment to you by maintaining our relationship.
 
So at the moment I'm meeting with key clients with a view to doing 2 things:

1. Give you our perspective on the current market place so that you're better informed on what's happening externally. Which hopefully helps you in handling conversations internally around talent management, pay reviews and bonus discussions.

2. Secondly, it's to listen and learn about what is happening in your business, so when the market does pick up, we are better placed to help you achieve some of the things you've got planned much quicker

And the reason I'm treating you to a £5 cappuccino (approx $8 - which is what it usually cost for 2 Starbucks coffees) is that just like your sales teams, we no longer have the budgets to take clients to swanky bars or posh restaurants in the current climate. But it's not about how much we spend on clients, it's about the relationship - right?"

I kind of made up my little speech on the spot, but I meant every word of it.

Client: "You're one of the most forward-thinking recruiters I've met. You know, all the people who've been calling me the last few years when we were growing our team have stopped calling because we've got no business. They all used to talk about long-term relationships, but now they seem to have disappeared."

What followed was a great discussion, where I learned more about the challenges he was facing, offered some informal advice - and indeed got into a conversation to help him clarify his needs for his next hire - a position he'd just had some vague ideas about so far.

I was the first to learn about it as I'd taken the time to engage and help him.

As a result of the discussion we got more business, more referrals and more good will from this client - and I got it without even asking. I got it because I went into the discussion with the intention of helping the client and cementing our relationship rather than trying to get something specific.

So regardless of whether your you're a job searcher, career changer, someone starting up as a independent consultant or someone looking to succeed in your existing job, there are lessons here for us all. That in a tough market when everyone is holding back and thinking about themselves, you create opportunities by reaching out and being generous in helping others.

Here are 7 steps to creating more opportunities by being generous:

1. Write a list of your 20 warmest contacts

These may include both professional and personal contacts. Ensure you select people who you feel you've the closest relationships with rather than those you think would be 'useful contacts'

2. Contact them and set up a time for a coffee just to "catch up"

- If some of your contacts are in another city or country, then have a "virtual coffee" to catch up

- And it doesn't have to be coffee of course - meet for breakfast, lunch or drinks if that suits you better

3. Then over the next few weeks meet each of these individuals

- Some of you may want to spread this out over 3 or 4 weeks

- Others may prefer to meet 2 people a week for 10 weeks - do whatever works for you and your schedule

4. When you meet, focus on the other person (not you, not your job search, not your issues)

- Take a genuine interest in what's happening in their lives and careers. What are they working on? What are their current challenges? What are their goals?

- Ask open questions (how, what, why, when) and listen with genuine interest

5. Focus on how you can help them

- Ask "how can I help?"

- Be generous with ideas, resources, tips or contacts of yours that may be useful to them

- Do all this without an agenda - this is not a transactional conversation, as in "I've helped you, now you help me"

- Just give without wanting something back (after all, these are your warmest contacts, so why shouldn't you give?)

6. Follow up without fail

- Within 48 hours send a follow-up email to thank them for meeting up

- If you promised to send information during your discussion - a weblink, an article or an introduction to one of your contacts - then do it without being prompted

- If the other person offered to introduce you to someone or said they'd send you something, gently and politely remind them to do that

7. Write your next list of 20 contacts

- And repeat these 6 steps above once again

When you do this, a few things will happen:

You will strengthen your relationships with your warm contacts
- And we all know that strong relationships strengthen your career prospects

You will walk away with ideas
- The people closest to us want to help - but we're all busy and have our own issues to deal with, so haven't the time to think about others. Spending time with people one to one, gives them a chance to focus on you and volunteer ideas that nay help you

Your warmest contacts will have you at the front of their minds
- These people are like unpaid recruiters - they can connect you with other people and recommend you, but only if they remember you amongst their to-do list

Opportunities will come back to you
When you get out there and give, opportunities will come back to you, often from unexpected sources and, like a boomerang, from somewhere else

You'll feel better
If you're out of work or stuck in a rut, you'll feel much better about yourself and your situation. Getting out and meeting people you know is so much nicer than sitting around sending emails, making calls and waiting to be rejected

You'll get a sense of purpose and achievement
At Christmas time, parents often teach their kids that it's not all about getting presents; that real satisfaction and success come from contributing and giving, not from simply receiving. The very same principle applies to you and your career.

During the summer of 2002, getting out and having my "£5 Cappuccino Meetings" with my warmest clients started out as one of my 'coping strategies' for dealing with a tough market and all the negativity around. It kept me sane on the days I'd be thinking "when is this market going to improve?" or "why me?"

But getting out, meeting close clients, learning about their businesses and seeing how I could help them, instead of sitting at my desk making endless calls to random people, actually created the opportunities that I was searching for. And often, they'd come (like that boomerang) from other places - from people I hadn't met for coffee.

I created opportunity out of generosity. And so can you... 
 
 
By Sital Ruparelia from 6 Figure Career Management
 

Comments

[Julie O'Malley]

With all this positive activity, when's a person supposed to find time to sit around and mope? This is good life advice, not just career advice. Breaking through and making that first call is probably the hardest part, but I imagine it must become easier and more fun as you go along. I always appreciate your upbeat message.

[2legcaco]

Fall In Love with your life.Explore, Educate, Empower, Engage in Brand Me Live Site. This site provided me Focus, a new perspective and a mindset shift. A better strategy to focus on some problems, this is a must see and a gift that keeps giving. Please check this Personal Branding Site. This really makes a difference.

http://brandmelive.com/blog1/the-brand-me-system/