Grow your freelance network
Networking is everything.
It’s not what you know — it’s whom you know.
And so on.
If you could have a shot for every time you were told about the importance of networking, you’d… probably have a lot of fun networking. Certainly, networking is important and helpful (and could be a lot of fun). Just be clear and honest with yourself about why you’re networking.
The “why”s of networking
When asked about it casually, most people say that they network to form meaningful connections and some other cliché. When being honest, most people are networking to either get a job or get clients. That’s the “working” part, after all. And that’s fine if you’re clear and honest about it. In that case, be ruthless: in a room of 200 other networkers, zoom in on those who can best help your career or business and go for it. Better yet, do as much preliminary research as you can to identify those you should go after. Just be aware: people in the position of power have dozens if not hundreds of people hounding them exactly the same way as you are. At the very least, try to genuinely provide them with value (at least an interesting conversation) and see how you can help them too/first.
A more equitable reason for networking is to find others doing the same job as you in order to share experience and client horror stories (and learn from each other, too). It’s fun and beneficial to learn from your peers and hang out together. Can easily lead to a professional friendship too. If that’s your goal, keep it casual and don’t rush to give them your business card.
You may also seek someone with a complementary skill set: a copywriter seeking a designer or a front-end developer seeking back-end one (presumably to make full-stack babies). This one is similar to the one above: be friendly. In this scenario, it is perfectly ok — and even recommended — to openly suggest ways in which you can collaborate. Some may even call this the purest form of networking.
Some treat networking as just another way to find a mate. And why not? You will be in the room with people who share your general lifestyle and possibly some interests. And many will probably be around your age. Plus, let’s be fully honest: a lot fewer married people have time for networking, especially those with kids. So the odds are in your favor. Just (and this advice goes for every other scenario too) don’t be desperate.
Lastly, if your “why” is that you’re new in town, then all of the above may apply. In that case, make sure to read the room and the people you are talking with as best you can to sort out which conversation may lead to a job and which to breakfast in bed. Don’t be afraid to let them know that you’re new in town — in fact, it’s the perfect ice breaker.
The “where” of networking
Once you’ve figured out the “why” of your networking, you’re set. Just go network… where? You can always start by looking for local or virtual networking meetups on, well, meetup.com, as well as Eventrbrite and Facebook. You can also do what every single white-collar professional has done and send connection requests on LinkedIn. Don’t spam, please. Seriously. Start by connecting with people you know or met at another networking event. Then, if you find an interesting 2nd connection, as your 1st connection for an introduction. If you do decide to connect with someone you’ve never met, at least do them the courtesy of not making up some insincere message about how you thought “their company would be perfect for your services” or go as bare-bones as “Hi, I’m Dave, let’s connect.” Be honest and specific. If you are looking for a mentor in design, ask about a specific topic in design they should know well and how exactly they can advise you. If you’re looking for others like you to talk shop with, say so with some specific example of what you can talk about. If you’re looking for a date, close the LinkedIn tab and navigate to OKCupid.
The “when” of networking
Naturally, most networking events are weekday after regular work hours, especially during Happy Hour. If you live in a big-enough city or don’t mind online networking, you are pretty much guaranteed to find more networking opportunities than there is time in the day. As with many things, it’s better to do a little bit of networking frequently than a lot rarely. Remember that meeting people is only a small part of the job. The most important part of building a network is nurturing your connections. Start by messaging the person you met either that same night or the next morning. Then check in periodically. Find topics to discuss, favors to ask, projects to collaborate on. The strongest network is as deep as it is wide (and it’s always better to err on the side of depth).
The takeaway
Expanding your freelance network is not especially difficult but does require time and commitment. Most importantly, you need to be clear about why you are networking and have some sort of a consistent plan. And please be genuine. It should go without saying, that a much easier way to successfully expand your freelance network is to talk to other Dream Teamers and collaborate in our environment of cooperation and mutual support.
And… action!
Let’s put this into action. Answer these questions as best you can by actually writing the answers down:
- List every possible reason you’d want to network.
- What are the top 3 things a more senior person in your field can teach you?
- Add 5 people you know on LinkedIn to your network. Ask 1 person in your network to connect you with someone new.
- On LinkedIn, find one each of a mentor, someone doing your kind of work, and nd someone doing complementary work that you can send business to. Send a sincere and specific connection request.
- Find interesting networking events online and sign yourself up for one in each of the following 3 months (more if you want to).
- Write a detailed and specific “nice to meet you” message to 10 new people you meet (personal or professional) this month.
- On our Slack channels, ask a question about anything related to your work or skillset.
