Note: This is Part 32 of the Ruminations for Aspiring Designers series.
This post originated from my response to a LinkedIn post, which poses the question – for first introductions virtually, what is advice on approaching people in DMs or over email?
I’ve got three advices for aspiring designers.
Advice 1: Respect People’s Time
DMs and emails need to be concise and to-the-point.
Nobody reads DMs and emails with long paragraphs from strangers – unless it’s absolutely interesting (Advice 2).
If you’re a stranger to me, then the first thing I’d like to know is NOT what you’re getting at, but why I’d bother to continue to read your message in order to find out why I’d bother to care.
Advice 2: Be Curious and Interesting
Everybody likes someone (maybe especially a stranger) who shows interests in them or their work.
If you’ve followed me on social media, or have read my articles, then it shows when you communicate it properly. If you ask good questions about my area of expertise or my work, then it shows that you’ve done your research – it signals that you’re serious about reaching out to me.
Writing etiquette matters, because I wouldn’t be more serious than you are, consider it’s you who’s contacting me.
Give me something interesting enough so that I bother to read on to find out what you’re looking for in contacting me (Advice 3).
Advice 3: Provide Actionable Next Steps
If you’re a stranger to me, then how do I get to know just a little bit more about you?
Would I find out, from your LinkedIn profile, that you’re actually quite an interesting person? An aspiring professional? A multidisciplinary talent? What would I find out?
If it’s not as easy as one click away then I probably wouldn’t bother.
If you’re looking to connect with me, what’s your suggested next step for you and for me?
If your message interests me, then where do I go to know more about you?
Three Laws of Networking
When I was a career mentor, I used to talk about the three laws of networking. Those are not absolute truths and they’re biased. However, they sometimes help you think further about your strategy to networking.
- The Law of Betterment: everyone wants to get connected with someone who’s better than themselves.
- The Law of Credibility: everyone wants to introduce a credible person to their acquaintances, not because that person is credible, but because it makes themselves more credible.
- The Law of Influence: everyone wants to hire someone who’s mentioned by many people they know, not because it’s wise to do so, but because it’d be stupid not to do so.
Three Rules of Professional Performance
Whatever is publicly observable of you, it’s your performance – how you speak, act and get things done. These rules generally apply:
- The Rule of Perceived Eloquence: identify the best way to demonstrate your eloquence.
- The Rule of Thought Leadership: thoughtful opinions are worth a thousand recitations.
- The Rule of Value Creation: compared to creating value, producing outcome is nothing.
Just like doing design, always remember to reflect on your approach and refine it when you reach out for professional networking.
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Noah Fang 