Networking by email is a convenient and accessible way to connect with people, regardless of location or schedule.
Furthermore, it allows you to connect with a wider audience than you might be able to in person.
However, with so many professionals bombarded with emails daily, standing out in their inboxes can be challenging.
That’s where we step in - We’ll show you the 4 steps to write a networking email efficiently.
Let’s dive in!
What Is A Networking Email?
A networking email helps you establish or maintain a professional relationship with people in your industry or field.
It is a way to reach out to people you admire or who you think could be valuable connections in your career.
What Are The 3 Key Benefits of A Networking Email?
The main benefit of a networking email is to open a line of communication for:
- Future collaboration - You can build relationships with colleagues, industry experts, etc., and open opportunities to get ahead in your career.
- Job opportunities - If you expand your network, you increase the chance of learning about new job vacancies.
- Gaining insight into a particular field or industry - Your network can offer insights and be a sounding board for new ideas to help you increase your knowledge base.
When Should You Use A Networking Email?
Since networking is a broad term, emails come in many shapes and sizes:
✨ When you want to contact someone from a different country
✨ When you’d like to propose a meeting with someone to expand your professional network.
✨ When you want to reconnect with former colleagues, team members, etc., to catch up, share updates, and maintain a professional connection.
✨When you want to follow up on a meeting or conversation and keep the connection alive.
Although the content of networking emails will depend on the occasion, type of connection, and receiver, there are steps you can take to structure your mail properly.
4 Steps to Write a Networking Email Like A Pro
1. Prepare The Ground for Writing
Before you write a networking email, you need to do research beforehand. This is especially valid if you reach out to someone you don’t know.
1.1. Find More About Your Person
Thanks to the Internet, you can quickly find relevant professional info about the person - browse their profile on LinkedIn or other social media channels, for example.
In addition, check their company’s website and profile to see how well their company values match yours. It will give you a good basis to craft your email.
📌 Note:
Make sure to have updated information about the person’s job position, place of work, etc. Otherwise, you may come across as not genuinely interested in communication.
1.2. Tailor Your Message
Doing the previous step will help you understand the person and their line of work. Therefore, you can tailor your message to trigger a response and establish communication.
1.3. Check The Competitors
If your networking email aims to establish a connection to sell a product or service, it’s essential to check the competitors in your industry.
Furthermore, you should also check who provides similar services to your person and determine your weaknesses and strengths compared to those competitors.
Consequently, you’ll know exactly which recipient’s pain points to address and show how your expertise may help them.
2. Craft A Compelling Subject Line
Besides the body of an email, the subject line is the most important part of your email.
A too-vague subject line can be a deal breaker, leading to an unopened and unanswered email.
So, how to write an eye-catching subject line?
Make it clear and concise, and briefly describe the purpose of your email and what you're looking to achieve.
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Conversely, the subject lines below aren’t the best choice because they are too vague and not specific, not providing value:
❌"Hey, Can You Help Me Out?"
❌"Coffee or Lunch Soon?"
❌“Job Inquiry"
❌"Networking Request"
❌"Quick Question"
❌"I Need Your Advice"
❌"Can We Connect?"
❌"Following Up"
❌"Introduction Request"
❌"Meeting Invite".
💡 ProTip:
Did you know that with ZenoChat by TextCortex, you can create compelling subject lines?
Just prompt Zeno with your instructions and get a list of subject lines in a matter of seconds.
3. Create The Body of A Networking Email
The way you present yourself and the information in a networking email contributes to its overall success and credibility.
3.1. Briefly Introduce Yourself and Your Background
Highlight any relevant experience or achievement to help the recipient understand who you are and why you're reaching out.
3.2. Tell What You Admire About Their Work
By acknowledging and expressing appreciation for their work, you demonstrate that you've done your research and value their expertise and contributions.
In addition, it can establish a sense of trust and respect between you and the recipient, leading to more fruitful networking opportunities down the line.
📌 Note:
Don’t pay empty compliments like your work is super motivating. Always back up your compliments with the real facts of why you admire them.
For example,
"I read your X article about the [the topic] last week. I especially liked your point about [state the point].
3.3. Mention Similarities
Now it’s time to use the info from your research and play on the similarity card - It could be a similar hobby, interest, previous work experience, etc.
“I noticed that we both share a background in [related industry/field], and I was curious about your experience working in the [type of work/project]. I would love to hear more about your journey and any insights you might have to offer.”
3.4. Ask For Help & Offer Help
Any good-quality business relationship is based on mutual benefits and give and take.
Thus, even if you want to ask for help or advice, be ready to offer something in return: your expertise in some other matter, an important connection you can send their way, etc.
For example,
“I'd be more than happy to share any insights I've gained from my own experiences, and I have a few contacts in the industry who I think you might be interested in connecting with as well.”
The bottom line is that people should feel like they want to help you after reading your mail and not feel forced to do it.
Therefore, avoid lines such as: "May I ask you a favor?" or "I feel terrible for asking this."
💡ProTip:
TextCortex’s Bullet-to-email feature allows you to create versatile emails from bullet points.
You can provide as few as 3 bullet points.
4. Close With A Specific Call-To-Action (CTA)
Ending your networking email with a direct and specific CTA is paramount because it sends a clear signal of how you want further communication to continue and your expectations.
For example,
- "If you have a moment to chat next week, I would love the opportunity to learn more about your experience and expertise in [specific area]. Please let me know if that works for you."
- "I plan on attending [specific event] next month, and would be delighted to connect with you in person if you happen to be going as well. If you're interested, we could coordinate a time and place to meet up."
- "If you happen to know anyone else who works in the [industry/profession] field, I would really appreciate any introductions or recommendations you might be able to offer. Thank you so much!"
- "If you have any open positions or professional projects that I might be a good fit for, I would be very interested in learning more. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you think there might be an opportunity for us to work together."
- "If you have any further insights, advice, or resources that you would be willing to share, please feel free to send them my way. I value your expertise and appreciate your help in expanding my professional network."
Furthermore, a clearly communicated CTA doesn’t leave the recipient in limbo, not knowing the future steps.
🎁 Bonus: 3 Extra Tips to Create Compelling Networking Emails
Tip 1: Proofread Your Email
In order to deliver a perfect networking email, you should thoroughly check it for grammar and spelling mistakes.
Nothing spells unprofessional more than an email filled with mistakes.
Moreover, it isn’t only about the mistakes, but it sends a negative message that you don’t pay attention to details and might not be professional.
💡 ProTip:
Grammar Checker by TextCortex helps you get an error-free email by checking typos, punctuation, and spelling errors, including sentence clarity.
Furthermore, TextCortex provides a Readability Checker to ensure your email is digestible and conveys your message clearly.
Tip 2: Follow-Up
Building nurturing and long-lasting relationships takes more than a few emails back and forth.
Try to keep the communication alive by following up and staying in touch, providing updates on your side, and asking for theirs.
In addition, you can share the latest industry insights or research or any news from your mutual interest pool.
Tip 3: Don’t Come Across As Too Forward
It's important to strike the right tone in a networking email - you want to come across as polite, respectful, and genuinely interested in building a professional connection.
Thus, use a friendly, professional tone, and make sure to express gratitude for any assistance the recipient might be able to provide.
And perhaps even most importantly, give the recipient an opt-out option - that you understand if they're too busy or not interested in connecting.
Furthermore, phrase your request in a way that gives the recipient the option to decline without feeling guilty or pressured.
💡 ProTip:
If you struggle to set the right tone and are worried if you’ll come across as too informal or too formal, TextCortex’s Tone Changer will come in handy.
It provides more than 10 tones of voice for every occasion.
3 Networking Email Templates to Try Today
Template 1: Asking For Collaboration
Subject line: Exploring a Potential Collaboration
Hi [Name],
My name is [Your Name], and I manage [your position] I read [mention the article] last week and appreciated your valuable insight on [the topic].
I'm building our partnerships list for the upcoming year and would love to discuss paid opportunities for you to share your expertise with our audience.
Would you have time to hop on a call in the coming weeks and talk about your upcoming plans and future collaborations?
Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you,
[Your Name].
Template 2: Looking For Advice
Subject line: Seeking Mentorship Guidance in [Your Industry]
Hi [Name],
My name is [Your Name], and I run [Your Company], a new company that produces and distributes right here in [Country]. I am relatively new to [Your Industry] business and still learning my way as I grow [Your Company].
I know you have a lot of experience in the space, and it would be great to sit with you and learn about the industry as well as the “do’s” and “don’ts” as I get started.
I'd be more than happy to share any insights on the latest research I've conducted, and I happen to know a few contacts in the industry who you might find interesting.
Please let me know if you’re free for coffee over the next couple of weeks. I’d appreciate the chance to ask questions.
Thanks again,
[Your Name].
Template 3: Mentioning a Mutual Connection
Subject line: Referred by [name of the referral] – hoping to connect with you
Hello [Name],
My name is [Your Name], and I work with our mutual friend [Friend’s Name]. He passed your contact information along to me because he recognized that we share a passion for [the topic].
I thought I would introduce myself and reach out to see if you want to talk more about your role at [Company Name]. It seems it would be mutually beneficial for us to talk about our experiences or share tips for working in this field. I’m open to meeting in person or connecting virtually.
I look forward to talking with you!
Thank you,
[Your Name].
Wrapping It Up
Writing a networking email can seem daunting at first, but by following our tips and advice you’ll be well on your way to crafting an effective message that can help you:
- Expand your professional connections and
- Build relationships in your industry.
Furthermore, we have one more ace up our sleeve - an AI-powered writing assistant to resolve your writing pain points and dilemmas to create compelling networking emails.
How Can TextCortex Help You Craft Networking Emails That Get Response?
TextCortex is an AI-powered solution that has a wide range of writing features and tools under its roof to facilitate the writing process.
Thus, you can hone your writing skills and leverage the maximum impact of your writing, be it blogs, emails, essays, etc.
Therefore, TextCortex provides:
🔥 Rich text-editing and writing tools, such as paraphrasing, summarizing, expanding, rewriting, etc., to reshape your writing according to your goal.
🔥 ZenoChat, a fully customizable AI assistant that answers your queries and turns your prompts into meaningful content.
🔥 Translation tools to convert emails or other content into over 25 languages.
🔥 Marketplace that provides numerous templates you can filter according to categories and occupations.
🔥 Knowledge Base that stores your files and documents in a centralized place, enabling you to retrieve information in an instant.
🔥 Customization options based on your prompts so you can create personalized and tailored content.
And so much more.
TextCortex is accessible as a web app and a Chrome add-on, and it integrates on over 4,000 online platforms without switching a tab.
Sounds promising?
Sign up for TextCortex today to upgrade your email writing.
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