January 2020

These are some networking tricks I picked up over the years.

• Take some time off in December to arrange meetings with your network. They are more likely to be available during this period.
• Meeting in December also allows you to ask icebreakers like reflecting on the year, plans for the next year, holiday plans and questions about family.
• I like to tell the people I meet in December that they are part of my December ritual. Some have since adopted the practice.
• In Singapore, Chinese New Year open houses are also a great networking opportunity. Identify some and get a foot in the door. Getting an invite might be tricky but its part of the "game" in the same way that some people's emails are difficult to discover.
• If you are relatively young, you should seek out mentors. Be sure to offer a value proposition to your potential mentor. See my note on Cold Emails.