Sales trainers used to train you to pin down your prospect.

“Which do you prefer, the green one or the blue one?”

“Who do you know that’s a fit for this position right now?”

Getting pinned down is uncomfortable.  Many people who get pinned down are going to avoid communication with the source of the pinning in the future.  When networking for candidates it’s much better to inquire honestly making it easy for the person you’re asking to help you now or at any time that they come across someone who may be a good fit.

“If you know of anyone who is a good fit for this role, let me know.”

Networking for candidates is about expanding reach, keeping the doors wide open so you can find and connect with the right candidate.  People have to know what you are looking for in order to help, and you have to make it easy for them to help both you and the candidate.

Todd Kmiec