The month between Thanksgiving and Christmas is such a snoozer. Everyone is on vacation or at least mentally checked out at their desks.
Who wants to do business with all that eggnog and gingerbread on the brain, right?
Well… not so fast.
Everywhere I look, I see people hard at work in “sleepy” December.
- Amazon unveiled its own line of diapers
- Facebook kicked off a daily news brief called Facecast in your News Feed
- A manager at Target gave an epic motivational speech to prep employees for the holiday rush
Sure seems like we’re all keeping busy!
That’s why I think it’s more than OK to work on your career in December. Don’t feel weird if you want to email people, start conversations and set up meetings. Why waste 3-4 weeks because you’re afraid to be pushy?
Plus, if you ask the right way, there’s no harm done.
Here’s a template for a networking email during the holidays.
How to Network Over the Holiday Season
Hi _______,
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving break.
I know December is a busy time of year, but if possible I would like to get together and talk about [the task at hand; for instance, “new ways our companies can work together in 2015.”]
Please let me know a day/time that works for you.
Thanks so much,
– You
Note: The most important part of the email is to recognize the holiday season is hectic (“I know December is a busy time of year…”). Then you allow the other person to say, “Sorry, December is just bad for me. How about January?”
OR the person could say “Sure, I can find time for a meeting. How about December 15 at 2 pm?”
Then you land an important face-to-face conversation to set you up for 2015.
OK. Let’s say the person doesn’t answer your email. Ever.
What then? Do you write a follow up a few days later? Leave it alone until after the New Year?
Again, you can check back in as long as you recognize the person might be busy. Wait 2-3 days and send a note like this:
Hi ________,
I am following up on the email I sent a few days ago about meeting up sometime this month. I understand if you’re busy with the holidays, but when you have a chance let me know if you’re free.
Thanks,
– You
Note: This is a simple follow-up to keep your foot on the gas but one that shows you understand the person might be incommunicado.
So this and every December, brave the chilly weather, forge new relationships and make stuff happen.
Your career won’t build itself.