Cannabis Networking In the Digital Age
“It’s all about who you know.” You’ve heard this euphemism countless times. Often times it’s barked with disdain by someone perhaps trying to hide their jealousy and explain the success of another as some sort of miraculous push of a button requiring no extraneous effort. Yes, it is very helpful to know the right people. Yes, you may tend to feel uncomfortable in social settings and yes, it may absolutely seem unfair that others thrive at loud bustling events (remember those, they were fun). But to that, I simply say, “so what”?
Knowing people is not all that is required for a potent recipe for success, though it is extremely helpful. The good news for you is that it has never been easier to meet new people, especially in a new and bustling industry like cannabis.
I often think about some of my corporate heroes, and how things would have been much harder for them back in the day. Navigating through life with a giant fold-up map seems completely ludicrous. Picture a day where you were collecting change to make phone calls, purchasing a new phone book every year, wandering to the library if you wanted to challenge a friend on an obscure fact or simply cross-reference something, having no way to track the order of shoes from Japan, looking for jobs in the newspaper classifieds and worst of all, if I wanted to meet a potential life partner I would’ve had to actually muster up the courage to speak to them…. in real life. The calamity. Lucky for us, we live in today’s world. Though, I’m still nostalgic for some of the rituals and speed of life of prior generations (cue work/life balance).
Globalization is bringing our giant world closer and closer every day. Gary Vaynerchuk, a marketing master and early investor in Twitter etc., explained in a keynote speech back in 2012, that the world we live in now is actually much closer and similar to the world that existed in the 1920s. We can know so much about our neighbours and friends. The doors and windows are open and the laundry is hung out to dry, constantly. The world we live in now functions as a giant small town.
Paul James, a decorated Professor of Globalization and Cultural Diversity at Western Sydney University, says, “globalization is the extension of social relations across world-space, defining that world-space in terms of the historically variable ways that it has been practiced and socially understood through changing world-time.” I like this definition a lot. Never before have social relations stretched across so many different countries, platforms, industries, races, genders and languages and the mediums are constantly evolving.
In your first step towards networking in the post-Covid digital era and finding more people to help you on your journey, I would go where the people already are. Currently, the cannabis industry lives on Twitter and LinkedIn. I personally use LinkedIn every day as I am able to reach out to potential clients and candidates and keep up with industry news. It allows me to follow companies and individuals while commenting or sharing my thoughts on the day’s musings. If you’re looking for new connections, LinkedIn is a great place to start! Make sure you’re keeping it professional though!
When creating your LinkedIn profile, or if you have one already, ensure you have a clear professional picture of yourself that is NOT a selfie. Expressing your personality can be a good thing, but there remember that at one quick glance you want your profile to reflect the person you are in the workplace. Along with your profile picture, you’ll want to add something to your bio that reflects your goals in cannabis. asd
Popular options are:
Currently seeking new opportunities in the cannabis industry
Cannabis enthusiast
Cannabis investor
Passionate about the Cannabis industry
Letting people know your interests and personal goals in your LinkedIn profile will greatly increase your chances of being added by others in the industry. Having keywords such as “cannabis” in your profile will also help you show up in more searches. Take time each day to expand your network by searching companies of those who interest you and connecting with their employees and learning, genuinely, about what is happening there and in the industry. If you’re lucky, your connection requests will be accepted. It’s best practice to introduce yourself in a brief message. I would keep it short and concise. Here’s an example of some messages that work:
Hey Toby, thx for connecting. I work with senior citizens at a medical clinic and I’m looking to network with individuals in the Cannabis industry. Are you open to a phone call for a digital coffee or Zoom meeting? I’d love to hear more about what you’ve got going on at _____. Let me know if you have a few minutes next week. Regards, Meredith
Hey Dwight, thx for connecting. I just saw that cool article you posted and I wanted to say I fully agree with your thoughts on the new legislation regarding _____. Do you have time for a quick 5-minute introduction call on Friday? Would love to chat. Thanks, Angela
Hey Pam, thx for connecting. I saw you’re hiring for a Business Development professional. I imagine you’d prefer applicants to stay out of your LinkedIn inbox but I’d be remiss if I didn’t introduce myself to you. I’ll be applying formally on your website. Hope to speak soon regardless of the job or not! Thanks so much, Jim”
Hi Stanley, thank you for connecting and Happy Friday! I see you are also looking to get into the Cannabis industry. How’s that going? I’m keen on building my network in the industry and would love to chat sometime soon! I work in insurance but I’m looking into making the move to Cannabis. Cheers, Creed“
Find your voice and what works for you. Experiment! Don’t be hesitant and don’t worry about non-responses or flat our rejection. As a rule of thumb, I would keep your messages short and concise. It’s also wise to include something personal about the recipient so the message feels less cold and out of the blue.
If it makes you feel any better because doubt will sometimes start to creep in, just remember that I once messaged a potential client and he told me to, “please f*** off.”
We can’t control others and if we don’t try to connect, we will never know. So, get out there, put your best digital hand forward and if you’re consistent, in a month or so you will have a strong understanding of the market and the lay of the land.