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Business communication, networking, soft skills
And now you’ve been promoted — what should you do next?
Who should you connect with, and how?
Networking at events. Organizing effective communication
Congratulations!
You’ve just been promoted to the level of vice president in your organization. The first months bring not only new responsibilities but also a new circle of communication. And yes, feeling nervous about interacting with senior leaders is completely normal. Here are the people who may feel especially intimidating at first:
Who can feel especially intimidating to communicate with (at first):
• Chairperson / CEO: the ultimate source of authority and evaluation in your organization. The “boss of bosses.”
• Board members (especially independent directors or major investors): their questions can feel like hammer blows. They assess the entire team.
• Key regulators or representatives of government bodies overseeing the financial or technology sectors (e.g., heads of central bank departments): a lot depends on their opinion.
• “Power brokers”: experienced, long-standing top managers or advisors.
Not always at the top of the org chart, but their influence is significant. They know all the hidden pitfalls.
• Highly successful and assertive peers at the C-1 level or close to it: competition at this level is a high-performance sport.
• Key clients: individuals with significant wealth and influence, accustomed to flawless service and results.
• Major shareholders: people who have invested substantial resources into your organization.
• Leading experts in specialized areas of IT or finance: critically important for the company’s strategy, often challenging to communicate with, aware of their uniqueness — the “prima donnas.”
• Board members (especially independent directors or major investors): their questions can feel like hammer blows. They assess the entire team.
• Key regulators or representatives of government bodies overseeing the financial or technology sectors (e.g., heads of central bank departments): a lot depends on their opinion.
• “Power brokers”: experienced, long-standing top managers or advisors.
Not always at the top of the org chart, but their influence is significant. They know all the hidden pitfalls.
• Highly successful and assertive peers at the C-1 level or close to it: competition at this level is a high-performance sport.
• Key clients: individuals with significant wealth and influence, accustomed to flawless service and results.
• Major shareholders: people who have invested substantial resources into your organization.
• Leading experts in specialized areas of IT or finance: critically important for the company’s strategy, often challenging to communicate with, aware of their uniqueness — the “prima donnas.”
How do you handle all of this?
How do you avoid looking like a newcomer and build equal, partnership-based relationships?
Key principles:
Start conversations without clichés (and without awkwardness):
Deep preparation is your shield and sword: before the meeting, study not only their work but also the personal context.
What is currently important to this person?
What challenges is their company or department facing?
What are their latest public talks or projects?
What is being written about them in industry media?
Deep preparation is your shield and sword: before the meeting, study not only their work but also the personal context.
What is currently important to this person?
What challenges is their company or department facing?
What are their latest public talks or projects?
What is being written about them in industry media?
“Mutual connections” are your entry ticket:
Find out who among your current contacts is connected to this person. Ask a colleague or a mutual acquaintance for a “virtual introduction” before the meeting (“Anna, I’ll soon be meeting Igor Petrovich regarding X — I heard you worked with him on project Y. Could you share your impressions?”).
This immediately creates a point of leverage.
Find out who among your current contacts is connected to this person. Ask a colleague or a mutual acquaintance for a “virtual introduction” before the meeting (“Anna, I’ll soon be meeting Igor Petrovich regarding X — I heard you worked with him on project Y. Could you share your impressions?”).
This immediately creates a point of leverage.
Avoid:
“Nice to meet you,” “What do you do?” (you should already know!), and empty compliments.
Start with a clear context:
“Aleksey Vladimirovich, colleagues from [Department/Company] mentioned your work on [project]. I’d like to discuss how our experience in [your area] could be useful in this context…”
“Irina Sergeevna, how do you assess the recent changes in [regulatory topic]? This is a key focus for us at the moment…”
“Irina Sergeevna, how do you assess the recent changes in [regulatory topic]? This is a key focus for us at the moment…”
How to feel confident around more successful people:
Focus on value, not status: you’re here for a reason. Your perspective, your experience, and your access to the company’s resources are your currency. What can you bring into the conversation? What unique insight or resource do you have?
They’re people too: even the most powerful CEO once started from scratch, makes mistakes, and deals with complex challenges. Picture them in an ordinary setting.
Preparation equals confidence: the deeper your understanding of the topic, the more confidently you speak. Knowledge of details is your best ally against imposter syndrome.
Package your confidence: posture, eye contact, and a calm pace of speech matter. Don’t be afraid of pauses to think — it signals thoughtfulness, not weakness.
Shift your focus: instead of “They’re so impressive, and I’m not…”, think “What goal can we solve together?” or “What interesting question can I ask?”
They’re people too: even the most powerful CEO once started from scratch, makes mistakes, and deals with complex challenges. Picture them in an ordinary setting.
Preparation equals confidence: the deeper your understanding of the topic, the more confidently you speak. Knowledge of details is your best ally against imposter syndrome.
Package your confidence: posture, eye contact, and a calm pace of speech matter. Don’t be afraid of pauses to think — it signals thoughtfulness, not weakness.
Shift your focus: instead of “They’re so impressive, and I’m not…”, think “What goal can we solve together?” or “What interesting question can I ask?”
Look for mutual benefit (win-win):
Before asking for something, think: “What can I offer in return?” It doesn’t have to be material — insights, access to information, support for their initiatives, or simplifying processes all count.
Framing: rephrase your request as a joint initiative or an exploration of possibilities.
Instead of: “We need your support for budget X.”
Better: “I see a strong alignment between your strategy [their goal] and our project X. Let’s discuss how we can combine efforts/resources to achieve [shared outcome], and what form of support would be most effective.”
Use “we” and “our”: “How can we solve this?”, “How does this fit into our overall strategy?”, “What approach would be best for our company/client?”
Framing: rephrase your request as a joint initiative or an exploration of possibilities.
Instead of: “We need your support for budget X.”
Better: “I see a strong alignment between your strategy [their goal] and our project X. Let’s discuss how we can combine efforts/resources to achieve [shared outcome], and what form of support would be most effective.”
Use “we” and “our”: “How can we solve this?”, “How does this fit into our overall strategy?”, “What approach would be best for our company/client?”
Be an expert in your field:
Speak confidently about what you are responsible for. This is the foundation for an equal dialogue.
Build connections without coming across as transactional:
Genuine interest is the foundation: your main goal in the first meeting is to understand the person and their context, not to “get” something. Ask open-ended questions about their challenges, views on the industry, and current priorities.
Give before you ask: share a relevant insight, article, or contact (without expecting an immediate return). “I recently came across a report on [topic] and thought it might be relevant to your work on [their project]…”
Focus on the long term: show that you’re building a relationship, not chasing a quick win. “I’m just getting into this area and would like to better understand the context and the people shaping it. I really appreciate the opportunity to connect.”
Measured transparency: you can gently indicate your area of interest without making a direct ask. “One of my current focuses is [your topic], so I’d be especially interested in your perspective on [related topic].”
Give before you ask: share a relevant insight, article, or contact (without expecting an immediate return). “I recently came across a report on [topic] and thought it might be relevant to your work on [their project]…”
Focus on the long term: show that you’re building a relationship, not chasing a quick win. “I’m just getting into this area and would like to better understand the context and the people shaping it. I really appreciate the opportunity to connect.”
Measured transparency: you can gently indicate your area of interest without making a direct ask. “One of my current focuses is [your topic], so I’d be especially interested in your perspective on [related topic].”
Connection through shared interests and values
If you learn that the person is passionate about something (charity, sports, art, technology) — and it resonates with you — use it as a point of connection after the business part. “By the way, I saw that you support [project]. I really admire their work in [specific area] as well.”
The key point? Show genuine interest.
Know more about the person than just their name and title. Understand their context, challenges, and goals. Have “mutual connections” as a point of leverage. And always look for areas of mutual benefit — partnerships emerge where interests align. Your task is to find that intersection and propose a path toward a shared goal.
Good luck at your new level!
Know more about the person than just their name and title. Understand their context, challenges, and goals. Have “mutual connections” as a point of leverage. And always look for areas of mutual benefit — partnerships emerge where interests align. Your task is to find that intersection and propose a path toward a shared goal.
Good luck at your new level!
Leonid Bugaev
is an expert in business communications, a corporate trainer, speaker, and conference moderator. He is the author of the books “Mobile Marketing”, “Mobile Networking” and "People Like Me: 99 Rules for Building Connections That Actually Matter."
Follow Leonid on Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube so you don’t miss new publications. Also take a look at his business training programs on networking, B2B sales and trendwatching, as well as his books and interviews.
Follow Leonid on Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube so you don’t miss new publications. Also take a look at his business training programs on networking, B2B sales and trendwatching, as well as his books and interviews.
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