The following article that I wrote appeared in the latest Personal Branding Magazine. Check out my prior post: Personal Branding Magazine - Featuring Founders of Google
Expand Your Network by Reaching Out to the “Power Connectors”
In every industry or profession, people of big influence exist. These are the people who have large networks and can make things happen. You can call them the “power connectors”. Because of their network, they can virtually reach out to anyone they need to, which is a big component of their success. Having one of these people in your network is a huge asset that can quickly expand your reach. So, how do you identify one of these individuals?
First, if you attend a variety of industry events, then you will eventually meet some of these people or hear about them from others. These are the people who everyone in the room knows.
Second, the speakers at industry events can be well connected. How else do you think that they were chosen as a speaker?
Third, executives in your industry from leading firms are fairly connected. By having a top position, these people will naturally have a large network.
So, how do you get to know these “power connectors?” You need to be proactive and reach out to them by 1) leveraging your network to get an introduction, 2) attending an event to listen to the person speak and then introducing yourself to this individual, or 3) finding a valuable reason to contact this person such as sharing industry news or sending a book of interest. How ever you decide to contact this person, make sure that it is tactful and you are putting the other person first.
When building relationships with “power connectors”, find out how you can help them before you ask them to open up their networks. Take time to nurture these relationships and do whatever you can to gain credibility and trust. Make sure that you top of mind so invite them to events and keep them in the loop on your successes. When the time is right, these people will help you. These are some of the most important relationships you can have in your network so only leverage them when absolutely necessary. “Power connectors” are asked for favors all of the time so don’t take advantage of your relationship with them.
Over time, you can too become a “power connector” by branding yourself as an authority in your industry. By having this image, you will have the opportunity to connect with many individuals. As you start to build new relationships, make sure that you focus on integrating a variety of people into your network with various backgrounds, titles, and industry knowledge. It is good to have a diverse network to draw upon, which will be helpful when assisting others.
Every network should have a “power connector” so take the time to find yours.
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