Who Do You Want to Meet?

Part of the fun of networking is you never know who you will meet and where that relationship will take you. Each person has a unique background and something interesting to offer. Also, each person comes with his/her network so you never know who you can meet through an introduction.

At the same time, if you want to take your networking to the next level, you sometimes have to put the pieces together. For example, if you are interested in landing XYX company as a new client but don’t know anyone to contact, then you should try to leverage your network to find the right contact. A warm introduction is usually better than a cold call.

So, how do find the person you want to talk to? Below are a few tips:

• Search LinkedIn for a person or company and ask for an introduction from someone in your network
• Search your own contact database for people at the firm you are targeting
• Seek out events in which your target person will be speaking
• Search online for this person and reach out directly
• Ask people in your network if they know this person and then request an introduction

Be aware that it can take time to get in front of your target person. It can take several attempts or introductions to finally get in front of the right person. It can be fun to follow the path that your network has taken you until you reach this person.

Do you have any stories to share about how your network helped you reach someone?

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