A good way to expand your options or field specific information is to develop a list of contacts. Make a list of 200 people you know: alumni, friends, bankers, doctors, lawyers, ministers, and professional colleagues. Perhaps only 15 of these people will be involved in your specific field. The others may be former friends, acquaintances, or your Aunt Betsy who you haven't seen in ten years.
Step 1: Make a list of everyone you know. If you have difficulty developing such a list, refer to the following list of examples:
- Friends.
- Relatives.
- Classmates.
- Teachers.
- Co-workers and former co-workers.
- Pastors, ministers.
- Anyone you wrote a check to in the past year.
- People you met at conventions.
- Speakers at meetings you've attended.
Step 2: After developing your comprehensive list of contacts, classify the names into four different categories:
- Those in influential positions or who have hiring authority.
- Those with job leads.
- Those most likely to refer you to others.
- Those with long-distance contacts.
Step 3: Select at least 25 individuals for initial contact. You are now ready to begin an active prospecting and networking campaign and expand your network considerably by linking it to other people's contacts.
Step 4: Remember, when asking for contacts, it is important to word your request to generate the best response. Some powerful networking questions are as follows:
- Who do you know who...?
- Who do you know who I should know (given the following circumstances)...?
- Who do you know who knows...?
- Who do you know who would benefit from...?
- Who would you recommend I contact about...?
- I would like to know who you would recommend for...
- I am looking for...Who do you know who...?
- I would like to know the names of people you know who..."
These questions are effective because they create a greater possibility for a response than a yes/no question.
Source: Vilas. Power Networking: 55 Secrets for Professional Success. 1992.
