Networking for Dummies: identifying your contacts

Okay you have taken the first step and you have filled out your profile/created your elevator speech.  Now it is time to roll up your sleeves and get to work.  When you go to a networking mixer, there's time set aside for everyone to do their elevator speech.  You go around the room and everyone will get a certain amount of time to introduce themselves and what they do.  This is probably the most important part of any mixer, because this is where you identify your contacts.

In a face to face mixer you would see several people with  pad an pen taking notes, that's because they are listening to hear something that makes them think "I need to get to know this person" It may be the industry or something the person says about what they do or even the name.  But the smart networker is not looking to connect directly with everyone, he is looking for key contacts.

So what exactly is a key contact?  It's someone who you can network with that you can compliment in their business without stepping on their toes or someone who can get your entry into a certain circle.  Let me give you a couple of examples.  Suppose you go to a mixer and you really want to get into a certain industry with your product.  Lets say you sell Mary Kay and you want to get in with Wedding Planners.  And one of the other people at the mixer is the secretary of the local wedding planners association.  She would be a key contact because she can get you access to the association.  You also listen as a photographer and the owner of a boutique featuring second hand formals introduce themselves. The two of them would also be key contacts for a different reason, you can easily refer business to either one of them and they can refer business to you without either of you taking business away from each other.

So how to apply this in social networking?  First don't feel like you have to be friends with everyone on the site.  There's nothing wrong with having a lot of contacts, you never know when an obscure contact may come in handy for a referral but don't try to cultivate every connection it is impossible to do so.  More on the cultivation in the next blog so for now take the time to go through your contact list and check the profiles.  This is the time for you to "listen to the elevator speeches and pick out your key contacts!"

Look at the profile and see can you share referrals with them, can they get you entry into an area that you want to be or are they listings for the rolodex?