In a furious effort to win the networking game, we associate ourselves with various networking groups, we “never eat alone,” and we accept LinkedIn invitations from people we barely know. We feel justified in these time-consuming endeavors whenever we can attribute a new client to them, but they require a lot of our time and are generally less productive than a single conversation with a connector. If you’ve read Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, you know that a connector is someone who is influential in their community. They have the clout to make things happen among their many contacts. They may be a referral source or a community leader.
Several years ago I was at my peak as a networker. I spent an inordinate amount of time searching for connectors. But for some reason, even after I had established these relationships I continued to meet with new acquaintances at the same frenzied pace. Meanwhile my connectors rarely heard from me. It wasn’t until much later that I learned to harvest my network more strategically.
So, today I urge you to make a list of the few people who have unequivocally demonstrated that they can help you achieve your goals. If you haven’t seen them in three months, it’s time to clear out that lunch you’ve scheduled with John Doe next week and reconnect with a proven connector.
Authored by David Ackert
