Networking Blind Items 9.16

Networking stories I heard in the past few weeks:

“A colleague of mine started consulting at a nonprofit. On his first day, he called to introduce me to one of his new associates there because they were planning a talent show. He knew I had entertainment contacts. Two of my friends became judges and one of them was allowed to do a comedy bit at the show. Soon after, that comedian went from friend to client.”

“I was looking to hire salespeople for my company. I let all my friends know via LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter. Also had a press release. A networking buddy of mine posted the release on Digg, which I never use. A great applicant suddenly appeared and we were off and running.”

Remember, networking is not this complicated science. You just have to be willing to go out and meet folks, be willing to make introductions, and be willing to do for others. Everyday small biz owners and entrepreneurs have similar stories; it’s not just the Donald Trumps and the Warren Buffetts of the world parlaying their connections to make things happen. They may be the only ones we read about in the mainstream media.