Recently I reconnected with an old friend from childhood who reminded me of a cherished schoolyard activity. As very young elementary kids we would sit at the base of the monkey bars during recess and lunchtime in the hot Tucson Sun and sift the play sand looking for small red specks we called sand rubies (most likely a type of garnet stone). We would dig our hands into the river-bottom sand and on a flat palm brush aside the regular sand to pick out the glistening red specks. As we collected the micro jewels in small glass vials my pharmacist father had provided us, we felt real satisfaction in having found these special prizes.
A jar of gems.
When it comes to networking we do much the same, sitting (or standing) in the sands of group gatherings collecting business cards to come up with a viable collection of connections. While it can be painstaking, like the children in the schoolyard, the end result is quite satisfying.
So, how do you find your “jar of gems” after an evening of networking? I follow a process something like this:
- I line up all of the cards I’ve collected during the evening on my desktop.
- Reviewing the cards for any notes I’ve collected, I then sort them into A, B and C categories.
- Immediate connections get phone calls or a meeting
- Secondary contacts get a thank you email or card.
- The “C’s” get put into my database.
- All may get LinkedIn invitations.
- Don’t forget this isn’t just about new contacts: remember those you know who you met at the event. Reach out to them and thank them for their time.
Finding and keeping track of contacts is a job, but well worth it: these people comprise your network and truly are a jar of jewels in what and who they know. Keep them and cherish them.
I do think I have a vial of those sand rubies somewhere.
Relentless
