Here’s what I hear a lot:
“Adrian, I don’t have anyone to introduce you to. You know everyone.”
Now, isn’t that silly? NYC is a big place, millions of people and businesses small and large. It’s not possible to know everyone, is it? Nope.
When I hear that line I get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. It often means that the person to whom I am speaking has given up on making introductions for me (yes, in my experience this is EXACTLY what has happened). Yes, they’ve given up and are now taking the easy road, reciprocity be damned.
Great networkers always look for ways to help others. They’re proactive and engaged in making contacts and introductions even when there isn’t an immediately observable straight line of connection. They never think that a person knows “everyone” because they know that just isn’t true.
In my networking world I am trying to develop an inner circle of referral sources, those that know that even great networkers need to keep meeting more new people so as to be able to help others and continue to make introduction for others including, yes, those folks that think I know everyone.
