Business Networking Tip #4: Turn Contacts Into a Network

After you've attended a number of business networking events and have collected a stack of business cards from contacts, you may ask yourself, "What do I do with these contacts?"

One of the key benefits of networking is being able to weave contacts into a network of people who can help each other.

If you keep your contacts from knowing with each other, there's little way they can work together to help you achieve your objectives. On the other hand, if you have introduced many of your contacts to each other, it's easy for them to work with each other in ways that benefit both them and you.

While it's possible for the contacts you introduce to each other to exclude you from their activities, that's very unlikely when you are a key part of their lives.

So, how do you introduce contacts to each other? Here are a few ways to introduce your contacts to each other.

• Introduce two contacts to each other when you see both of them at a networking event.
  
• Send an introductory e-mail to both people describing a bit about each person and why you think they would be interested in knowing each other.
  
• Schedule a conference telephone call for all three of you so you can introduce them to each other.
  
• Schedule a breakfast, lunch, or dinner where the three of you can meet.

Each person will be impressed that you've made a special effort to help them meet someone they're likely to be interested in knowing.

The more you're able to introduce people to each other, the tighter your network becomes, and the more everyone in your network will benefit from knowing each other.