True, just one out-of-the-blue phone call to a former boss, that lengthened into a three-hour employment interview, solved Matt Marketczar's problems with possibly-world-record speed. But everything just happened to work perfectly. Matt enjoyed a moratorium on Murphy's Law on that one day in his life when he needed it most. Unfortunately, Murphy keeps pretty close watch on you and me. Personal Contact, for us, involves a long series of lunch and breakfast dates, other appointments, and countless phone calls which, added together, take up lots of time.
Therefore, it's extremely important to plan your personal contact campaign carefully. Before you reach for the phone, try to think of everyone you know who might be worth contacting. Only when you've identified all the people you might call, can you determine whom you should call, and in what order.
Matt Marketczar obviously chose to make his first call to his most likely contact. And if Bemie Bigdeals hadn't solved Matt's problem, you can bet Matt's second call would have gone to his second-most-likely contact, not to his thirteenth. Moreover, if a more subtle across-the-lunch-table approach would have been more likely to succeed, Matt would surely have employed it.
Determining Priority:
Who to contact earlier...and spend more time with... is a trade-off between two issues:
- Relevance: how likely to control, or at least know of, appropriate jobs, and
- Knowledgeable Enthusiasm: how likely to react favorably to your availability.
On the other hand, a first-class former subordinate who's always considered you a genius, and who now runs a small but respected supply, distribution, or service company in your industry, might also be a high-priority contact. There's no spot for you in his organization. But he knows what's happening in your field; he's enthusiastic about you and eager to help; and he's intelligent and discreet...not an oaf who might smudge your image while trying to polish it. His eyes and ears could be very beneficial.
Above all, beware of the perverse natural tendency we all have, to get in touch with the people we know best and are most comfortable with, rather than the ones who can do us the most good. Remember:
You can make a relevant contact more enthusiastic, but you can't make an enthusiastic one more relevant. Allocate your time accordingly. Here's a hierarchy for ranking the twin trade-offs:
Relevance
- Control of Jobs. These top-priority people have hire/fire power, or at least influence, over a job you'd want. Think of CEOs, outside Directors, and heads of functions such as Human Resources, Finance, Marketing, Manufacturing, R&D, etc.
- Vantage Point. Lower-priority, but still valuable, these contacts are extra eyes and ears. Consider middle managers in companies that interest you, and other people in your field...suppliers, customers, and consultants.
- Neither Control nor Vantage Point. Lowest in relevance are the people outside your field altogether. Some may be widely connected, and you may be interested in off-the-wall suggestions. So there's no harm in an occasional try for serendipity. But give it low priority.
Knowledgeable Enthusiasm
- Co-Workers. First-priority goes to your former supervisors, subordinates, and peers. No need to convince. Just update them on your latest exploits, and they're automatically enthusiastic. On the other hand, if you suspect their opinion from the past is negative, don't bother. Nothing you say now will overcome what they believe they saw with their own eyes.
- Closely Dealt-With Outsiders. Suppliers, customers, consultants, and others you've dealt with also have enthusiasm...or lack of it...based on prior direct experience. Moreover, they've probably heard about you from your superiors and subordinates. They can't be quite as sure as if they'd seen you from inside your company, but they're capable of justified enthusiasm. If it exists, take advantage.
- By-Reputation-Only Contacts. You've met these people and know them slightly. And, although they've never done business with you, they've surely heard others speak about you. Consider trade press editors, trade association executives, competitors you've met at industry functions, suppliers who've solicited you and customers you've solicited where no business ensued, etc. There's a little more going for you than with a stranger, but not much.
- Non-Business Connections. These are the very same people listed as number-3 under "Relevance." You may know them very well indeed, but they're not part of your business milieu. Hence, they're "long shots" as job-advancement contacts.