1) Who they are and what their background is.
a) Alan Perera is a stock market analyst in Miami, FL
b) Ed Gonzalez is the manager at an electronics and furniture store
c) Shane Hatheway was an app developer who designed Mary Kay's application and then retired
2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.
a) Alan is a casual investor who I pitched my idea to to gain his insight in the industry and as an individual investor.
b) Ed is a supplier as he has interacted and assisted consumers for over 20 years.
c) Shane is someone who created a project and successfully sold it.
3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.
a) My grandmother works at a law office and he is in the office next door so she connected me.
b) My grandfather became besties with him after buying a couch from him and now they drink and travel together.
c) Shane is my ex-stepdad's brother and I have met him before but only in passing.
4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation?
a) Currently, we are in different cities so we only spoke over the phone, but we spoke about meeting over coffee in the future.
b) Once again, the distance meant we could only speak on the phone but in the future we talked about my family having dinner with his.
c) Speaking on the phone, we connected about his daughter who I babysat when I was younger and also about his experiences as a developer.
5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?
a) Alan is a potential investor and could possibly introduce me to more investors. He gave me some good ideas on how I could market this design to a larger company and sell it after making a prototype.
b) Ed talked to me about what consumers want and how they acquire it. He gave me really good insight to the industry itself.
c) Shane spoke to me about the process of creating his product, patenting it, and then selling it. It was a stressful process at the time, but now he has really benefited from it as a stay-at-home dad who spends time with his family.
Finally: Reflect. This experience requires you to do a little 'targeted networking.' How will this experience shape how you participate in any future networking events? Did this experience differ from your networking experiences in the past? How?
My networking in the past has been more personal as I connect with work with people. Usually, I build rapport and work with others but in this situation I simply started talking and asking them for advice.
Hey Jane!
ReplyDeleteI thought you took great advantage of networking through this assignment! The people that you were able to reach out to gave you some really useful advice. All three of the individuals were so successful in their own ventures that they would definitely be able to help you find success in yours. You made a great point in your reflection. All it takes is one good conversation to start building a strong network of professionals. Great job on this post!
Jane,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading and learning about the people you think will help grow your social capital within your business. You reached out to some useful people. I like how you discussed taking advantage of any situation you can get because all it takes is one good one. It's important to build a strong network and you've started well. Overall, nice job with this post.
Hi Jane! It sounds like everyone you spoke to could benefit you in the future with your professional goals. I think it is great that you spoke to these people, even though it was all over the phone. I also found that reaching out and simply asking questions was a little strange for me; I am also used to making a personal connection before asking for help/advice.
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