Connectors

Networking is the action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts.

One of the keys to networking is developing mutually beneficial relationships.

Whenever I network with others, I try to find common ground and see if I might add value to the individual in some way.

This common ground isn’t always obvious. Doing some research into company websites and LinkedIn bios is helpful. Still, the information I’ve learned by talking with people is far deeper than what one can glean from the internet.

Who is a Connector?

A connector is someone who puts two or more other parties together for the purposes of potential mutual interests. It’s important to understand that connectors make connections on the belief that there will be shared professional and/or personal interest.

Connectors share common traits such as:

• They seek to help other people.
• They often have large networks.
• They excel at storing and recalling large volumes of information.
• They see natural links that aren’t always obvious.

Examples

Recently, I introduced a life sciences company seeking Series A round funding to a group that manages family offices for these purposes. They are now in discussions.

I also introduced the new head of innovation at a major public university to two serial entrepreneurs that he and his team will likely benefit from getting acquainted with.

One thing I’ve noticed when calling people is they assume my firm can’t add any value to them if their company isn’t immediately recruiting. As mentioned in the two examples just given, this is not always the case.

A strong connection of mine defines the word “connector.”?He has been in the RTP area for many years, attends most networking events, is engaged with 2 area universities, and always tries to find ways to help other people.

Most anyone who has been in North Carolina’s Life Sciences industry for any length of time knows him and how passionate he is about helping other people.

What’s in it for the connector, you might ask??Well, again, this isn’t always obvious.

Ultimately, there might not be anything, but building goodwill and paying it forward have often returned to our firm and me, many times over.

If you’d like some help with this and to understand how you can overcome some of these issues, please contact us.

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