I Confess…I’m a Super Connector…(But, You Can Be One Too!)

It is confession time…Yes, I’m a Super Connector.  Although LinkedIn made this title popular, the truth is that I became a super connector long before this term became popular.  A super connector is someone who has more than 500 connections on LinkedIn.  I actually have several thousand.  Don’t be impressed. It is just a fact.  I have that many connections because I make an intentional practice of connecting with a lot of  diverse people and not only know their names but also contextual details about them and their impact.  This allows me to leverage that context and impact to make the “right” connection in ways that are beneficial in multiple directions.

One of my favorite books, The Tipping Point:  How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference  by Malcolm Gladwell, defines “connectors” as “the people in a community who know large numbers of people and who are in the habit of making introductions. ”

Based on in-depth research analyzing how trends are sparked and take hold, Gladwell studied different industries, fields and disciplines and identified three key factors that each play a role in deciding whether a particular trend will “tip” into wide-scale popularity.

3 Key Factors Influencing What Trends Become Popular:

• Law of the Few – A few key types of people must champion an idea, concept. or product before it can reach “the tipping point” and become widely popular.
• Stickiness factor – Though hard to define, its presence or absence is usually unconventional, unexpected, and contrary to traditional “wisdom” or current practices.
• Power of Context – An extremely important factor in determining whether a trend will become popular is the context such as changes in a neighborhood or social group.

Though it is easy to be completely consumed by various day-to-day obligations, demands and aspects of the business, it is critical to remember the human connection side of business.  After all, you have such a limited amount of time!  If you are depending on one connection to introduce you to all the connects you need to grow your business, it is like fishing by yourself, with one pole…What will you catch?….one fish.  However, if you cast your net wider and network with strategic alliances who are key decision makers, but not your competitors, you can get multiple introductions and catch many fish.    We can coach you to cast your net wider, network strategically, and catch bigger fish from the sea of possibilities.