Posted by Dave Lorenzo - Business Coach

I just got off the phone with a friend. He changed jobs back in early December. When I asked how he got his new job he laughed and told me this story:

“I wasn’t even looking for a job. I was in the supermarket picking up a few things when I ran into a guy I used to work with. He told me that he was just thinking of me because an account director position was open and he thought I would be perfect for it. We exchanged contact information (luckily I had some business cards on me).

The next day I called the hiring manager and I set up an interview.

A few weeks later I had a great new job.

I was lucky that I ran into him. My friend and I had lost touch over the years and he had no updated contact information for me.

Since that experience I have spent countless hours updating my contacts and reconnecting with people I’ve lost touch with.”

There are two lessons for all of us in this story. The first lesson is that you can never tell who you’ll see in the supermarket so you should always have some business cards handy.

The second lesson is that you should always make an attempt to keep your contacts fresh. A quick e-mail or a brief note is a great way to make sure people know where you are and how to reach you.

Filed under: Personal Marketing
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Trackbacks & Pingbacks

1. If this doesn’t convince you of the power of pinging

   I don’t know what will. Career Intensity: Go to the supermarket and advance your career.

   Trackback by Never Eat Alone Blog — January 23, 2006 @ 13:39

2. […] Just found an interesting post by David Lorenzo mentions how a friend secured a position with a new employer. In a different way, it strengthens my point that going the more effective, but less common, route of networking (over cold calling) to develop your prospect base pays off. […]

   Pingback by SalesTeamTools.com - sales tips for professionals » Networking pays off, again — January 23, 2006 @ 15:49

3. […] Career Intensity Blog - David V. Lorenzo (tags: business networking @ToRead) […]

   Pingback by EtherThoughts » links for 2006-01-25 — January 24, 2006 @ 19:32

4. No business cards? No problem.

   From the way some people tell it, you’d think meeting someone and not having a business card with you was worse than getting caught in a blizzard without a coat. Exhibit A: From a recent story on the Career Intensity

   Trackback by Never Eat Alone Blog — January 26, 2006 @ 19:45

Comments

1. Great example Dave!

   Can you provide us with a sample email that might go out to “refresh” our clients?

   Thanks and keep up the great work!

   Jeff

   Comment by Jeff — January 23, 2006 @ 13:45

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