Whether you are looking to get a job, make a sale, or just tell Steve Jobs how much you love him, it is always much easier when you have the appropriate contact information. Unfortunately, most of us do not have a rolodex as robust as Will Smith’s. Us commoners need to be crafty.
Through my trials, I have devised 10 strategies that 60% of the time, work every time. Some are free and some require subscribing to paid sites, but these strategies have helped me reach top names at Fortune 500 companies and small boutique agencies.
- Alumni Network
- Fortunately, I have access to a digital alumni network at both my undergraduate and graduate schools. These databases are filled with past student’s information and are sortable by industry, location, graduate year, etc. I have learned that alumni are more willing to help fellow alumni (some psychological satisfaction in helping fellow alums). This is usually a first great step. Even if the person you want to contact did not go to your school, perhaps one of his/her fellow employees did. That person may be willing to connect you.
- Work/Friend Network
- Similar to your school’s alumni network, your friends, coworkers and people you have done business with may be able to help you out. Ask around and see if anyone knows anyone that works at the company you are trying to reach. From there, see if you can sugar-talk your way into getting the appropriate contact information (Note: if you feel uncomfortable asking friends and coworkers for help, how do you think you are going to feel talking to a cold contact you did not even have information for? Man up! Or Woman up!).
- You’d be surprised how well LinkedIn works. You can sort by company and then see how many connections link you with someone in that company. From there, perhaps you can ask a friend to connect you or you will realize you already know somebody that works for or used to work for that company. This information can also help when you finally talk to your cold contact. If they have a LinkedIn profile, they most likely updated it with some personal information (i.e. college, past jobs, clubs, etc). See where you have ties. If the contact went to Wisconsin, maybe you should look up the Badgers football score before contacting them so you have a conversation starter you know they will be interested in.
- Google Search
- Try searching for the contact name and the company name you are trying to reach. See if there is any contact information in news articles, interviews, press releases, etc. It is not as easy as the three tips listed above, but I have had success digging through the internet. Along the way, it also helps me learn more about the company and the contact I am trying to reach. In the end, this will never hurt, whether you are trying to get a job with this company, or make a sale with this company
- Capital IQ/Bloomberg
- These sites require a subscription, but if you have access to them or know someone who does, it can be very helpful. These services offer complete information on numerous companies. This includes financials, board members, key executives, contact information, corporate addresses, etc. If you can find a way to use these services, you should be in good shape.
1 comments:
This is a little bit of a sneaky strategy but I find it works quite well to get through to Linkedin people that are otherwise tough to get in touch with. By joining a group they are also a member of (this is usually listed on the profile), you can often send them free messages. This works as a way to contact them directly without needing connections in common, as well as providing you with an instant icebreaker ("I see we are both members of the XYZ network and wanted to reach out"). Obviously you shouldn't join groups you don't have a genuine interest in. Another bonus is that you can then browse the group directory to see other people in your network who share those affinities as well, resulting in more potential connections.
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