How to Expand Your Network With the People You Already Know

When the average person wants to expand their network, they usually do two things:  the first thing they do is contact all of the people they know and the second thing they do is tell them they want to expand their network.

However, this may not be the most effective way to approach it.  Most people will usually contact the people in their immediate circle because they think that they are the most likely to help them.  The issue with that is that if they are in your circle, the odds are that you know many of the same people and so the group of potential new people is not as large as it could be. 

This is not to say that it will not work, as the average person reportedly knows approximately 600 people.  Asking your network for a specific recommendation for something or someone we are looking for can be remarkably effective as they know us well and may know the type of person that would most match our personalities and needs.

Who to Contact

The issue is that there is a more effective way to network if you want to meet more people: contacting the people we are not in regular contact with.  Since we do not regularly move in their immediate circle, the number of people they know that we do not know is probably much higher as the potential overlap with our circle is much smaller.

So, how do we do this?  The best way is to contact people in our emails, our phones or on Linked In that we have not spoken to in a while and let them know that we are interested in what they are up to as we have not spoken to them in a while.

This simple request is so effective because we are not asking for anything difficult and we are not selling anything.  We are actually asking them about themselves and rekindling whatever connection we had with them in the past.  If we show genuine interest in them they can become part of our active network again, and by extension can connect us to the people they know. 

Then, by being sincerely interested in them and what they are doing, if we ever need to ask for a suggestion for a product, service or an introduction, they will be more likely to recommend someone they know.

The one thing to remember is that you cannot simply ask people to reconnect with you so that you can meet more people.  You must give to your network, whether that is in genuine interest, a rekindled friendship or recommending them to someone that could benefit from their product or service. 

If you sincerely provide value to your network without expectation, it will expand and people will be happy to let you into it.