Consulting 103 - Social Networking

THE TRAPLINE - or The Importance of Social Networking

This document is written from the standpoint of the consultant, but anyone can use the ideas to find and get better jobs and higher pay.

Fur trappers worked their “trapline” to trap their furs. People in marketing or sales jobs can use a trapline to bolster their efforts to succeed in business. When you are marketing, a trapline friend is any person who knows you, respects you technically, has confidence in you personally, and will take you seriously when you talk about getting business.

A trapline friend can be:

1. an existing client - the most valuable!
2. a previous client - the next most valuable!
3. people you know who are qualified buyers but who have not
bought from you yet.
4. referrals by people on your trapline.
5. someone with whom you worked previously.
6. a former employer or instructor.
7. someone you interviewed, but could not or did not hire.
8. a public or private course attendee.
9. take classes at night with students who are already consulting.
and many others.

Each year that goes by improves your trapline. The size of the trapline grows. The people on your trapline acquire more clout. The elapsed time alone increases your credibility, and your own capability increases. Your acquaintances keep reappearing in different positions of authority within their own companies.

If you are looking for a new and better paying job, the trapline is a big help. Not all jobs are advertised, and all jobs require recommendations. A recommendation from the inside is always more important. If you are looking for a new hire for your own company, the trapline works in exactly the same way. Recommendations from your trusted trapline friends are more valuable than from people you do not know or trust.

“Work” your trapline. This is how politicians keep track of those they meet. If you do this bi-weekly, the names and faces will remain fresh. I once stepped into an elevator and ran into a VP from FEDEX I had met several years previously. I not only remembered his name and the names of his wife and children but I remembered our last meeting and its content.
Good Luck
Dr LGG