How large is your stack?

Open your desk drawer; how many business cards from other people are in that stack. Maybe that stack is on your desk or in a neat binder; maybe you have a rubber band around it. Now take a look at your phone contact list; how many people are in your list? 50, 75, 100? Do you still have a rolodex (yes they still sell them; I was surprised as well)? Now take a look at your email address book, how many there? If you are in sales you have a customer management program, how many are in there?

Why have I put you through this hunt? We now live in the most connected time ever, yet so many of us are not connecting. We all have Facebook, Twitter, maybe a LinkedIn, might be on Pinterest, or Foursquare. You might have a blog on Blogger or Wordpress, you might have just signed up on Google+. Wow, it sounds like we are connecting, but are we really. 

Back to the exercise, are you "connected" with all of those people on the networks you belong to or do you just have their contact info? If not, why? These are all opportunities to do business, find a job, help someone else do business, help someone else find a job, get questions answered, answer questions, or just socialize and stay CONNECTED. If you are in sales, how important would it be that you could "touch" your customers on a regular basis? If you are looking for a job, how much easier would it be to get that interview if you knew someone at that company? If you had a plumbing nightmare (yeah, I have had one of those) how great would it be that you were connected to a plumber that you sold a truck to? Maybe that lady that just came into your store is starting her own internet advertising company and you are looking for some help with AdWords. 

con·nec·tion - (k-nkshn)  - A person, especially one of influence or importance, with whom one is associated, as by kinship or common interests

I am guilty; we all are. Take a moment to go through your lists and start connecting on as many networks as possible and then stay connected. Make sure that you are not just "connecting", but that you are conversing with these new connections as well. People want to deal with someone they know. If they feel like they know you, they will be more willing to deal with you when you have a product or service they need. 

I recently lost my job at a company I had been with for 16+ years. It was time for a change, I just didn't get to decided on the timing of that change. I have no ill feelings toward the company or my former boss; I wish them well. I do wish that I had taken the time to be more connected to my clients, the sales reps who called on me, the people I had met on a daily basis. I am glad I have a stack of business cards, a phone full of numbers and an email address book.

Take the time to connect today and start talking to those connections on your SOCIAL networks. It is called social for a reason; it is time to be social and connect. Do you have other places to look for the "hidden" contacts in your life, either professionally or personally? If so, leave a comment and let us know.