Transforming personal relationships into business contacts

Four things you will need to consider when asking someone directly for a referral:

• Have a reason to reach out: People are busy, so don’t contact them just for the sake of doing it. Look for a good opportunity such as a promotion or significant win in their company. 
• Personalize your message: Differentiate your brand by relating to your contact with personalization. Be sure to do your research and learn a little bit about your ideal introduction target. You can bring up how you work with them, how they have benefitted, and a hypothesis on how you can help your introduction candidate.
• Don’t go overboard: Going overboard with personalization can be a big turn off and make your contacts uncomfortable. Keep your insights related to your issue fluency with a specific title, role, and business unit.
• Know who's right. You want to connecting with individuals you know you can add value to as they may be able to assist you in your interests.

Assessing influence and boosting greater involvement:

 For greater influence in your network, categorizing potential professional referral sources into four main types of stakeholders:

1. Primary stakeholders are those you have a healthy personal relationship with that possess a role, title or degree of influence that can directly help you in your professional pursuits. 
2. Secondary stakeholders are those who you may know by name more formally and possess the same characteristics as primary  stakeholders.
3. Aspirational stakeholders are those who possess the same characteristics as primary stakeholders, but you have no existing relationship or connection to them. 
4. Connector stakeholders are those who can introduce you to secondary or aspirational stakeholders. Some refer these induvial as centers of influence or COIs.