arketing and business development professionals agree that most of the "deals" that occur in business are based on whom you know. It's not necessarily due to favoritism; rather, knowing someone in another company makes it easier for you to get fast access to the decision-makers. Having a "connection" also helps to raise your proposition/idea to the top of the heap of "to do's" on a list, and a relationship or introduction serves as the essential basis for the trust required in developing a successful agreement. Quality networking is simply one of the most important skills required for success in business.

ost guides to successful networking suggest that every meeting or social gathering you attend can be an opportunity to meet individuals who help you make important connections.   If you need a few networking tips, visit Susan RoAne's Ten Top Tips for mingling at tradeshows, meetings, and conventions.  If you do make a connection and you forget to obtain a business card (or lose one!) it can become quite a challenge to track them down.  Or, perhaps you've read read about a potential contact in an industry publication and have only part of the necessary information you need to reach them. In many cases you can locate a colleague quickly via the internet with little information.

The Basics - "Find People" Sites.

here are multiple sources and methods for tracking down a "known" person via the internet.  Since each database is different it is worthwhile to check several.  It is very easy to find a phone number and residential address for virtually anyone in the US, Canada, and many countries around the world.  Somewhere between 10 and 15 million names are available from the assorted companies that provide White pages directories. Our favorite search site is 555-1212, where you can enter a name once and search 3-4 different engines.   Other searches can be found at sites like Hotbot- Findpeople; WhoWhere-, Infoseek Search, NetLink Business pages search.