A frequent question I am asked is “How can I effectively connect with Influencers” and how can I create value for them? The answer is the utilization of TRIGGER EVENTS.
TRIGGER EVENTS are situational circumstances that you hear about, experience, of anticipate that you can use to connect people in your network with VALUABLE contacts that can help them in their personal or business lives. Trigger events often give you the opportunity to show people you care about them and are willing to invest your personal relationships in helping them. My utilization of trigger events will be different than most people but you can gain from understanding how they work in strengthening MY relationships. Let me give you a series of examples:
- During a conference I recently attended in Las Vegas, I reached out to a portion of my local network and hosted a ‘meet and greet’ at a nearby restaurant. I connected many PEOPLE OF INFLUENCE I know to each other.
- For example @Lionel Richie was on the Tonight show recently and announced he is kicking off his concert tour so I reached out to him via email and congratulated him. I expressed an interest in helping him with his ‘Kids with Cancer’ project, something I know he is passionate about. He and I are going to meet to see how I can help him.
- I was watching NBC nightly news with Brian Williams and one of the stories was about a singing nurse. The expressed dream of nurse was to sing the National Anthem for the LA Dodgers. I immediately contacted Peter Gruber one of the Dodger owners to make him aware of a PR opportunity I thought he should be aware of. I also told him that a simple gesture by him to reach out to this nurse was an opportunity to make her dream come true.
- I forwarded a speaking opportunity as well an article on Happiness that was in Time Magazine to Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, who also has written a bestselling book called “Delivering Happiness”. Another trigger event tied to Tony would be anything associated the “Downtown Project”, a major focus for him and one of his passions.
- MGM has several diversity and sustainability initiatives, so I reached out to their CEO Jim Murren and his SVP of Sales to congratulate them on two of their major accomplishments. I shared a product idea with them that a friend had devised that could potentially save the hotel in excess of $20 million dollars annually.
- Larry Winget, Russ Whitney, Joe Calloway, Noah St John, and Jay Baer are authors and speakers I know from my SANG network. All of them have recently published new books. I reached out to congratulate them and sent them each an email with 12 helpful things for utilizing their networks to help them support their book launches.
- Tesla announced a new technology introduction that involved an innovative technique for swapping battery stations and their stock hit a new all time high. The next day I reached out to Elon Musk-CEO to congratulate him.
- I read in the Wall Street Journal that Larry Page, CEO of Google, was having problem with his vocal cords. I contacted him and gave him contact information for one of the countries’ top vocal coaches who could help with his condition.
- I was at an event where there was a very influential marketer. In talking with him he told me he was going thru a painful divorce and that his wife was seeking sole custody of the children. I connected him to a friend of mine who runs a network for divorced dads.
- I reached out to a busy serial entrepreneur I know and he indicated he was having health problems that were slowing him down. When he explained that he had some type of blood disorder, I reached out to Jack Canfield Co-Creator of “Chicken Soup for the Soul”. He provided contact information for a renowned blood disorder specialist that Jack had one time mentioned to me. When you help someone with their health, they always remember.
- Marc Benioff CEO of Salesforce.com partnered with his onetime enemy Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle, and announced a monster-size business deal, so I sent him a card congratulating him.
- One of the things I do on people’s birthdays is send them a video rendition of “Happy Birthday” that I keep on my iPhone and send them a text with the video. I also call people on their birthdays, anniversaries, and special occasions. I frequently send them handwritten cards in recognition of their special day.
- I was working on acquiring key note speech opportunity and contacted the VP of marketing for the software company that wanted to hire me. She told me during a phone call with her that she couldn’t meet as her mom had just been admitted to the hospital. I told her I would be praying for her mom but I also connected here to a friend of mine whose father had battled leukemia and they were able to share thoughts concerning what she was going through. She later told me it was the best phone call she had all year.
- A well known thought leader and I were recently having dinner together and he mentioned he was experiencing behavioral issues with his adopted son. I reached out to another friend that has engaged a well know Dr. and Coach to help her work thru similar behavioral issues she was having with her children. I arranged for them to meet.
- Jay Abraham a well known marketing consultant told me he wanted to help get his son an internship in the music business. I sent emails to some influential people I knew in the music business including the executive producer of the Grammy Awards, who is one of the top vocal coaches in the world. I connected him with Jay and he was thrilled.
What TRIGGER events do you use to add value in reaching out to people in your network to show them that you care? Trigger events are a great way to reach out to, stay in touch with, and add value to your network. Let me know via Facebook LarryKBenet or Twitter @larrybenet and share your success stories with me. I look forward to hearing them.