Why do we take business cards from people we meet?  Hopefully because they made a positive impression and we would like to follow-up; to start a conversation that could lead to a relationship that will benefit us both.  If they have made a great impression on you, isn’t it possible they would have that effect on someone in your network?

I often make connections for people after just one meeting and I do this based on a few simple things:

1) Did they make a great impression on me?
2) Did they talk about something that sparked a connection to a contact in my head?
3) Could they benefit someone I know and gain from the connection?

If so, I will make the connection and tell my existing contact how I met them and what little I know about them.  They can follow-up and see if the connection is good for them.  So often, we miss the chance to connect people, saying “I need to get to know people before I introduce them” I would challenge this belief – they are grown-ups! Let them build their own relationship if it feels right.

Not all connections will happen straight away of course; I recently gave a card to a friend who was looking for a gift-wrapping company, that I had taken from a lady I met 18 months ago.  The owner had made a great impression on me and I took three of her cards.  I was thrilled to hear from my friend a couple of days later, that they had been very helpful and were sorting out her order.  I also received an email thanking me for the connection from the gift-wrapping service.

So next time you take a business card, ask for a couple of extras – build your credibility with great connections.