Growing Your Social Capital

1.       Domain Expert in your Industry

1)      Who they are and what their background is.

Michael – General Manager at the local Gate Gas Station. He has worked in Management at Gas Stations for over 10 years.

2)      Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

Domain Expert – this individual does inventory regularly at the gas station. He is aware of the amount of tobacco products that are being sold and he is also aware of the demographics that come in to purchase these items.

3)      A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

I went to the local gas station and asked the General Manager’s schedule in order to talk to him for a few minutes about his store.

4)      The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? 

Michael provided information on the tobacco products he sells at his store. Although they do not record each individual demographic, his store has a lot of regulars that shop there and purchase the same item. He is very knowledgeable on the products itself and the clientele they are attracting.

5)      How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

Michael is able to provide me with insider information. Although my goal is to stop the use of tobacco, while he’s selling it, the information will allow me to target the market as well as understand any trends that may come from it.

2.       Expert on your Market

1)      Who they are and what their background is.

Patricia – Advocate at Tobacco Free Florida. She went to school to be a Social Worker

2)      Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

Market Expert – This individual works directly within my market and offers similar services. She talks to individuals about quitting tobacco. Her company offers phone quit, group quit, web quit, 2 week starter kits, text2quit, email tips and a quit guide.

  

3)      A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

My mom works at Duval County Public School boards and she met Patricia through a school meeting they had to discuss the effects of tobacco with the students.

4)      The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? 

I talked to Patricia over the phone. She provided insight on how her company functions and what value they provide to the individuals who are reaching out. She did explain their other services such as their “Tobacco Free Zones” and how they were able to branch out/expand.

5)      How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

Including Patricia in my network would allow me to understand exactly how the market works and what I should look out for. I believe her knowledge will be essential in a sense of me setting my boundaries and expectations based on the current realities.

3.       Supplier to your Industry

1)      Who they are and what their background is.

Ado works at CVS which is a tobacco free company who also sells nicotine patches. He is a college graduate in Business.

2)      Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

Supplier – This individual also sells nicotine patches, which is one of the products we would offer with our service.

3)      A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

I knew this individual from high-school so I sent him a text message to set up a meeting.

4)      The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? 

I spoke with Ado about how the tobacco free change has affected the business and also about the sales of his nicotine patches.

5)      How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

This individual has helped me understand the process of switching to tobacco free. I will have to look into all avenues to ensure my business thrives, and that includes seeing the business in the eyes of someone who is also wants to end the use of tobacco.

Overall, this experience has opened my eyes to different perspectives. Even though everyone may have the same opinion, they all see it through different scenarios. I will have to always maintain an open mind and be understanding to differences. With businesses, I have to also keep in mind that a lot of their opinions are based on profits. I think you’re supposed to take in all of the information, and base your own conclusions once all has been taken into consideration. This did differ from my other networking experiences, because it was a more targeted interview. It wasn’t as easy to find candidates.