Find Old Friends, Meet New Customers

According to the Harvard Business School Career Center, 65 to 85 percent of jobs are landed through referrals, easily found in alumni organizations.

For the business owner looking for new customers, alumni networks can be goldmines, too.

Commonality is the gateway to rapport; essential to warm (or hot) lead generation.

Unfortunately, these opportunities for customer discovery are often underutilized or overlooked.

Senior Director of Alumni Relations at Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Kate Lawlor offers insight into making the most of your alumni network and reconnecting with lost contacts.

Attend local events. “Get out and meet other alum even if it’s just a happy hour. You never know who you are going to meet,” suggests Lawlor.

Reach out to former classmates online. Social media networks, such as Linkedin, can help. Alumni associations typically create private groups, where members convene for business internally.

“We encourage folks to make their information readily available through online communities so other alums can easily identify the common bond,” says Lawlor.

Be proactive. “Reach out to your alumni association at least once every six months,” she recommends.

Keep your face (and business) fresh on the minds of members within your target audience.

Bonus PINK Link: How to Create a Culture of Fearless Innovation.

Have you discovered new customers using your local alumni network?

By Kelli Richardson

“It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.” Jackie Joyner-Kersee