| Synopsis |
| The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference |
 One of the best advertisements for your organization is positive word-of-mouth. What better advertisement than a satisfied customer telling a prospect about the benefits of your product or service? But in addition to word-of-mouth, advertising, public relations and all the other tools for getting your message out, there are additional ways to keep your message spreading-to reach new and old customers, again and again. One thing you can do to get and keep your message going is to find a "Connector." Author Malcolm Gladwell's book, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, devotes a portion of its earliest chapters to these very special people. Who are they and how can they help you? Semaphore takes a look.
They Know People…A Lot of People
As the name suggests, Connectors are connected people. They have social networks that are much larger in size than the network of the average person. And those sheer numbers of people are what make the Connector valuable to the rest of us. When they hear your story, they can spread it much farther than the average person can. It is this ability to disseminate information to a large audience that makes them the first person to tell about a new product or service from your company, an event for your non-profit, or any other positive thing about your work.
They Know People…All Types of People
Connectors do not just know a lot of people-they know many types of people. They know people from different socioeconomic groups, professions, regions and backgrounds. Connectors might know these folks by virtue of working across a variety of different fields, or they may have lived in a variety of different places. Regardless of how the network developed, a Connector is a person that can communicate your story not only deeply in terms of volume of people told, but also in terms of variety of people told. Think about the target audiences for your business, service, or non-profit. Who do you know that can communicate comfortably and easily to each one? Can you link a certain person or persons to each one? You may have found a Connector. The next step is to figure out how to use that person in your communications efforts.
Connectors Are An Intersection
By virtue of their vast and deep networks, Connectors function as a kind of intersection for reaching all kinds of people-and therein lies their importance to all with a story to tell. These are the kinds of people that make a new cell phone a must have product or donating to this charity the "in" thing to do. The public comes together at the Connector-a living and breathing crossroads for the people. The occupation of those junctions make Connectors the kind of folks who can make a difference for your organization.
How Can I Find These People?
There are some simple ways to find Connectors for your business or non-profit. Be intentional about looking over your donor lists or your customer files and comparing them to your contact list-and the rest of the people you know. Try to review in your mind how your best customers came to you or how you have been finding the most new business. Continuing your current advertising and public relations efforts is also an excellent way to find Connectors that you do not already know.
Remember, once you find a Connector, try to get them involved in your communications efforts. It could be all the difference for your organization.
The article above is a summary of selected chapters in Malcolm Gladwell's book The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.
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