The Indispensible Contact Network

Each person at OpenView Venture Partners has been requested to add a minimum of 2 key people to our contact network. I have been pondering how I, and other administrative / executive assistants, can add valuable contacts to the network? The conclusion I have come to is that I add contacts each time I need to schedule a meeting/event or need to reach outside my office for support with the myriad of tasks that cross my desk.

My valuable contacts are operational support people: the assistants from other companies, the event planners at our meeting locations, the individuals who help me get travel visas and other documents for my team, and many more people who are generally perceived as functioning behind the scenes.

Here are some examples of how my network helps my Boston venture capital firm.

* If you need a letter couriered over to a lawyer’s office, I have a great relationship with a service that will bend over backwards to help me get this done as fast as possible.
* If you need a last minute catered lunch set up and delivered, I can get that done by contacting a number of caterers that will be happy to help.
* One of our portfolio companies would like help setting up an outside meeting and they need meeting space, I have a couple of contacts that will help me find the perfect meeting space for them.
* You need a document notarized and the company notary is not available, I have 2 other contacts within the building that will help us at no cost.

When I stop to think about how I can add value to our contact network, I realize that I contribute to it with my daily interactions. Never underestimate the importance of the relationships that we build day in and day out because you never know when those relationships could become a valuable part of your network.