Make yourself indispensable by connecting others
Kevin was an ambitious consultant who got promoted quickly. Yet he often struggled to find reliable vendor support for his firm’s software needs. One evening at a dinner party, he met Maya, head of IT for an e-commerce startup, and Alan, director of procurement at his own company. They’d never crossed paths before. Kevin saw an opportunity. He emailed Maya, “Alan is looking for scalable cloud-hosting recommendations, and your team just completed cloud migration—could you two chat?” Then he pinged Alan separately.
Within days, Maya guided Alan’s selection process, saving him thousands of dollars and a tons of headaches. Alan in turn introduced Maya to two fellow CIOs who needed implementation advice. Kevin’s social arbitrage not only solved a key vendor problem but made him the go-to connector for future projects.
This dual win cemented Kevin’s reputation—he wasn’t just a consultant; he was the person who could magically bring the right people and resources together. Social arbitrage turned Kevin into an indispensable hub in his organization’s network.
Next time you learn of two people facing complementary challenges, take five minutes to send them a personalized introduction. Frame why each will benefit, then step back. Watch them solve each other’s problems—and don’t be surprised when they start solving yours, too.
What You'll Achieve
You’ll gain confidence in brokering connections, transforming casual ties into powerful alliances. Tangibly, you’ll save others time and money, earning goodwill and a reputation as a key strategic resource.
Unleash social arbitrage
Spot two unconnected contacts
Review your master list and pick two people who would greatly benefit from an introduction—perhaps a mentor and a startup founder.
Craft a compelling intro
Email each separately, outlining why they should meet and highlighting how they can help each other achieve a specific goal.
Follow up with both sides
Check in a week later to see if they connected and ask how you can support their conversation further.
Reflection Questions
- Who in your network could benefit from knowing each other right now?
- What past connection introduced you to a game-changing contact?
- How will you follow up to ensure your introduction succeeds?
- What will you ask in return once you become known as a master connector?
Personalization Tips
- Introduce your lawyer friend to a fintech entrepreneur who needs legal advice for fundraising.
- Connect a nonprofit board member to a marketing peer who can help amplify the nonprofit’s campaign.
- Pair your real estate agent with a digital influencer looking for unique venues for next month’s event.
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