

Most company email addresses are made up of a person’s first name initial and last name the company name DOT com. Use the aforementioned spreadsheet, and be sure to include email addresses when possible. You can usually find this format, so guessing the person’s email is relatively easy. Take note of how the publicist’s email appears. These releases often include quotes from senior employees. Search Google and the company website for press releases. Non-students can also use Lexis Nexus’ and Hoovers’ basic search functions. Ask your campus librarian or research assistant for help. You are paying plenty for your education, so use the free tools and resources that come along with the package. Hoovers often includes a list of senior managers for firms, annual earnings, and the company address. If you’re a student, you probably have access to search engines like Lexis Nexus and Hoovers, which provide additional information that you likely won’t find from a typical Google search.

I’ll write much more on LinkedIn in Chapter 4. If you are already actively using LinkedIn, you may discover that you are connected to the person you want to meet. Then flip through the results until you find the appropriate person to contact. Search for the company on LinkedIn, and select Employees. LinkedIn is a valuable resource for researching who does what in each company. If the company is private, you need to be more creative to track down the name. If the company is publicly traded, it should be relatively easy to locate the name of the person you want to meet on the company website.

For example, if you are seeking a marketing position, it’s essential to find out who the chief marketing officer or marketing manager is. Upon creating your dream list of companies in your spreadsheet, you will want to research who it is you should be meeting. New Business Networking: How to Effectively Grow Your Business Network Using Online and Offline Methods
