Being seen is half of phase 2. The other half is being connected, and that doesn't mean meeting strangers. You already know people: colleagues, former colleagues, people you've met once, people in your field whose work you follow. You've just never looked at that circle and asked what's in it. This week you do, and then you practice the one skill that turns contacts into connections.
Two columns matter more than the rest. Who has access to the rooms your target depends on, and who has actually seen you do real work. Where those overlap, you have a real opportunity, and possibly the person who could advocate for your target. Where they don't, you have useful information: people with access who've never seen your work, or people who've seen your work but can't open the door. Both gaps are fixable now that you can see them.
Then the skill. If networking has always felt fake, it was probably actually fake, because the standard version is a transaction: collect contacts, say the right things, never speak again. The shift is small and it changes everything. Stop asking "what can I get from this person," start asking "who is this person, actually." Lead with real curiosity and the conversation gets interesting, the other person feels seen, and you end up genuinely useful to them. You don't need a clever opener. You need one good question and the willingness to listen.
Map your circle, today. Open a note titled "My professional circle." Write everyone in your professional world, using script 1 to jog the categories. Then mark two things per name with script 2: do they have access to the rooms your target needs, and have they seen your work. The overlap is where you start.
Name your three. From the map, pick three people to focus on for the rest of the program, script 3. Not the most senior; the three where a real connection is realistic and useful to the target.
Have one real conversation. Pick one setting this week and set one goal with script 4: one real conversation, not five contacts. Memorize the three questions in script 5 so your mind doesn't go blank, and use one.
Word for word, ready to use. Edit any script to make it yours, then copy it.
Write names under four headings so you don't miss anyone: people I work with now, people I used to work with, people I've met once or twice, and people in my field I follow or admire.
For each name, answer yes or no to both: "Does this person have access to rooms my target needs?" and "Has this person actually seen me do real work?" Two yeses is your starting point.
"For the rest of the program, I'm building a real connection with [name], [name], and [name]." Three you can tend beats thirty you'll ignore.
Before you walk into any setting: "My goal here is one real conversation, not a stack of contacts."
Pick one. "What brought you here?" Or, with a little context, "What are you working on right now that you're most excited about?" Or, when you're unsure where to start, "I'd love to hear more about your work in [area]. What's been the most interesting challenge lately?" Then listen.
Your Friday email carries the reply template. These are the prompts inside it.
Coming in cold? Do move 1 only. The circle map is the piece week 9 builds on; the conversation can wait a week.
Stuck, or something not working? Pick what fits.