Roger McCarty: The three-phone-call rule will help you not only in your on-campus internship project but throughout your career and your life.

Working 30 years with Dow Chemical in virtually every department allowed me to build a large network of individuals who are experts in their field. For example, I have a friend who can help me understand brain surgery. Even though he is not an expert in all phases of brain surgery, he probably knows an expert in each phase.

But what about those who don't have a large network or don't directly know an expert in an industry or field? This is where the three-phone-call rule comes in.

The three-phone-call rule is that it will take at least three phone calls to find an expert. Your first phone call is to the person you think knows the most on the topic. The first person you call will know someone else that knows more about the topic than they do, and that person will know an expert on the topic.

Let's take a look at an example. Let's say I have a question that only an expert Idaho potato farmer could answer. I know we all have burning questions about the Idaho potato market; that's why I chose this example.

Now, I don't personally know any Idaho potato farmers, so I have to think about people I do know that might know a little about Idaho potatoes. I'll pick up my phone and give my friend Sam a call. The conversation may go something like this:

"Hi Sam, this is Roger McCarty. I'm working on a project and I need to understand more about Idaho potato farmers. Can you answer a few questions for me?"

More likely than not, Sam won't be able to answer my questions, but he probably knows someone who is a little smarter than he is when it comes to Idaho potato farming. Sam says his friend Jim knows more than he does, and he gives me Jim's number.

What's next? Well, I'll pick up the phone and give Jim a call. The conversation will probably be similar:

"Hello, my name is Roger. I'm working on a project, and Sam suggested you might be able to help me."

Interestingly enough, Jim probably won't be able to answer my questions, but because of his experience and network, he knows exactly who I need to talk to. In fact, Jim went to school with a guy named Clyde who started a potato farm in northern Idaho a few years ago and is now an expert in Idaho potato farming.

When Clyde answers the phone, I can say something like this: "Hi, my name is Roger McCarty. I recently spoke to Sam, who referred me to Jim, who told me your story about your potato farm. I have a few questions about a project I'm working on, and I was wondering if I could have a few moments of your time."

It's as simple as that.

There is one final issue we need to discuss, though. What if you don't know who to call first? Here are a few ideas:

- Use alumni databases and ask for an introduction or contact recruiters within a specific company or industry.

- You can find experts in any field through conferences, industry groups, and professional organizations.

- Visit websites, read articles and proceedings from conferences and organizations to identify presenters, attendees, and organizers who would be good first contacts.

- You can also look at company directories for officers and ask for referrals further down the organization.

Oh, and by the way, be sure to use the referrer's name just like the example above to increase your response rate from the experts.

There you have it, the three-phone-call rule. All you need is a little initiative and maybe a calling card. Good luck on your projects!