Excellent advice on how to deal with influential people to get them to help you, from long-time technology analyst, blogger and startupper Marshall Kirkpatrick.

(Marshall has recently launched a new web app, that focuses exclusively on helping you find who is really influential in your areas of interest. The app is called Little Bird and you can go and request a free trial on the site.)

What he suggests is to invest in building long-time, high-value relationships, by using the tech tools like the one he's created, to get to know more about the people you are interested in, before you reach out to them.

The more you know who they know, what they like as well as what they have written and what brands and people they are not aware of, the easier it will be for you to reach out and provide useful information, insight and advice to them.

Rightful. Correct. 8/10

Full post: http://getlittlebird.com/2013/05/i-found-the-leaders-in-my-field-now-what/