According to a recent article in the Washington Post, the "six degrees of separation theory" (you can get in touch with anybody within six contacts) has been backed up by recent research. The researchers conducting the study used the records of 30 billion electronic conversations among 180 people around the globe to show that any two people in the world are separated by 6.6 degrees of separation. In other words, you can generally reach anybody in seven contacts or less.
So next time you are hesitant to pick up the phone, walk up to somebody in the room, or send out an e-mail to network, remember that you efforts can really have results.