Word-of-mouth leads in Raleigh after 3 years as an IT help-desk technician

Two small Raleigh employers told me they are hiring but have not posted yet. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. They like a brief email with a résumé. Should I visit in person?

A short email with two sentences about what you can do and your résumé attached worked for me. I followed up after a week.