Thursday, May 11, 2017

No Time for Networking

by Lynne Waymon

Too busy to re-connect and follow up?  We often hear that from our clients. 
And yet making new connections and staying in touch is a priority whether you want to advance your career, bring in new business, or gather the best business intelligence to inform future decisions.     
So how can you fit the follow through into your already packed schedule?  Try these strategies:
1.      Do you exercise?  Invite someone to walk with you or enjoy a guest pass at your golf course.
2.     Do you eat lunch?  Invite 2 or 3 people who might like to know each other to join you.
3.     Do you belong to a professional organization, but find yourself too pressed to go to the monthly meetings?  To make sure  you go, invite a guest and enjoy re-connecting as you drive to the event and sit together.  Bonus: Be sure to introduce him to others there he might like to know. 
4.     Do you read a newspaper or business magazine?  Read with a couple of people in mind.  When you see something that would be interesting or useful, clip it and mail it with a short, “Thought you might be interested” note.
5.     Do you volunteer?  Ask a contact if she’d like to join you to whip up the lasagna and deliver it to homeless shelter or pick up a hammer for Habitat for Humanity.

One of our clients used these strategies to re-connect with more than 12 key contacts in a month.   Step 1: Make a list of 12 people you’d like to reach out to.  Step 2: Invite them!  Step 3: Plan ahead to have questions and topics that will make conversation flow and help you uncover the kinds of commonalities and needs that result in relationships . . . and revenue!

No comments:

Post a Comment