It can be hard work building a network. You have to attend events, reach out to people, and go to conferences. As hard as it was to build those networks up, they can go cold without much effort at all. Can you prevent that from happening? Absolutely! In fact, there are plenty of approaches you can take. We’ve listed six of the best below.
- Tokens of Appreciation
Whether you need to take advantage of your network right now or you want to maintain a strong connection for the future, you can’t go wrong with corporate gifts. Everything from branded stationery sets to coffee mugs can be an ideal token of appreciation.
Even if you don’t always stay in contact, the odd phone call, email, and gift can keep those relationships strong and healthy.
- Organize Your Contacts
Life gets busy, and you’re very likely one of over half of business owners who work more than 40 hours a week. If that’s the case, you need to put effort into an organizational system that prevents your networks from going cold.
This can involve a spreadsheet with each contact’s information. You might write down their company, job title, notes about their interests, and their preferable times/days for contact. You may even rank each person based on how often you should contact them, such as monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, and yearly.
- Interact with Them on Platforms
Business platforms like LinkedIn can make communication with your network a breeze. Add new connections and keep up to date with what they are posting. By congratulating them on milestones and interacting with them on articles they share, you’re keeping the door of communication open.
- Arrange Get-togethers
Get-togethers with like-minded people can be valuable for your career. You can get tips and advice from people who have been where you are and hear about new industry developments from people in the know.
Get-togethers don’t have to be massive affairs with catering and venue bookings. They can be something as simple as meeting at a local café every few months on the same date. In this new COVID-19 age, you may even opt for a safer virtual get-together. There are many different online video platforms like Zoom and Skype, allowing people to get together frequently.
- Find Out How You Can Help
If you have linked up with your network connections on social media platforms, keep an eye out for ways you can help them. They may have put something up about struggling to establish work-life balance or asked about getting their bored teenager a holiday job.
You can maintain connections by merely being of assistance. You might have some ideas on separating life from work, or you may know someone looking for a student worker to help out during the week. One day, when you need assistance, they might be in a position to return the favor.
- Don’t Force It
You may be fearful about your network connections going cold, but some will go this way regardless of what you do. Don’t force relationships that aren’t meant to be. If your emails have gone unopened, your phone calls unanswered, and your social media posts unchecked, then that connection may not be right for you.
It’s hard enough building a network, but it can be even harder to maintain it. Fortunately, it’s not impossible. Be organized with reminders to reconnect, and offer tokens of appreciation. You may even see the value in get-togethers and social media interactions. These small things might be all it takes to keep your network active.
