How to: Get Back in Touch with your Contacts

Networking got tough when COVID-19 came around. Networking events and meet-ups got put hold hold and then vanished being replaced with less effecitve online alternatives or not at all.

So here is how you can get in touch with those contacts that you have barely spoken to during the last year (if at all).

#1 Start at the Beginning

To reignite your networking you need to start at the beginning.

Dig out your networking planner and revisit your priority contacts list. Have you been staying in contact with the people on your list during the past year? If you did – well done. If you didn’t don’t worry, now is that time to think about getting back in touch.

Action Point: Review and reevaluate your list of contacts that you want to get back in touch with. Write a new list of who you want to target getting back in contact with and rebuilding your relationship with.

#2 Reach Out

Once you have decided who you want to approach. The next step is to start simple and reach out – drop them an email. If you don’t have their current email address you could also use LinkedIn to drop them a message. Keep it short but personalised.

Action Point: Send them a personal email.

#3 Be Patient and Respect their Boundaries

You may not get an immediate response. Everyone is having different challenges at the moment and most people continue to be really busy. Be patient and await their response. In this environment, repeated reminders and chasers will not be appreciated. Instead, carefully think about what would be an appropriate timeframe for a gentle nudge or follow up.

Action Point: Put an apporporiate reminder in the diary to follow up.

#4 Have more one to ones

If you are like me you probably would have made plans to attend a single networking event to catch up with multiple contacts and attendees. At the moment with face to face networking and large networking events continue to be on hold so make the effort to have more one to ones with your contacts instead.

This might be by phone, by video call, by netwalking (when guidance allows) by having a virtual coffee etc. There are lots of new options – you just need to find one that works for you and each of your contacts.

Action Point: Have a plan for keeping in touch with each of your contacts in a way that works for both of you (and don’t be afraid to mix it up).

#5 Exchange personal information and be genuine.

Now is the time to get more authentic, more human and more personal. We are all still “adjusting” and no one is back to normal yet. We all continue to have challenges. Feeling like you are not alone is really important to everyone.

Be authentic and real when you are talking with your contacts and don’t be afraid of letting your professional contacts see a bit more of the real you.

Action Point: Share and Be Authentic with your Contacts.