Reconnect with your Contacts in the New Year

The holiday season and new year can be the perfect excuse to reach out to some of your contacts for a catch-up coffee (whether virtually or in line with current social -distancing guidelines) and to reconnect. This is an easy way to follow up and check-in with your contacts.

What is a Catch-Up Coffee?

A catch up coffee (whether done virtually or in line with current social distancing guidelines) can be a great way to reconnect with others and respark conversations which may have been laying dormant for a long time. Particularly as you may have hit pause in 2020 while everyone has been adjusting to the impact of the pandemic.

A catch-up coffee is a good “informal” not too time-intensive way to have a one-on-one catch up with a contact. However, it is important to remember that while a catch-up coffee might seem really informal, you should still prepare, plan in advance and follow up afterwards to get the most of out of the time spent having catch-up coffees and spending time “picking someone’s brain” after all they all add up and someone is always being generous with their time by giving some of their time to you.

Coffee and Conversations

Both our Networking Planner and our Coffee & Conversations Pocket Notebook give you the perfect space for planning out your coffee and conversations with your networking contacts.

Start by considering the motivation for your conversation.

• Why are you having coffee?
• Why are you choosing to have coffee with this particular person
• Why might they choose to engage with you?

Make notes about what you might like to talk about and do a little bit of research so you are not wasting your time and the time of your contact. Make notes about the conversation and any opportunities to add value as well as any follow-up.

The Networking Planner

The Networking Planner has plenty of planning space. Use it! If you have asked a contact for a coffee they will expect you to lead the conversation (or at least kick it off).

If it helps you write a list of all the things you want to learn from this person/ want to ask. Think back to your goals and why you are there. Take notes and look for opportunities. The Networking Planner can plan out your schedule and conversations, keep track of your priority contacts and relationships and well as your conversations.

The Coffee & Conversations Pocket Notebook

The Coffee & Conversations pocket notebook is something that you can carry around or keep on your desk for making notes about your Catch-Up Coffees.

Each entry has space for notes about your contact, things of interest and follow-up actions to make it easy for you to keep a record and follow up promptly.

Further Reading:

• Set up a Coffee Date
• Catch up coffee? Plan your conversation
• Internal Networking: Maximising a Coffee Meeting