By Robert Hellmann
If you’re not staying in touch with people you’ve met, you’re not a good networker — you’ll miss opportunities! Getting meetings (and then “acing” these meetings) is only 50 percent of what you need to do; keeping in touch following the meetings is the other 50 percent.
If, in your first meeting with someone, you discover there are no opportunities available now, keep in touch for when something opens up, either in their organization or perhaps with one of their colleagues. GetFive members routinely land interviews, jobs, and consulting assignments because they make an effort to stay top-of-mind with their network. When someone in your network has a need (or knows of someone who does), you want them to think of you. Plus, building relationships over time inspires a greater willingness to help, based on the foundation of trust you have established.
Don’t make the mistake of one job-search client who came to me after looking fruitlessly for a year. I asked her about her search. She said, “About a year ago, I had a lot of great informational meetings with people who could hire me.” I asked, “So, what happened?” She responded, “Well, I lost touch with them after we met.” If she had kept in touch with these contacts, she would in all likelihood have already been offered the jobs she was seeking, and would never have needed to see me!
If you’re actively looking for an opportunity, plan on reaching out to your network every three to six weeks, with the goal of simply reminding them you exist. When you are happily employed, aim for once every three to six months. The goal is not to ask them for anything again; you already did that in your first meeting. Instead, just remind them you’re around, so if something comes up, they think of you.
Here are four ways to stay in touch:
- Send them a link to something interesting. Only do this if the link is really helpful to them. Otherwise, you’ll be wasting their time, and you’ll be effectively showing them how you can “hurt” rather than help them.
- Share “additional thoughts.” For example, you might send an email that says something like, “Hi Susan — thanks again for meeting with me last month; it was great talking with you! Since we last spoke, I’ve had additional thoughts about “x” that I wanted to share with you …”
- Post and read LinkedIn updates. The LinkedIn update feature is a great way to keep in touch, provided you have a “quality” network (that is, a network of people you actually know, so you care about each others’ updates). Go to your home page on LinkedIn and you’ll see the window for adding an update near the top. The updates from your entire network are located just below this window.
A client recently landed an interview using this feature by posting: “Having meetings with senior executives in for-profit education on the West Coast.” Someone in his LinkedIn network saw the update and connected him with one of his target organizations.
I personally obtained business by noticing a former colleague’s LinkedIn update regarding his job title change. I messaged him to congratulate him on this obvious promotion, even though we hadn’t spoken in more than five years. He messaged me back; we met for coffee, and I ended up doing some work for his company. (I describe how to build a quality LinkedIn network, post LinkedIn updates, and use many more advanced features of LinkedIn in my book, Advanced LinkedIn).
- Simply update them on how you are doing! Here’s an example:
Subject: Hello and Update
Hi Ben,
Hope things are well with you and that you had a nice vacation. Thanks again for meeting with me last month!
Thought I would update you on how things are going with my search, as it’s been a while. I’ve met with TechCompany1, as well as some other Information Technology firms. The conversations have been interesting, and may result in something down the road. In the meantime, I continue to reach out to companies and people in my marketing plan.
If there is anything I can do for you, including introducing you to people in my LinkedIn network, please don’t hesitate to ask!
Note, in this message, there was nothing about “what’s the status?” or “heard anything lately?” Your recipient already knows what you want, and it sounds insecure and pushy to bring it up again. Plus, you’d be asking them to do unnecessary work — that is, “requiring” them to respond when there may be nothing now. Just use this note to keep yourself on their radar and remind them that you exist.
In addition, notice how the email ends with an offer to help the recipient. That’s a nice touch. Give and you shall receive — not only does it work, but it’s a nice way to live!
Robert Hellmann has been a Certified Career and Executive Coach with GetFive since 2003. He also has more than 20 years of corporate management experience.
