![\"LinkedIn](\"https:\/\/periniassociates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/iStock_BusinessNetworkingXSmall.jpg\" "\\"Business")
<\/a>by Michael B. Perini,
\n
<\/a>by Michael B. Perini, ABC<\/a>Yes! Â I know everyone is busy. Â I had a boss who told me once, “eating and sleeping is a sign of weakness.” Â Well, I think he was a bit off…but not by much. Â Working to stay connected is extremely important in this fast-paced world in which most executives — regardless of business size — find themselves. Â You can’t keep that connection going with only a piecemeal effort.<\/p>\n
Remember, it’s not merely appearing at a networking event. Â It is about interacting. Â When you interact you meet new people. But then, nothing happens, right? Â The good news is that you went to a networking event. Â The bad news is for most people that networking event is the last step, rather than the first. Â Hopefully, you got a conversation going. Â And, importantly, you got a business card or two with good contact information.<\/p>\n
Trying to re-connect, follow up and stay in touch after a networking event is an important relationship building step. So, how does one stay connected?  How do you cultivate a relationship that pays dividends in the future?<\/p>\n
Hope is not a strategy. Â Hoping that something will come from your networking efforts is not enough. Researchers have documented bottom-line benefits from effective follow up. Â A 20% increase in some businesses have been reported — but only after they had been together for a year or more. Â In other words, reconnecting takes time. Â So plan for this effort in your daily and weekly schedule. Â One to two hours minimum.<\/p>\n
Here is what works for me and I would suggest you try these five ideas over the next five weeks:<\/p>\n
1. Put out a newsletter.<\/strong> Â An electronic newsletter is a great way to stay connected. Â You can highlight successess, new services, new staff and products. Â Once a month or once a quarter will do the trick. Â The newsletter should go to customers, potential clients, professional colleagues and vendors.<\/p>\n 2. Do a lunch bunch<\/strong>. Â Again, eating is NOT a sign of weakness. Â Use lunch as a method to get to know a few people better. Â Set up lunch for one other person or select a small group, 1 to 3. Â It is a great way to discover common interests and to drive business.<\/p>\n 3. Send a postcard.<\/strong> Â Hand-writing has become an exclusive art form with all the texting and emailing going on. Â So, use this fact to your advantage. Â Write notes telling about something new or some interesting facts about your industry. Â Also include a reminder. Â Something like, “I hope you think of me when you need…(Fill-in-the-blank).<\/p>\n 4. Notice publicity.<\/strong> Â Regularly check the local newspaper, radio and TV and look for publicity about your contacts. Â Clip any mention or try to video and send the item along with personal note.<\/p>\n 5. Â Speak out.<\/strong> Â The number 1 fear most have is public speaking. Â Assuming that you don’t have this phobia, speak to local groups and be sure that the program organizer publicizes your speech. Â Also, plan on sending a news release to inform others about this service.<\/p>\n Finally, the key is following up systematically. Â Doing so will build and maintain business connections.<\/p>\n I would like to hear from you. Â Please share ways you stay engaged with your network.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/body><\/html><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Michael B. Perini, ABC perini & associates Yes! Â I know everyone is busy. Â I had a boss who told me once, “eating and sleeping is a sign of weakness.” Â Well, I think he was a bit off…but not by much. Â Working to stay connected is extremely important in this fast-paced world in which most […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":99525,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[109,255,256,257,141,258,102,177,259,11,217],"class_list":["post-1778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice-and-counsel","tag-business","tag-ceos","tag-marketiing","tag-network","tag-networking","tag-newsletter","tag-perini","tag-perini-and-associates","tag-postcard","tag-www-periniassociates-com","tag-public-speaking"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/periniassociates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/periniassociates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/periniassociates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/periniassociates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/periniassociates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1778"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/periniassociates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1778\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/periniassociates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/periniassociates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/periniassociates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/periniassociates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}