Moving forward and growing your business comes down to how well you network. This makes all those LinkedIn connections you’ve made and business cards you’ve collected extremely important. Having said that, how can you be sure that any of these contacts you’ve made will remember you?
The key to being memorable is, in part, to remain in some level of contact. The rest, depending on the type of relationship you have, is reaching out in an appropriate way.
Below is our tips for several ways the business contacts remember you.
Table of Contents
1. Send a Gift
If someone helps you land a new client or otherwise does something you really appreciate, send a gift. Corporate promotional gifts are a great way to say “thank you” for almost anything, and because they are branded, the recipient will remember you every time they see it. Just be sure to send something meaningful and useful so the message of gratitude is loud and clear.
Let the gift do the talking, and wine can easily ace this task. It is festive (reminds one of celebrations) and versatile enough to be gifted with other items. And with a bit of research on your recipient’s other likes or interests, it becomes easier to choose the best wine gift basket.
2. Reach Out on Social Media
While most businesses frown upon the use of social media in the workplace, here’s a good reason to actually use it at work. Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms give you an opportunity to reach out to old and new contacts alike to stay in touch in an unobtrusive way.
As you browse through the various posts in your feed, keep your eyes open for updates from important contacts. Take a moment to make an appropriate comment on their posts to keep you front and center in their minds. If you’re not sure what to say, just hit the “like” button and leave it at that.
3. Send an Email
For important clients or people that just don’t use social media all that much, sending an email is a great way to stay in touch. Make it a regular practice to craft an email every 60 days or so to find out if they need anything or to inform them of any new news.
The email doesn’t have to be anything major – just a “hi, how’s it going?” or “thought of you when I read this article.” The idea is to get your name in front of them in a casual, friendly fashion.
4. Plan a Group Get-together
Group get-togethers are nice because they take the stress of trying to impress off the table. When you’re sitting with a group, there’s less pressure to be on-point and the vibe is more casual.
Schedule a lunch date for a handful of co-workers or clients who have something in common and make it a semi-regular thing to help everyone remember why they got together in the first place.
5. Offer to Help
When you offer to help or offer to share your talents with others, you create a reputation that precedes you. It portrays you as someone who genuinely cares for others and wants them to thrive rather than someone who takes advantage when in need.
Networking is all about helping and being helped, so if you want your business contacts to remember you, you have to give them something to remember.
Making contacts in business is important in helping your company move forward and grow. The key to networking is making sure the contacts you make remember you and include you as part of their network. In order to do just that, be sure to use the tips outlined above.
Mcglory
•5 years ago
Good post. I am facing many of these issues as well..|