Yesterday, we talked about using email to reach out to strangers, to see if there’s a basis for initiating a relationship.
But don’t forget the people you already know.
Friends, clients, colleagues, people you’ve worked with–your close contacts can and will send you business, so stay in touch with them, too. An email newsletter is a simple way to do that.
And. . . don’t ignore your casual contacts. Professionals you’ve met once or twice, vendors, consultants, bloggers, and others who sell to or advise people in your target market, can open a lot of doors for you.
These so-called “weak ties” may be a great source of referrals and other opportunities.
Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, said:
“In fact, in landing a job, Granovetter discovered, weak-tie acquaintances were often more important than strong-tie friends because weak ties give us access to social networks where we don’t otherwise belong. Many of the people Granovetter studied had learned about new job opportunities through weak ties, rather than from close friends, which makes sense because we talk to our closest friends all the time, or work alongside them or read the same blogs. By the time they have heard about a new opportunity, we probably know about it, as well. On the other hand, our weak-tie acquaintances— the people we bump into every six months— are the ones who tell us about jobs we would otherwise never hear about.”
Schedule time each week to check-in with a few casual contacts. Send an email, ask what they’re working on, give them some news, or share an article or video you found that might interest them.
Some of these casual contacts will bear fruit, merely because they heard from you and were reminded about what you do and how you can help them or their clients.
But don’t leave it at that.
When the time is right, tell them what you’re looking for. Ask for information or an introduction. Or ask for advice.
Because your casual contacts can open a lot of doors for you, some of which you didn’t know even existed.
