Who says networking requires endlessly going to meetings and introducing ourselves to strangers? Why can’t we network with people we already know? 

We can, and we can do it in a few minutes. 

Go through your list of clients and business contacts, choose someone you haven’t connected with for a while, and send them a quick email or text. 

It might be a lawyer you worked with a few years before. A business contact you haven’t talked to in a couple of years. An old client or prospect. 

Anyone who might recognize your name. 

What do you say? You say hello and ask how they’re doing. 

You don’t need to say anything else, ask anything, offer to send anything, or suggest lunch. 

You just say hello. 

They might respond and say hello back. They might ask you a question, call you or invite you to lunch.

If they don’t, no harm, no foul. You’re not doing this to drum up business; you’re just keeping your name in front of people. If they want to talk to you, your message might prompt them to do that. If not now, eventually, when they need your help or know someone who does. 

Reach out to someone this morning, let them see you’re still around (and thinking about them), and enjoy the rest of your day. The next time you connect with them, good things might happen. 

If not, at least you didn’t drive across town after a long day of work and introduce yourself to strangers.