5 ways to leverage your contacts

In business today we are constantly being told by those who are involved in the networking scene that it is important to ‘get amongst them’.

Indeed it is although sadly still thousands of business owners struggle to make themselves free enough to be as active on the networking as the might like to be…

Thus here are a few powerful tips that when applied can leverage your contacts and maximise exposure even when you don’t get out much!
1. Record who you know in one place!

This might sound so obvious it is silly but genuinely have you got all of your data in the most convenient place so that it is easy to maintain optimum contacts??

• I often see some data in a persons personal phone that isn’t in the computer.
• There are some contacts on the work computer but not at home
• There are some contacts they have on Linked-In for example that aren’t on their Skype.

In short the most effective way to manage the task of ‘being know is to make certain that you can at least communicate with your contacts from time to time…and this is always easier where they are immediately available.

2. Record anniversaries birthdays and events. Many software programs when you join as a member or enrol in the group will ask you for certain bits of data such as birthday and memorable events like wedding anniversary etc. This is supremely useful…because they usually then also give you a reminder that its Jonny’s Birthday this Tuesday…and so at least you can then send them a simple message sating happy Birthday and let them know that you haven’t forgotten abut them completely!
3. Join groups and subscribe to ‘feeds’ that keep you at least ‘in the loop’.

Many of today’s on-line networking scenarios such as Linked-In and Ecademy have discussion groups that you can start or join and these allow for automatic emailing of discussion additions. This way you can share in or at least observe what is going on and who is saying what (and so it might stimulate you to join in or comment on someone else’s comment).

Again this might represent a very quick and simple 1 line comment and thus allowing you the ability of ‘keeping in touch’ to maintain without the time pressure challenge
4. Allow software to optimise your connections. When you join any of the on-line connection forums such as facebook, Linked-In or Ecademy or whatever they are always offering you the chance to use a software tool to invite friends. This automatically searches through the known contacts in your group and the known contacts in your pc and invites the missing from the group but in the pc ones to join the group.

Again it all allows for them to eventually be in one place and that makes it much, much easier for you to stay in touch

5. Commit to at least sending cards on special occasions or giving yourself the discipline of sending say 3 a week to those who you knw. Check out WeSendcards or MoonPig or similar and of course ecards from Plaxo all help you in literally 3 simple clicks and less tha 5 minutes to send a greeting that makes you remembered and thus connected.

Simple greetings cards that cost only £1 will possibly trigger a connection that leads to referrals or sales down the line of thousands of pounds. Besides we all like to receive cards and greetings so make it a practice to send say just 4 a week it will massively help you stay connected and then leverage your connections into bottom line return.

How do you leverage your contacts?

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