The Intentional Networking Tool to Help You Stay Connected
Networking is a key ingredient for success. You can find job opportunities, increase sales, create collaborations, and learn new things through conversation.
If we simplify networking, it is two things: creating new relationships and deepening existing relationships. I’ve found staying connected and engaged with your current network to be the harder of the two.
To help me with this problem, I created what I call a hot 100 list.
What is it and why use it?
The hot 100 list is a list of people (for me, roughly 100) who are important to me, both personally and professionally. It is designed to help me remember to reach out to them intentionally and regularly to avoid letting time slip away and losing touch with them.
How to create it?
I started by going through my phone contacts and LinkedIn connections. I added anyone whom you wanted to stay connected with. You don't have to have exactly 100 people on your list, but it's a good number for me as it allows me to connect with each person about three times a year if I reach out to one person a day from Monday to Friday.
How to use it?
Once you have your list, you need to remember to use it. You can use tools such as Trello or Hubspot, create a checklist in Excel/Sheets, or simply write names on a notecard to help you keep track of who you've reached out to and who you still need to reach out to.
How to reach out?
A short and simple message can go a long way. You can check their social media for updates on their life, such as a new job, pet, or milestone, and use that as a conversation starter.
If you need some more help, I share a few other ideas on what to say when you reach out in our latest podcast episode: Use This Tool to Level Up Your Networking Skills.
By being intentional about reaching out regularly, you can avoid letting relationships fade and build stronger connections with those who matter most to you.
