Whether it be on SME, fb, LinkedIn, twitter or in person, making the connection is everything if you are serious about growing your business and career.

But, simply making the connection is nothing without follow-up.

I big problem that I see in the eworld, is that many people don’t really know how to keep the connection going, and/or how to organize their contacts so that none of them falls through the cracks.

Myself, I use a combination of Outlook, Google calendar, a spreadsheet or two , CME, a responder and a system for sending cards through snail mail in order to ensure I stay in touch with those people that are vital to my business’ growth and prosperity.

Do you do anything differently to make sure that the much sought-after connection doesn’t get lost in the mix and become a wasted opportunity?

@warrenveach @rich-brooks

I use of combination of things: Outlook, Facebook, LinkedIn, and my email newsletter.

I also enter them into my system where I track date met and any follow-up notes to remind myself.

@warrenveach As I get to know people, I get to know their interests and concerns so it’s easy to e-mail a note saying “I saw this article/report/event/book and thought of you.”

@rich-brooks @donpurdum @debbielynnava @maricochran

Rich- I often, but not regularly also look for people in different networks. That’s something I need to do more often. I think its interesting that you mentioned “the phone”. As I see more and more people talk about relationship building, I see fewer people promoting the use of phone (and personal) contacts.

Don- Sounds like you and I are pretty much alike in this regard. Do you use a CRM to help you keep track of contacts? If so, which one?

Debbie- Now that is a great, non-threatening way to keep the communication going! I really like that. I may have to try that.

Mari- I know I fell into that scenario when i first got into the online social areas, and I have to admit, that looking back, there are a lot of people I connected with that I wish I hadn’t.

Not that they are bad people, but I just don’t need to know what their cat is doing on an hourly basis and who they hung out with last night.

Reviewing profiles, before and after making a connection is a good habit to get into.

I recently read an article by Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn, where he outlines his ideas on maintaining a social relationship with various individuals.

@donpurdum

Sweet!

If you want it done right, do it yourself.

Linkedin is the best lead generator for my business. When I connect with someone, I offer them my free special report as part of the connection inside Likedin, and ask them to email me outside of Linkedin. If they do, I send the free report and ask their permission to add them to my mailing list. I also offer a free phone consultation. Some take me up on it, and some of that turns into business. Others receive my blog post updates, which may turn into business later on. 

However, for this list: aside from trading ideas, what else can we do to help each other?

@warrenveach

Glad you found it useful. LinkedIn is such a great business to business social media site, that I always wonder why everyone is so focused on Facebook. It would be great for you, since you seem to have a health/business audience. I’d suggest you look at the groups (there are tons in every field) and find a few where you audience hangs out. Participate in some discussions and invite people to connect with you. 

Good luck!