In 2019:
Its not what you know, it’s not who you know. It’s who knows what you know.
I didn’t come up with that idea, but I have used the thought for many years. The idea is to increase the number of people who know what you know and find a way to stay in contact with them. Several years ago I posted: Contacts: Are You Focused or Is It Random Lunches? I urge you to go back and read that post because you will see some of the ideas I share with you below.
Here are eight ideas on staying in contact.
- Make a list of all of your contacts.
- Rate them 1-10 three ways: How often in contact; nature of contact (email only is a 1, in-person is a 10); how important they are (someone who you will never do business with is a 1, a client is a 10).
- For each contact, what do you know about him or her on a personal level?
- Who are your “strong ties?” (close friends, family)
- Who are your “weak ties?” (people you have met at an event, people who read your blog)
- Who are your “dormant ties?” (people you know, but have not been in contact in some time)
- How can you create more “weak tie” relationships with people who will learn what you know?
- How can you reconnect with your “dormant ties?”