Noteworthy Connections

One of the challenges with growing a large network is remembering who everyone is and how you know them. I’ve written about nurturing your network and checking in with people periodically so that they remain a valuable connection. I admit this is a challenge when your network grows to over 600 contacts in LinkedIn like mine.

I learned a new tip recently from leadership coach Kristi Royse (KLR Consulting http://www.klrconsulting.com/) that I want to share in hopes that it will help you as much as it has me. When I shared with Kristi that I can’t always remember who people are that I’m linked to or how I met them, she suggested that I use the “notes” field in LinkedIn when I add a new contact. I admitted that I didn’t even know there was a notes field and checked it out as soon as I got back to my desk. Sure enough, each contact record has one.

I’ve started to use this field when I add new contacts to remind myself where I met them (a conference, client, or introduction through a friend). What a great addition this has been for my network that is outside of my business CRM tool.

Hopefully whatever tool you use to manage your connections has a similar notes field that will help you capture this useful information.

Let Them know You're Coming

I attended a webinar last week that George Kao gave on the efficiently using Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter for marketing and business networking. George had a great tip that I want to pass along.

If you’re signed up for a networking event or conference, check to see if they have a page on Facebook or their conference site for the event. If so, sign up to say you’re attending. Look to see who else is attending and reach out if it is someone you would like to connect with. Consider introducing yourself and let them know why you like to connect.

For more information about George Kao and his webinar, visit: http://social.georgekao.com