If you’re like most people, you probably breathe a sigh of relief when the holidays are over. No more extended family crowding the house and no more long trips in cold weather to visit relatives. But, there’s one important thing about the holidays you should keep in mind: it’s the perfect time to network! Any holiday is a good excuse to reach out to your contacts: not just the big holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, but also Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day and every holiday all year round. A holiday gives you the perfect excuse to connect with your existing contacts and reach out to new ones. Whichever holiday you choose, follow these easy steps to get the most out of holiday networking.
Organize and clean your contacts
Whether you manage your contacts in Outlook, on your phone, or in your address book, you have to begin with clean contact information. Start by making a list of all the people you plan to network with. Then make sure you have up-to-date email addresses and mailing addresses for each person. For some people, you can look at the address on the last piece of correspondence they sent you. For others, you may have to text or email the person and ask her for her current address. And for still others, you can look them up on LinkedIn or Facebook to find their current place of employment, and then send your card to their office. If you don’t already, get in the habit of saving online and paper holiday cards that you receive from others. Simply place them in a folder labeled with the current year, and you’ll have their contact information on hand for next year. This is also a great way to keep track of any spouse and children’s names.
Choose your cards
There are many different ways to network for every single holiday. It’s easy to find a classy, traditional paper card for just about any holiday at your local drug store or supermarket. Then add a personalized message that makes a great impression. But you can also use email, e-cards, LinkedIn and Facebook messages, or phone calls to connect. For long-time clients, you can even send a small gift like chocolates or other festive snacks. It’s perfectly fine to include a cute family photo in your holiday card. Just avoid the lengthy newsletters and photomontages that will send your card straight to the trash. There are plenty of generic holiday cards to choose from if you’re not sure what holiday your contact celebrates. In the end, it’s the thought that counts.
Choose your message
If your plan is to network, what message are you trying to give? For potential clients, perhaps you want to include a coupon, a business card, or simply a message stating that you’d like to keep in touch. For contacts you speak to infrequently, you can include a few personal updates. Have you gotten married, changed jobs or moved recently? Your contacts will find these little tidbits of information interesting. And if you’ve never met the person, a holiday card is an excellent way to start a conversation, simply by wishing the person a happy holiday and a happy new year. If you can’t send a card or email, a quick message on LinkedIn or Facebook will do the trick, too.
Get ready for next year
Get ready for the year ahead. As you send holiday greetings, cards, and gifts to your contacts, make a note of who you sent items to and what you sent them, along with what holiday or date you sent it for. This will become a great starting point for next year’s round of holiday networking. Also, keep track of any responses that you receive throughout the holidays and into the next year. Use them to update contact information, add notes about family or job changes, or add new names to your list.
With a little organization and creativity, any holiday can become a valuable chance to network. Contact us for more ideas on how to network like a pro.
