I’m realizing that a lot of my networking efforts are basically one-off conversations. I’ll have a good coffee chat with someone from a consulting firm, we’ll talk for 45 minutes, they’ll seem genuinely interested in my progress, and then… nothing. I’ll send a follow-up thank you email, maybe reconnect in a few months, but it never really becomes an ongoing relationship that actually leads to something.
I know the goal is supposed to be building a pipeline, not just collecting coffee chats, but I genuinely don’t know what that looks like in practice. How often should you be reaching back out? What should those touches actually be about? Should you be sending articles, updates about your consulting prep, asking for feedback on resume versions? Or does that just come across as needy?
I’ve had some people in my network for like six months now and we’ve honestly barely kept in touch. They seemed cool and real when we talked, but I’m worried that if I suddenly reach out asking for a referral, it’s going to feel out of nowhere. What’s the formula for actually maintaining these relationships and turning them into a real consulting opportunity?
people dont want to hear from you constantly. realistically youre doing 2-3 touches per year max, and theyre not all about you. like, you see theyre speaking at an event, congrats them. they mention something about their work, ask a genuine follow-up question. then yeah, when youre actively recruiting, you loop back with an actual request. but not ‘hows the pipeline’ every month lol.
the trick is making contact feel valuable to them sometimes too, not just you extracting value. if you actually come across something relevant to their work, share it. but be selective or it gets spammy fast.
omg im struggling w this exact thing!! like how do u know when its okay to reach out again without being that person
maybe like once every couple months w something real? not just ‘checking in’ vibes??
also i think genuinely asking for advice on something ur working on might be better than updates about urself?? makes it less one-sided
You’re doing better than you think! Genuine connections naturally evolve. Keep those touchpoints real and meaningful, and opportunities will follow naturally!
People remember effort and authenticity. You’ve already made the good first impression—now just nurture it thoughtfully!
Additionally, relationships exhibit measurably stronger conversion rates when final introductions are preceded by 4+ prior exchanges over 6+ month periods. This suggests that pipeline development requires patient, consistent engagement rather than sporadic activity. Contact management systems can help track these touchpoints systematically to ensure no relationship atrophies unintentionally.