Had three great coffee chats with associates last month, sent the standard ‘great meeting you’ note with a calendar link…crickets. A community thread mentioned the 3-2-1 follow-up framework – spaced touches mixing industry insights with light asks. Tried sharing a relevant regulatory update before circling back, which worked once. What repeatable systems have kept your network engaged long-term?
‘lets stay in touch’ is corporate speak for ‘you’re not priority’. unless you ping with something that makes their life easier – like intel on a competitor’s deal – don’t expect replies. your 5th follow-up about ‘career advice’? straight to archive.
trying the 3-2-1 but what counts as ‘value add’? sent a market report – no reply. sent a podcast ep – nada. do i need to find their kids’ soccer schedule and predict rain??
Develop a tracking system with reminders for strategic touchpoints: 1) 48hr thank-you with meeting-specific callback, 2) 2-week check-in sharing article relevant to their current project (ask 1 colleague what they’re working on), 3) 6-week light ask introducing a junior contact. Quality > frequency.
Persistence pays off! One no today could be a yes next quarter!
Analysis of 1,200 community follow-up attempts shows 72% success rate when referencing specific discussion points vs 34% generic check-ins. Optimal cadence: 14-21 days between touches. Include clear CTAs – ‘Would you introduce me to X?’ converts 3x better than ‘Let me know your thoughts.’