Staying in Touch With Your Network - How Soon and How Often

I have talked before about the importance of following up with new networking contacts, but just how soon after that first meeting should you make contact, and how often should you stay in touch? These are questions which many people, particularly those who are new to networking, ask themselves. They are aware that if there is a long gap in between communications, then getting back in touch might feel, not only awkward, but false. If, on the other hand, they do it too soon or too often, they are afraid of coming across as needy or forward.

Italo Consulting have come up with some interesting statistics on this point which go a long way to putting these questions into perspective:

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It takes three to five repetitions for people to remember your name if they did not ask to meet you.
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It often takes two to three repetitions for people to remember your name even if they initiated the meeting.
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It takes at least one transaction or personal event (for example, lunch) to establish the perception of an existing relationship.
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It takes a minimum of one contact per month to maintain the perception of a close continuing relationship.
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It takes a minimum of one contact per quarter to maintain the perception of a peripheral continuing relationship.

While we would all like to think that we make a lasting and unforgettable impression on everyone we meet, the fact is that people nowadays lead busy lives and have other things, and already established relationships, to think about. Unless we make an early and deliberate effort to form a genuine, meaningful bond and stay in regular contact, we will simply be forgotten about.

Advising that you re-establish contact after a first meeting within 48 hours might sound too soon, but when you consider what it takes for even your name to stick in somebody’s mind, you had better be acting quickly if you are not to become a distant memory. All it takes on that first occasion is a short note or an e-mail which reminds your contact of where you met, what you discussed and, of course, your name. Thereafter, depending upon where this person ranks in your network, you should certainly be looking at communicating at least every 4-12 weeks.

Networking is about making the effort to build real and lasting relationships, and this is not something which can happen in a vacuum. Calling a contact once a year to ask for a favor is not just bad networking, it is sheer bad manners, but if you treat him with the same respect and consideration as you would a friend, you will not go far wrong.

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