Re-introduce yourself

Over the past few weeks I have been spending a great deal of time reconnecting with other professionals that I’ve been out of touch with for some time.  It all started with my business card binder organization project.  While some contacts are past clients, some are people that I met briefly through networking efforts, and I found this to be a good time to re-introduce myself, which has led to stronger connections as well as gaining new clients.

For some professionals, the holiday season that we’re just jumping into tends to be a “slower” time, and many take that opportunity to wrap up projects as well as ramping up their plans for the new year.  Why not take some of that time to reconnect and re-introduce yourself to other professionals you’ve connected throughout the year?

Some places to start:

Cards you’ve collected from networking efforts:  If you have a stack of business cards sitting on your desk, and maybe you didn’t have a chance to follow up with most (and are feeling a bit guilty about it), this is a great opportunity to take the time to re-introduce yourself.  It’s helpful if you can remind them of when or where you met them, but you’ll be able to “break the ice” if you say you’re calling just to “re-introduce yourself”.

Your contact management database:  Every once in a while I cruise through my contact management system and look for people that I met maybe just once – at a speaking event, at one of my workshops, at a networking function and give them a call to remind them of who I am and what I do – as well as to learn what they’re up to.  This is a great way to “clean up” your list to make sure it’s a strong network.

Your email inbox:  You might have a few neglected contacts in your email inbox.  Perhaps others have made an introduction for you that you need to follow up with, or you’ve been sent queries where you answered a simple question for someone, but haven’t officially met them yet.  A personal email as a follow up can turn into a stronger contact.

Your online relationships:  With social media tools a big part of our networking efforts these days, it would be a good idea to tap into the connections you’ve made there in an effort to re-introduce yourself.  While it’s easy to click “accept” to connect with someone within these popular networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), you might not have had a chance to really personally introduce yourself and connect with people individually to share what it is that you do.  Sometimes we just assume that because people came to your social networking “page” and that they are “following” you that they know what you do.  Personal outreach to these contacts with an easy “in” such as re-introducing yourself or reminding people of what you do can be helpful in building richer online relationships. 

This can also be applied to your newsletter list, if you have one.  In my case, I attract readers from all over the world who find me online and subscribe to my newsletter list and I have never actually met them before.  Sure they’re hearing from me on a weekly basis, but a personal introduction can go a long way in confirming that I am someone who can help them in the area of elevator pitches.

Spending a little bit of time reconnecting and re-introducing yourself can help you to not only practice and hone your elevator pitch, but it can also help you build a stronger network, which is obviously a huge benefit. 

Let’s take the advice of Mark Victor Hansen:  “Expand your network by one quality person a day, forever.”  Re-introducing yourself is a perfect opportunity to do just that.

Would you like to use this "Fresh Tip" for your newsletter or website?  You absolutely can as long as you use this complete blurb with it:  Barbara Lopez, "The Elevator Pitch Coach" with Brightfarm Introductions, helps business professionals introduce themselves with high impact.  Everything in business starts with an introduction.  If you're ready to learn how to introduce yourself and your business professionally and comfortably, visit Barbara at www.brightfarm.com.

Comments

[Yvonne A Jones]

Barbara, I always enjoy reading your articles and this is no exception. We often are so busy being busy that we fail to follow-up on the business contacts we make at events and continue to build the relationship. You asked, "Why not take some of that time to reconnect and re-introduce yourself to other professionals you’ve connected throughout the year?" This is a great recommendation that I will implement. Thanks, Yvonne

[The Elevator Pitch Coach]

Hi Yvonne - it's so great to hear from you, and thank you for the lovely comments. It's true - we do get so busy! I was inspired to write this after I cleaned out my inbox recently (a huge task!) and realized I had many connections that never really went anywhere! The good thing is, it's NEVER too late to follow up! Best to you as you reconnect!

[christine]

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