Habit #7: Incorporate Systems For Staying In Touch Into Your Daily Routine

The best rainmakers know that relationships need care and feeding to grow. That’s why they build systems to stay in touch into their daily routine.

You probably already have a time management system for your day-to-day activities like keeping up with filing deadlines, court dates and other time-sensitive requirements. But what about your marketing plans? Do you have a system for managing those? Without one, rainmaking can quickly become a casualty.

Build a system of reminders

Staying in touch doesn’t have to be an overwhelming or even a time-consuming task. It just requires reminding yourself to do it. Start by categorizing your contacts into A, B and C lists.

A List: These are your trusted advisors. (See Habit #4 for more on that.) World-class rainmakers stay in touch with their trusted advisors at least monthly. That might mean scheduling a lunch, making a phone call, writing an email, personal note or remembering a birthday. Put that in your calendar prompt and treat it the same way you do your other important dates and times. Schedule your prompts so you have only one or two a day or week so you can easily keep up. Breaking these activities into small bites will make it easier to follow through and help you quickly establish new habits around these activities.

B List: These are good contacts that could evolve into A Listers. You just haven’t established as close a relationship with them yet. That’s why it is important to build them into your reminder system for at least a quarterly contact—perhaps for a birthday or other important occasion or milestone.

C List: This is your holiday card list-- good people to know who have not yet achieved B or even A List status. But holiday cards are not limited to traditional December greetings. One top Atlanta rainmaker uses Thanksgiving cards to set herself apart. While holiday cards are opportunities to create a handwritten message to friends and acquaintances you appreciate, sending those messages at Thanksgiving gives you more time to think about the personal note you will send. Your Thanksgiving card arrives before the December rush and your thoughtfulness will help you stand out. The secret is starting early. In fact, you could start that system today—well in advance of any last-minute scramble.

What are some of the ways you use now to stay in touch?

• What activities have you found are best for helping you build and expand your business relationships?
• What kind of results are you getting? Where is your time best spent?
• How much time do you spend each day on staying in touch?