December 11, 2018
When I was in Australia last month, I had a day and a half to tour the Melbourne area after my global strategy session and seeing my cousin. Since it was my first time to this area, and I don’t know if/when I’ll return, I figured it was a good idea to see whatever I could while there. Luckily, I thought about the person who helped set up an Australia/ New Zealand trip for me previously when I traveled with friends and asked her for a recommendation since she did a great job with our multi-week adventure. Because of her recommendation, I went on the only tour that actually sees koalas and kangaroos in the wild as well as many great sites on the rest of the tours.
If I hadn’t kept track of “good contacts”, I would have missed this. Do you keep track of yours and nurture them?
One tip to implement this week:
Do you keep track of your contacts? Writing this note reminded me to thank my contact at American Express travel; however, I forgot her name and so I needed to look it up in my contacts. Thus, it seems like the place to start to keep track of them. No need to purchase expensive programs. I use Outlook, and I was able to find her quickly.
Keeping track is not enough though. When I contacted her to ask about my day in Melbourne, I referred back to when we worked together previously. She remembered me and gave me exactly what I needed with rapid response and no charge. Thus, reminding the person where you met previously and being easy to work with can help down-the-road. I had no clue I’d ever call her to ask for help, but I did.
Most importantly, go that extra mile to stay in touch. Why not tell your contact about an event you think might interest her? Or, simply give him a call around the holidays or send a quick ‘thank you’. While typing this note, my contact responded to my email and was thrilled I had a good time. Take a few minutes out of your schedule this week and pick up the phone or drop a contact a note.