30 Tips for Today’s Financial Advisor: Tip 18

How can you reach out to someone you haven’t talked to in years without it coming off as awkward, desperate, or demanding? Rebecca Zucker in Harvard Business Review provides some great tips:

• Shift your perspective. Zucker says, “I have often reminded clients, ‘Guess what? They also haven’t contacted you over the last 10-plus years. They might be really glad to hear from you.’”
• Acknowledge the absence of contact.
• Pay attention to tone.
• Give them an out. Zucker says, “You might say something like, ‘I’m sure you are very busy, so if this is not a good time for you (or if you don’t feel like you know this person well enough to make an introduction), I completely understand.’”
• Offer to reciprocate.
• Show appreciation.
• Stay in contact.

By utilizing these tips, reconnecting with old friends or colleagues doesn’t have to be so stressful. While it can feel uncomfortable at first, it’s worth it — research shows that robust networks lead to better opportunities, faster advancement, and other benefits.

Today’s Tip: Reach Out to a Friend or Colleague You’ve Lost Touch With

Tip #18: Don’t let the relationships you have with clients and COIs grow stagnant. Every day, make an effort to connect with someone who hasn’t heard from you lately!

Do you have a favorite tip or strategy for reaching out to contacts that you’ve lost touch with? Let us know! From all of us at Beyond AUM, have a great Fourth of July weekend.