There’s no quick fix for relationship development. But there ARE some quick things you can do today to advance either the first step in your relationship with someone or the next step. When you think of networking and relationship building as a series of smaller actions that you can take to help weave the fabric of stronger relationships, it stops feeling so overwhelming and starts feeling like something you can build into your everyday schedule. So whether you’ve got five minutes or an hour, you can strengthen your network today:

  1. Call a peripheral person in your network: We have close relationships, and then we have acquaintances, within our networks. Call up someone you don’t know well, ask them if they have a few minutes to chat and get to know them a little bit better. Find out what they do, how you might be able to help them, and how you can keep them on your radar for the future. Bonus points if you arrange to make this a video chat – I know we’re all tired of Zoom and Teams, but it IS the next best thing to meeting in person these days. Bonus bonus points if you arrange for a follow-up past your first outreach.
  2. Follow up with a close relationship and establish next steps: With your closer relationships, reach out to someone that you should be connecting to more regularly, and establish your next steps. Should you be setting up a meeting or a meal with them (where safe)? Do you owe them an email on a proposal, or are you interested in their latest project (or vice versa)? What is something you can get on your calendar AND connect with them over today?
  3. Reach out to 3-5 LinkedIn connections based on their posts/articles/updates: Browse through your LinkedIn timeline and see what people are up to. If something strikes you, reach out to that person directly – but do more than comment on their update. Send them a note through LinkedIn, either congratulating them on their anniversary/achievement, asking them more about the article they wrote or looking to start a dialogue on the piece they shared. The idea is to engage in a conversation that can lead to deepening the relationship. Big bonus points if they’re in your local network and you arrange to meet in person (where safe) or at least arrange for a virtual call.
  4. Arrange to meet face-to-face or virtually with one person: Set up a face-to-face or virtual meeting – this can be with a close relationship that you’re looking to take the pulse of, or it can be with someone further outside your network that you’d like to better develop. Whoever it is, arrange to meet for coffee, a meal, or a virtual meeting, so that you can have that in-person connection (where safe) or connect visually.
  5. Set 3 calendar reminders for the next month: While you’re at it, put some plans in place for networking. It’s easy to get motivated when you have the time/energy, but that fades when other projects and work happens. So while you’re thinking about it, set up three reminders in your calendar to follow up on something related to networking – it can be any of the above ideas, or follow up to the conversations that you’ve had as a result of these. But get it on the calendar so you won’t forget.

What are some of your best networking tips? And along with networking itself, what are some of the ways that you stay motivated to keep strengthening your network when it might seem difficult to stay engaged and invested?

Print:
Email this postTweet this postLike this postShare this post on LinkedIn
Photo of Lindsay Griffiths Lindsay Griffiths

Lindsay Griffiths is the International Lawyers Network’s Executive Director. She is a dynamic, influential international executive and marketing thought leader with a passion for relationship development and authoring impactful content. Griffiths is a driven, strategic leader who implements creative initiatives to achieve the…

Lindsay Griffiths is the International Lawyers Network’s Executive Director. She is a dynamic, influential international executive and marketing thought leader with a passion for relationship development and authoring impactful content. Griffiths is a driven, strategic leader who implements creative initiatives to achieve the goals of a global professional services network. She manages all major aspects of the Network, including recruitment, member retention, and providing exceptional client service to an international membership base.

In her role as Executive Director, Griffiths manages a mix of international programs, engages a diverse global community, and develops an international membership base. She leads the development and successful implementation of major organizational initiatives, manages interpersonal relationships, and possesses executive presence with audiences of internal and external stakeholders. Griffiths excels at project management, organization, and planning, writes and speaks with influence and authority, and works independently while demonstrating flexibility in thinking, especially in challenging situations. She also adapts to diverse and dynamic environments with constant assessment and recalibration.

JD Supra Readers Choice Top Author 2019

In 2021, the ILN was honored as Global Law Firm Network of the Year by The Lawyer European Awards, and in 2016, 2017, and 2022, they were shortlisted as Global Law Firm Network of the Year. Since 2011, the Network has been listed as a Chambers & Partners Leading Law Firm Network, recently increasing this ranking to be included in the top two percent of law firm networks globally, as well as adding two regional rankings. She was awarded “Thought Leader of the Year” by the Legal Marketing Association’s New York chapter in 2014 for her substantive contributions to the industry and was included in Clio’s list of “34 People in Legal You Should Follow on Twitter.” She was also chosen for the American Bar Association Journal’s inaugural Web 100‘s Best Law Blogs, where judge Ivy Grey said “This blog is outstanding, thoughtful, and useful.” Ms. Griffiths was chosen as a Top Author by JD Supra in their 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards, for the level of engagement and visibility she attained with readers on the topic of marketing & business development. She has been the author of Zen & the Art of Legal Networking since February 2009.