Why should you seek out ways to add value to your new contacts? Adding value is one of the easiest things you can do to build trust and start building your relationship right away, as long as you’re adding real value for the person.
Check out these 10 simple ideas:
- Introduce them to someone within your own network who they could benefit from knowing. Don’t know anyone specific? Invite them to a group they could benefit from.
- Make sure once you’ve connected, you start engaging right away. Don’t wait! When time goes by you forget them, and they will forget you. Get connected and stay front of mind.
- Depending on where you met them, if it was an event, it’s relevant and you take good notes, offer to forward them after the event.
- Send them an article that might interest or benefit them.
- Send information or invite them to an upcoming event they might like.
- Send a link to a useful app that might be of value to them.
- If at an event, offer a testimonial to a speaker who had great content.
- Depending on their stage of business, offer to test their product and offer feedback and a testimonial.
- If you think or know someone could be a great speaker and you know of something coming up, refer them for a speaking opportunity.
- Refer potential business to them. If you can’t or don’t have any, ask to learn more about what they do and how you can best refer someone to them. Just make sure if you do this, that you actually refer someone in the near future.