As high-tech becomes more prominent, high-touch becomes even more vital. Make building relationships and staying in touch a part of your daily routine. Thanks to Jim Cenname, as he gave me the idea to discuss this topic and thanks to Rich Beu for emphasizing its importance in a recent interview.

  1. Pick up the phone – sounds obvious but rarely done in today’s busy world! Don’t assume an email “covers it”.
  2. Send a handwritten note – sounds archaic? You’ll stand out in the crowd by taking the time to drop a quick note. Don’t you have a few minutes to value your relationships?
  3. Use diverse mediums – everyone learns and/or responds to different mediums (written, verbal, visual), and so try a bit of each.
  4. Make a connection – don’t waste the keystrokes sending a form letter; instead, include something personal and make a connection.
  5. Automate high-tech aspects to save time – link your blog posts to Facebook; link Twitter and Linked In. Use an email signature. What can you do to automate the non-essential parts so you focus on what’s unique to the person?