Module 3/4 24 min

Maintaining a network with small effort

Step 1 / 2·Four messages a month

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Learning objectives — after this module you will:

Set a contact rhythm you can actually sustain
Give value before you need a favour
Ask well when you genuinely need to

Practice ~10 min

Four messages a month

Turn maintenance into a small habit.

Forty-eight light touches in a year is a living network.

Four kinds of message that need no excuse

Send something useful: an article, a report, the name of a tool relevant to their work
Congratulate a milestone: a new job, a promotion, a product launch
Report back on something they helped with: 'I tried your suggestion, and here is what happened'
Ask a short question about their specialism — most people enjoy being asked about what they are good at

The third kind is the most valuable

Very few people come back to report the outcome after being helped. A message saying 'I did it your way and here is the result' is remembered for a long time, and almost always leads to another conversation.

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