5 Ways to Reconnect with your Network during the Holidays

The Holiday season is officially upon us, which you are definitely well aware of if you’ve been inside any retail store lately. Although this time of year is infamous for seasonal foods and buying gifts, it is also the perfect time to reconnect with people you have networked with in the past (or make new connections)! These connections could be current or past coworkers, someone you met at a networking event, or even old friends you’ve lost touch with. Regardless of who the connection is with, November through January are the perfect months to reconnect.

1. Send a direct message, email, or text

The most direct way to reconnect with someone over the holidays is by sending them a message via LinkedIn, email, or text. You can ask how they are doing, their plans for the holidays, or even how their year went. This is also a great time for you to share those updates about yourself and what you accomplished this year. Think of it as light small talk to remind them of who you are and maintain a connection.

2. Set up a Zoom meeting

You can only type so much when reconnecting with someone via text. As a result, you may want to suggest a time for a short Zoom meeting to further augment the professional connection. Verbally speaking alongside seeing each other’s faces allows for a stronger connection than a typed message can produce. This is especially helpful if you do not live near each other, but still want the benefit of being able to communicate face-to-face.

3. Suggest catching up over coffee

Holidays are an extremely busy time of year for everyone, so a quick coffee meeting before/after work or on the weekend is a great suggestion to make when trying to reconnect with someone in your network. This is a great suggestion if you know the person has a busy schedule, so you can still connect while on a time crunch. However, I do recommend finding out how much time they have prior to meeting up to ensure you can discuss everything you’d like.

4. Post on LinkedIn/respond to others’ posts

Although this is a very indirect way to “reconnect” with your network, it is still something that engages those in your network. Most of us are guilty of not posting on LinkedIn, so now is the perfect time to post. Consider posting a comprehensive reflection of the current year or plans for next year.

5. Host an event (if applicable)

Hosting an event is a great way to reconnect with your network. This is most applicable if you are an entrepreneur and have a purpose for an event, such as exhibiting your product or service or fundraising for charity. However, hosting an event is still an effective way to network as an individual too if you have a good reason and the financial means to do so.

Networking can be stressful, but having conversation starters, such as holiday plans or updates from the year, definitely helps take away some of the stress of not knowing what to say. Remember networking is something that you can and should be doing constantly, but this time of year is particularly effective in reconnecting with your network!