Friends come and go. It is a natural part
of life. We grow up. We move. We change jobs. Throughout it all, the one constant is usually change. Occasionally, you may want to reach out to an old
friend, or colleague, but navigating this process can be cumbersome. However, you can reconnect in so many ways, from social media
messaging to good old fashioned hand written letters. If you want to kick it old school, you could even pick up the phone and make a call.
Do a Little Research
There is always a
reason to reconnect with someone, whether it is just to re-kindle a friendship
or make a business connection. Once you know your reason then it's time to do a little research to help guide your interactions and avoid possible awkwardness. Keep in mind the reason why you lost contact, it may be awkward to reconnect if the
reason you stopped communicating in the first place was a bad one.
You may have known the
individual very well a few years ago, but are you in the same place you were
then? More than likely not and neither are they. Take a peek through their
social profiles to see what they have been up to and what is currently going on in their life. You may find an opening to use to get in touch with them. Popping a Happy
Birthday message across and following up or commenting on a picture are both
great ways of softly reconnecting.
Connect!
The simplest way to
reconnect with someone is by sending them a message, but avoid the generic ‘HI,
how are you?’ lines as this usually leads to a short awkward conversation.
Using your research try sending a more detailed question such as ‘Hi, saw you
went to Hawaii this year. Did you have a great time? I went last year and stayed at (hotel
name). Where did you stay?’. You are opening a channel of conversation based
around a common topic. This could easily lead to branching out into other topics and building your friendship again.
If you are looking to
connect with an old colleague the utilize some memories of working together, or find something that you know will interest them to share. Avoid coming across as a cheesy car salesman pushing a
proposal that may not even tie in with their current activities.
Reconnecting and
building new relationships with people can be nerve wracking for some and does
not always pan out but taking that risk and sending them a message does not
cost anything and could result be socially beneficial. The holiday season is a great time to reach out and wish people well and ask how they are doing.
Who will you reconnect with this week?
Be sure to Follow us and Let's Engage!
Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.
Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars
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