Thinking of You

My close friend Joan came for a visit a couple of weeks ago. We’ve been getting together once or twice a year since we graduated from college, even though we live a couple of hours apart. We’re the kind of friends who just pick up where we were the last time we talked as though it were just a few days ago rather than months.

But I noticed something interesting after she left. I thought of her much more often for several days than I do normally. I wanted to tell her things or ask her questions that I might not have connected with her. I’d think to myself, “Joan would like this.” Or, “I forgot to tell Joan about this!”

The same thing happened earlier in the summer after my husband and I spent time during our vacation with my brother and his wife. We share a lot in common, so I think of them a lot anyway. But it definitely was ratcheted up several notches after a few days in sun and evenings spent enjoying delicious meals.

In marketing terms, spending time with them made them top-of-mind.

It was a great reminder that if we want clients, prospective clients and referral sources to think of us, we need to spend time with them on a regular basis. We have many communication tools now to make keeping in touch easier, such as social media and email, so there is no excuse. But there is definitely a lot to be said for spending time together and enjoying shared experiences.

You can bet I’ll be taking a refreshed look at contacts and looking for opportunities to have some face time in the coming months.