This post is part of our Weekly-ish Tips series.
I got an email from a client-turned-colleague-now-also-friend not long ago. It was a spontaneous reach-out and she really nailed it in terms of balancing competing priorities, like how to stay in touch in a genuine and meaningful way without inflicting more video call fatigue—or just plain fatigue—on either of us.
I’ll call her “PJ.” Here’s what PJ wrote:
I was just sitting here, writing about qualifying prospects, and listening to Burt Bacharach music when I got to thinking about you! It’s been way too long, and this pandemic has made it so exhausting to do… well just about anything.
I just had to let you know I was thinking about you with a smile, and that I hope all is going well for you and Alan.
I know we will catch up before long. That’s what friends do!
Here are six things I really love about this communication:
That’s a pretty big win for a pretty short email that basically leads … nowhere.
Long-time readers will know that I dearly value “high touch” communications—for my own sake, and for the sake of the business world in general. I think meaningful connections matter and I’ve always been a strong advocate for going higher bandwidth whenever possible—i.e., pick up the phone rather than send an email. But one thing the last year has taught this particular introvert is that sometimes more talking just isn’t feasible, and one thing PJ taught me is there are myriad ways to let people know they matter to you.
Make It Real
This week, try your own variation of a PJ message, applying your style and sentiments. What do you discover?
10 months ago ·
[…] Important add-on: In case you’re just plain pooped and the mere thought of connecting with people leaves you with a sense of dread— either mild or acute—consider that there are ways to stay in touch without completely burning out. […]