Stay in touch with hundreds of people.

Every person you’ve ever met has the potential to help you.

If you keep in touch and stay on their mind, there’s a good chance an opportunity will come your way. But if you don’t keep in touch, that potential is almost gone. Out of touch, out of mind.

So you need to make a simple automatic system to keep in touch without relying on your memory. Use your database to label everyone in a category like this:

• A list: Very important people. Contact every three weeks.
• B list: Important people. Contact every two months.
• C list: Most people. Contact every six months.
• D list: Demoted people. Contact once a year, to make sure you still have their correct info.

When you contact each person, just find out how they’re doing. See if you can help them in any way.

This regular contact should be unselfish, and sincerely caring how they are. Don’t ask a favor unless you’ve been in touch recently. It’s a little insulting to contact someone you haven’t talked with in a long time, just to ask a favor.

Most people are so bad at keeping in touch that they will really appreciate you doing it. And when you make this a habit, it’s easy to stay in touch with hundreds or thousands of people.