Keeping a network you can actually use
Guides on personal CRMs, managing a professional network, and making warm introductions, written for advisors, investors and founders.
Personal CRM
What is a personal CRM?›
A personal CRM keeps track of the people you know, what you last discussed, and who needs a follow-up. Here is what one does and when you need it.
How to choose a personal CRM›
Five questions that separate the personal CRM you will still be using in six months from the one you abandon in three weeks, and a test that takes a month.
A personal CRM for consultants›
Consultants have few clients, long gaps between them, and referrals as the whole pipeline. That shape needs a different tool from the one salespeople use.
Networking for introverts, with the performance removed›
Most networking advice asks introverts to act like extroverts. This is the other approach. Fewer people, more memory, and a system that does the remembering.
Personal CRM vs spreadsheet›
A spreadsheet works until the last contact column stops being true. Here is what breaks, when to switch, and what to carry over when you do.
CRM for advisors
The CRM for startup advisors›
Advisors who support several companies need to track each one's needs and the introductions they owe. Here is what that system looks like.
What to track for each company you advise›
Most advisors record what a company does. The useful record is what it needs this month, and what would tell you the match just walked past.
How to run a portfolio of advisory relationships›
Advising six companies means holding a few hundred people at different depths. Tier them, accept the ceiling, and plan for when an engagement ends.
Managing your network
How to manage your professional network without it becoming a job›
Keeping a few hundred relationships alive is a system problem. Which ones to keep, how to notice when one is fading, and what to do about it.
What to say when someone changes jobs›
A job change is the best reconnect you will ever be handed, and almost everyone wastes it on a one-click congratulations. What to write instead.
How to reconnect after a long silence›
Reaching out after a year of quiet feels awkward and is usually welcome. What the research on dormant ties found, and what to actually write.
Warm introductions
How to make a warm introduction›
The double opt-in, when to skip it, what to write, and what to do when one side says no. A guide for people who make introductions for a living.
When not to make an introduction›
Every introduction you make spends a little of your credibility. Five situations where the right answer is no, and how to say it without damage.
How to ask for an introduction›
Most introduction requests fail because they describe what you do. The ones that work describe the moment someone needs you, and are easy to forward.
Comparisons
The best personal CRM for networking, by who you are›
Twelve tools grouped by the job they do, with a recommendation for each kind of networker. No affiliate links, no rankings, real strengths and limits.
Relationship CRM vs pipeline CRM›
A pipeline models a deal moving toward a close. A relationship CRM models a person over years. Using the wrong one is why most CRMs get abandoned.