4 tips for following up with a contact after what feels like forever

4 tips for following up with a contact after what feels like forever4 tips for following up with a contact after what feels like foreverWhat happens when you go to a conference and meet a ton of new faces, but fail to follow up with them? Or when you let a year go by without contacting your mentor, who has been so invested in your development all along?Shooting off an email into the great unknown after a really long time can feel like youre crawling out from under a rock- especially if its because you suddenly need something. Here are four tips for following up with a professional contact after a long time.Dont be awkward about it just be briefly apologeticQuickly - but sincerely - touch on the fact that its been a while, but dont harp on this point for too long. This will only make things more awkward for you.Put it this way the quicker you mention this, the quicker you can move on to the substance of your message. Just address the elephant in the room first.Ask about how theyre doing, of courseDont make it all about me, me, me - we all know that communication is a two-way street.Plus, you definitely owe it to this person to ask about how theyre doing after such a long time. Theyll probably be more inclined to respond, and have a warmer reception to your message. When in doubt, use the golden rule Im aya youd want an old colleague to ask about you when sending a message your way after quite some time.So ask about what theyve been working on lately, and if you can be of any professional help.Quickly fill them in on whats been going on with youDont send them a massively detailed laundry list of every single thing youve been up to since you last met or spoke. Instead, let them know about a couple highlights- especially if theyre related to something they encouraged you to do in the first place.Include either a linkto your portfolio or instructions on where to find your most recent work so they can pick and choose what to check out.Next time, dont wait until youre in needUnfortunately, this doesnt look good on your end.Itll look like youre using them for their professional advice, even its about much more than that to you.Next time, make reaching out more of a regular habit. Itll help you keep the doors of communication open. That way, when you need something, you wont have to abflug out cold.