Hi, it's me

For many people, the holidays can be a wistful time spent thinking about former friends and colleagues. And usually, these brief thoughts flit through your mind when something triggers the memory of someone you used to know.

But people rarely act on these thoughts because it can feel strange to reach out to someone after not corresponding for years. Yet bygone relationships can serve a purpose in the present day.

In The Wall Street Journal article “Connect with one old colleague or boss,” Ray A. Smith explains five easy ways to reach out to an “old” colleague and not be awkward:

1. “Don’t dance around the fact that it’s been a hot minute since you spoke,” Smith writes. Be honest about the lapse in time by sending an email with a subject line like “Blast from the past.”
2. Acknowledge you have been out of touch. Smith suggests writing something like: “I know so much has changed in the roofing industry since we last chatted. Are you still focused on sales?”
3. Remind them of shared experiences. Smith says saying something such as “I appreciate how you handled that client at Company XYZ” will help you articulate what you valued about them.
4. Be open to being of service. Perhaps your long-lost colleague may be looking to switch careers, and you can offer your assistance. “You want to show that your old contact—and the person’s specific skills and hobbies—are top of mind for you,” Smith writes.
5. Be ready for no response. Smith says if you don’t hear back after two attempts, it’s time to let the relationship stay in the past.

But “when you get a response, there’s an art to keeping in touch,” Smith writes.

He suggests the following schedule:

• Close contact (former colleague, now friend): monthly
• Midlevel contact (a former boss): quarterly
• Extended contact (someone you joked with at the water cooler): twice yearly
• Acquaintance (former vendor): annually, around the holidays

As we say goodbye to another year and welcome a new one, may your old acquaintances not be forgot.

AMBIKA PUNIANI REID is editor of Professional Roofing and NRCA’s vice president of communications.