... and find ways to deepen those relatonships.Catching up with someone I know over lunch can actually be much more appealing than making small talk with strangers over finger food. But often, we undervalue (and underprioritize) these appointments, even though meeting with people in our current professional circle is networking.

Look at your current professional network

It allows individuals to get straight to the point, and since many people use texting as a daily form of communication, you’re more likely to get a response.The trick is to make sure you apply standard business etiquette, such as respecting business hours.

Tell people to text you

Relationships take time, and by the time you do need something and could use their help, they’re more likely to respond if they know who you are.It means being attentive to their career moves and views on certain issues (if they’ve made them public), asking specific questions and finding a way to provide value to them.

Reach out to people even when you don't need anything

Share updates pretty regularly in order to tell connections what’s on your mind, whether it’s your point of view on some industry news story, or just congratulating a colleague on a business win.And by putting yourself out there, you’re taking regular small steps that could someday turn into an opportunity to take a bigger one.

LinkedIn updates

It seems simple, but in this day and age, too many people don’t bother to do it. Which means that if you’re one of the few who do, that person in your professional network is likely going to remember you favorably.

Remember birthdays

Building a strong network is one thing, and keeping it strong is another.But it’s not that difficult to maintain your relationships:  sending a few email updates per year that include major achievements about your professional and personal life to the people that are closest to you can be a game changer.

Email updates

But networking doesn't have to be this painful. In fact, there are plenty of things you can do to make building valuable professional relationships a habit, not just when you need something. Here are seven counterintuitive networking hacks to try. It's easy to lose touch with your best friend in college once opportunities take you to different cities.

Tell people to text you

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