If you are in New England, you are starting to feel the pain of weekly snowstorms.  Each one adds up to a foot of snow or more in our yards these days.  With yet an other storm approaching this week, forecasters are asking people to stay off the roads.  With today’s technological advances, this doesn’t present too many issues with keeping on pace with work demands.  It does, however, interfere with getting together with contacts and clients for business development purposes.  So, what can we do to maintain these essential relationships when we can’t see them face-to-face?  Here are a few snowy day activities to employ:

• Place personal phone calls.  The old fashioned phone call has fallen off the radar in recent years with the increase in email, texting and IMs.  Picking up the phone and placing a call is a personal approach that sustains relationships through the short term.  Call to touch base, offer help, tell them something new or to commiserate!

• Personalized emails.  A distant second to the phone call is to craft a thoughtful email.  Make the email content useful– attach a recent article about something they would be interested in.

• Use Linked In.  Update your profile, post a relevant status, comment on a group discussion and search for people you know and ask them to become a connection.

Snowy days may keep you from seeing people in person, but it shouldn’t be an excuse to halt your relationship building and business development goals.  Keep your momentum going from the warmth of your home, and when the snow is gone, get out and see people again.