How to Stay Engaged with Your Network and Customers

vapostol
2 minutes ago
8 min read

Building Stronger Relationships Through Consistency, Connection, and Intentional Systems

If there is one thing I’ve learned over four decades in business, it’s this:

Your network and your customers are two of the most valuable assets you will ever have — but only if you nurture them intentionally.

A strong network can open doors you never expected.

A loyal customer base can sustain your business through seasons of growth, challenge, or reinvention.

And staying engaged with both doesn’t happen by accident — it happens by design.

In every business I’ve built, from tourism to real estate to mentoring business owners today, the relationships we maintained made a measurable difference in our success. Some of our biggest opportunities came from people we had known — and stayed connected with — for years. And some of our most loyal customers came back to us again and again because they felt valued, seen, and appreciated.

Today, staying engaged is easier than ever… but also easier than ever to neglect.

Between full inboxes, busy seasons, and the never-ending demands on a business owner’s time, it’s easy for relationship-building to fade into the background.

This newsletter is about preventing that from happening.

Because if you want to build a sustainable, scalable business — one that runs smoothly and supports the life you want — then staying engaged with your network and customers must be a consistent, intentional practice.

Let’s walk through how to do that, using the same principles I teach inside my BOSS program.

Part 1: Why Engagement Matters More Than Ever

Engagement is more than communication — it is connection.

During our years running Hawaiian Vacations, one of the reasons customers kept returning (and telling their friends) was that they felt genuinely cared for. We knew their names, their preferences. We remembered when someone had a special request or a difficult experience in the past.

Those details weren’t “extras.”

They were relationship-builders.

And your network works the same way.

Many of the opportunities we received throughout the years — partnerships, invitations, joint ventures, referrals, and even board representation — came because we had continued to nurture relationships across industries.

Engagement matters because:

People do business with people they trust.
Customers return to brands that treat them like humans, not transactions.
Networks grow when you stay visible and valuable.
Consistency builds credibility.
Engagement creates loyalty, and loyalty creates longevity.

And most importantly:

Strong relationships make your business more resilient, more profitable, and more scalable.

Part 2: The Six Principles Behind Staying Engaged

One thing I want you to take away is this:

Engagement is NOT random.

It is rooted in the Six Principles from my course.

Let’s walk through how each one supports engagement.

1. Systems (S.I.M.P.L.E.)

Staying engaged isn’t about remembering everything.

It’s about building systems that remember for you.

Using the S.I.M.P.L.E. model:

Standardization: When a customer reaches out, your team knows exactly how to respond.
Instructions: Your team has scripts and templates for communication.
Manuals: There is a documented process for follow-up and customer touchpoints.
Policies: You have clear guidelines for customer care, communication timelines, and follow-through.
Logistics: Your contact management system (CRM) houses all customer details, so nothing gets lost.
Efficiency: Automations help you stay consistent without draining your time.

When systems hold the structure, you are free to show up meaningfully and personally.

2. Measure & Track Performance

Engagement is measurable.

You can track:

Email open rates
Click-through rates
Customer satisfaction
Repeat business
Referral volume
Social media engagement
Response times
Survey results
Net promoter scores (NPS)

What you measure grows.

And what you track becomes intentional.

In our tourism business, customer feedback (both formal and informal) was one of our greatest tools for improvement — and innovation.

3. Leverage

You cannot stay engaged alone — especially as your business grows.

You need:

Tools
Automations
Delegation
Platforms
Templates
Support

Leverage reduces the time you spend managing relationships…

and increases the quality of those interactions.

4. Culture

Engagement requires a culture that values your customers and makes them priority #1. We must remember that our customers are the reason we are in business. Without them, we would not have a business. When a culture embraces actions and attitudes that focus on making customers happy, or even better, delighting customers, it creates a ripple effect that will be seen and felt in every corner of your business.

When your culture recognizes the value of your customers, engagement becomes a shared team priority, not something you carry alone.

5. Team

Your team is an extension of your brand.

The way they interact with customers and colleagues determines the strength of your relationships.

Your team must be:

Trained
Empowered
Supported
Informed
Accountable

When your team understands the standards of engagement you expect, they become one of your greatest assets.

6. S.E.R.V.I.C.E. Standards

Engagement is customer service — and customer care — at its highest level.

Use this framework to ensure you have a quality S.E.R.V.I.C.E. model:

Standards: Define customer service expectations clearly. Set your own standards for what "great customer service” looks like.
Education: Train your team so they know and understand the service expectations and policies, and teach them to listen, respond, and follow through consistently and with caring.
Rules & Policies: Establish specific rules and policies regarding how customer concerns are handled, so that all team members know how to solve issues without taking the time to check with someone higher up.
Valuable Final Product: The objective is to create an experience whereby the customer receives exactly what they wanted in the way of a product or service, feels valued, appreciated, and wants to work with your business again and again.
Information Systems: Make sure you have a system for collecting and storing data about your customers, including their preferences, so that you can use it in your communications with them, and in serving them in the best way possible.
Customer Feedback: It is important to KNOW what your customers think about the product or service you are delivering. Be sure to have multiple ways to seek their feedback, through in-person conversations, online surveys, comment cards, or any other method.
Empowerment: If you set your team up with the tools and the authority to fix problems quickly, they are empowered to offer the very best service to your customers, with the least amount of time and stress for all.

Engagement becomes effortless when each of these elements is functioning well.

Part 3: How to Stay Engaged with Customers (Practical Strategies)

Let’s walk through what this looks like in practice.

Here are some actionable steps:

1. Create a Communication Rhythm

Develop a plan for regular communication with your customers that they can count on, to build and maintain your relationship with them. Remember that consistency builds trust. So once you establish the communication plan, stick with it.

Some Examples:

Weekly or monthly newsletters
Quarterly customer updates
Automated check-ins
Personal follow-up messages
Holiday, birthday, or anniversary notes
Special event invitations

This rhythm should be planned, documented, and scheduled — not random.

2. Personalize Communication Wherever Possible

Use your systems to store customer preferences:

Birthdays
Travel habits
Interests
Purchase history
Feedback
Special notes

Our scheduled charter air service business excelled because our customers felt seen and remembered. They knew we genuinely cared about creating a wonderful experience for them on their vacation.

This can be replicated in any business and any industry with the right tools and training.

3. Ask for Feedback — and Act on It

Customer feedback is the doorway to innovation.

Our business built an entire department we called Guest Satisfaction, based on customer insights — and it transformed our business. Our customers went from grumbling about long hold times on the phone to booking repeated vacations with us.

There are many ways you can gather feedback from your customers:

Surveys - online or with paper cards, or forms.
QR codes
Follow-up emails
Post-purchase personal check-ins

Once you collect that data, you need to analyze and sort it to note trends or improvements needed. And make sure your team knows about the feedback so they can participate in making the service better. You can also use the information to acknowledge or reward a team member who stood out in the customer comments.

4. Respond Quickly and Thoughtfully

Speed + clarity = trust

Always acknowledge customer feedback. The more quickly the better. Thank them for taking the time to let you know their feelings. Let them know you are using the information to make improvements, if appropriate. And if there is an issue to be solved, even if you don’t have an answer yet, acknowledge the issue and promise to get back to them. And then be sure you do get back to them as promptly as possible!

Your customers should never feel forgotten or, worse, ignored.

5. Add “Extra Touches” That Delight

Delighting your customers doesn't require big, expensive gestures. Simple, personal touches can go a long way toward delighting a customer. I was on a flight not too long ago where I was handed a handwritten thank-you note by the flight attendant. That simple gesture didn't just delight me; I was blown away and thrilled!

Here are a few examples:

A handwritten note
A small gift
A follow-up message
A relevant resource
A warm check-in

Delight creates loyalty.

Loyalty creates repeat business.

Repeat business creates sustainability.

Part 4: How to Stay Engaged with Your Network (Practical Strategies)

Your network requires different strategies — but the same intentionality.

Here’s how to stay meaningfully connected.

1. Maintain Your Visibility

You don’t have to be everywhere, but you need to be somewhere consistently.

Ways to stay visible:

Weekly or monthly newsletter
Posting valuable content
Showing up in community conversations
Sharing insights from your experience
Attending industry events
Participating in masterminds or roundtables

Consistent visibility builds credibility.

2. Offer Value Before You Ask for Anything

This is how strong networks are built.

Value can look like:

Sharing a tip
Offering an introduction
Sending a resource
Encouraging someone
Cheering their success
Supporting their launch
Engaging with their social media content

When you lead with generosity, people remember.

3. Treat Relationships Like Investments

Just as you revisit your business plan, you must revisit your strategic relationships. You want to nurture the relationships that have the most value to you. And that may change over time. So you will want to assess your relationships from time to time.

Ask yourself:

Who do I admire and who aligns with my values?
Who might be a great strategic partner or referral partner?
Who serves a similar audience but with a complementary product?

Who has connections with resources that could be valuable to my business?

4. Build a Connection System

Networks grow when you maintain them deliberately.

Use a CRM or simple spreadsheet to track:

Who needs follow-up?
Who do you want to reconnect with? When?
Who should receive resources?
Who do you want to refer business to?
Who have you received referrals from?

This turns relationships into a rhythm — not a random activity.

Part 5: The Power of Presence — Why Engagement Isn’t Optional

At its core, staying engaged is about presence.

It’s about saying:

“I see you.”

“I appreciate you.”

“I’m here.”

“You matter to us.”

Customers notice.

Your network notices.

Your team notices.

Engagement is not a task — it is a culture.

It is a way of operating.

It is a reflection of your values.

It is an investment in your future.

And it is one of the greatest drivers of long-term success.

🎧 Podcast Spotlight: Ideas & Impact with Jeremy Jones

I recently joined Jeremy Jones on Ideas & Impact to talk about how to design a business that supports the life you truly want. We explored what it takes to shift from operator to owner, duplicate yourself through documented systems, and build a team and culture aligned with your values and long-term vision.

🎙️ Listen here: #426 Achieve Business Success while Living Your Dream | Ral West

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