Zvi Band

I help cultivate the connections that matter for your business, career, and life. @relatablecrm @bemorerelatable past: @contactually (acq'd), author

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

And now for something completely different!

Happy to share that my new course, Relatable Foundations, is now live.

This will teach you everything I’ve learned about cultivating the relationships that matter to your business, your career, and your life.

Why now?

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

"let's pick your brain sometime" is not a networking strategy.Vague asks don't feel safer — they just read as unprepared.

A real ask tells the person what you need, how long it'll take, and why them specifically.

That last part matters more than most people https://t.co/E9pUAwWboE the work before you hit send. Make it a yes or no question.

That's not demanding — that's respectful.

📩 Full breakdown in the newsletter — link in bio.

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

Not a question. Not an ask. Just three words that said "I'm thinking of you."

I've seen a single text message do things that years of silence couldn't.

Don't underestimate it.

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

You know who your most important relationships are.

You just don't always know which ones you're accidentally ghosting.

We just launched the Relatable Radar — a live visualization of your entire network that shows you, at a glance, who's active, who's fading, and who's at risk of slipping away entirely.

The people in the center? You're doing great. The ones on the outer rings? They noticed.

Log in, click Radar on the left side, and take an honest look.

https://t.co/62y1wSBR6s

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

Your CRM tells you who's in your network.

But it doesn't tell you who's draining you.

There's a stupidly simple framework called Plus 2 — and after I tried it, I couldn't unsee my own patterns.Rate every interaction from -2 to +2.

That's it.

After a few weeks, the picture gets uncomfortable.

Full breakdown in this week's newsletter. Link in bio.

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

"How are you?"
"Good, you?"
"Good."

Awkward silence.

I started keeping 5-10 real questions for networking events.

"What's been exciting you lately?" completely flips the conversation. People light up talking about side projects, wins, or challenges they're wrestling with.

The trick? Match depth to relationship.

Surface conversations create surface connections. Real questions create real relationships.

What's one question YOU ask that gets people talking? 👇

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

Most pipelines track deals.

Relatable Pipelines tracks the person behind the deal.

We just shipped full pipeline management — stages, values, probabilities, reminders — inside the CRM that's actually about relationships.

One tool. No more second tab.

Try: https://t.co/CBHnISm7ho

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

The networking advice you've been following might actually be working against you.

"Always remember birthdays." "Track people's kids' names." The instinct makes sense — but in practice? It can feel mechanical to them and exhausting to you.

Real relationship-building reflects who you actually are. That means you get to decide what details matter — and ignore the rest.

This week's newsletter breaks down how to build a contact system that's actually sustainable (and that makes people feel like they genuinely know you).

Link in bio.

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

What if they say "I don't really know"?
You can say: "Listen, while you're thinking, I'm happy to share mine."
This gives you the opportunity to be a little more vulnerable, which gets them to mirror that appropriately. Or they'll jump right into it.

Here's what I've found happens:
They may share, as is commonplace, something professional:

"Got a lot of great work done today"
"Had a great project"
"Had a closing yesterday"

Great. But remember: We don't always have to stay with the script.
The simplest change—just a question you ask—can make all the difference.
So as you think about it:

What are the questions YOU can ask?
What is the way YOU can start off a conversation that will completely flip the script?

The vulnerability mirror works. When you go first, they follow.

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

You just left a conference with 30 business cards.

Old way: Type each one into your CRM manually. (You won't.)

New way: Snap a photo → drop it into Whiz → contacts created, follow-ups drafted, database updated. Done.

Works with business cards, handwritten notes, spreadsheets, screenshots — anything.

Data entry is dead. Your relationships aren't.

Try it now at https://t.co/62y1wSBR6s

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

He left the group expecting to keep the friendships. What he got was complete silence.

It turns out some relationships only exist inside the container — the group chat, the weekly meeting, the annual retreat.

Take those away, and there's nothing left.
But some people? They were the real thing. And those deserve more than a "we should grab lunch sometime."

This week's newsletter is about how to tell the difference — and what to actually do before it's too late.

Link for the full story
https://t.co/RdxlFC9ctb

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

Want someone to like you more? Ask them for a favor.

Sounds backwards. But it works.

When you ask someone for their specific expertise — not generic help, their knowledge — it tells them you see them. That you pay attention.

People don't bond by receiving.

They bond by giving.

Try it this week: ask one person for advice only they could give you.

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

Your CRM is probably wrong

Most people treat relationships like a funnel - once someone becomes a customer, CHECK, done

But it should be a WHIRLPOOL

Past clients become repeat buyers, refer you business, send opportunities

When you meet someone, they may not buy NOW or EVER

They might give you advice, send referrals, or you might HIRE them

A CRM for RELATIONSHIPS works differently than one for TRANSACTIONS
Stop checking boxes. Start building whirlpools

Save this if you need the reminder

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

You've been trained to talk to machines. And it's quietly making you worse at talking to people.

Not dramatically. Just slowly. Sloppier texts. Fewer pleases. Faster replies. Commands instead of conversation.

If you've ever caught yourself typing to a human the same way you type to ChatGPT, you need to read my latest piece.

Link to the full newsletter: https://t.co/jJTkIUDhPJ

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

Nobody cares about my gardening slash cooking slash running

Well, that's TRUE

Probably most people DON'T

But you can FIND the people who DO
And for those who don't?

It's UNLIKELY they're going to JUDGE you
Like 'Oh, that person gardens'
No, they just have their OWN interests they know aren't relevant to everyone else

But that's really COOL that you do
I've connected with great people who absolutely LOVE sailing

Honestly, I could not care about sailing WHATSOEVER

But it's INTERESTING to learn a little bit more about that person

Your weird interest is someone's connection point

What's YOUR thing that most people don't care about? Drop it below - let's find your people

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

🌍 The Medici Effect is real.

It's not about how many people you know.

It's about who you bring together.

Intentionally connect with people outside your bubble—different industries, backgrounds, experiences.

Then introduce them.

Ask new connections "Who's the most interesting person you know?"

Magic happens at the intersections.

🤝The best ideas don't come from staying in your lane—they come from cross-pollinating circles.

Who are you bringing together this week? 👇

#medicieffect #innovations #ɢʀᴏᴡᴛʜᴍɪɴᴅsᴇᴛ #crossindustry #relationshipbuilding

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

The dirty secret of every CRM ever built:

People update them at their desk.

Nobody updates them in the moment relationships actually happen — between meetings, in the parking lot, on the walk to the next thing.

So 60% of what should be captured... never is.

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

A colleague stopped accepting LinkedIn requests from strangers. Not slowed down. Stopped.

Why? She can't be sure they're actually human anymore.

The burden of proof has flipped. When AI can write personalized outreach at scale, being "real" is now the premium asset.

Read the full take → https://t.co/RdxlFC9ctb

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

You can create a new organization system that leverages EMOTIONAL CONNECTION as a primary filter

YOUR A-LIST: People you genuinely ENJOY and want to maintain relationships with

Those are the HUG category
YOUR B-LIST: People you feel GOOD about but aren't necessarily your strongest connections

Those are the people you give a WAVE to
YOUR C-LIST: People you'd rather AVOID when possible
So RUN

By the way, that doesn't mean you NEVER engage with your C-list

Sometimes business necessitates it
But it DOES mean you stop PRETENDING you'll consistently reach out to them on your own

Stop pretending. Start prioritizing

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

🧱 Most people won't... but you will.

While everyone else is scrolling, you're sending that thoughtful message. When they hesitate to show up solo, you're already at the event. When silence feels safer, you're following up.

These small, uncomfortable actions? That's where the magic happens. That's where you separate yourself from the crowd.

Adopt the "Most People Won't" mindset today. 💪

#networkingmindset #personalgrowth #dailyhabits #relatableposts

[Zvi Band @skeevis]

The people closest to you know how you write.

They know your cadence. Your humor. The way you follow up.

When AI does that for you — and you're not actually in it — you're not maintaining the relationship. You're running a simulation of one.

This week's newsletter is about the rules worth setting before AI starts making calls you didn't realize you handed over.

Click this link! https://t.co/xC9VIgTWc2