One of the traits of great leaders is their sense of how to communicate with those who support them.  Presidents of theUnited Statesare noted for their handwritten notes to others.  Top corporate executives will often send personal notes to those who supported them.

The thing about communications is that it’s easy to do, it costs very little money, it means a lot when received, and it’s rarely done.  Here are some ways you can communicate with your network.

1. Send a thank you note to those who help you out.  The support you may want to recognize includes

• A recommendation letter
• Helping you with a problem
• Advising you on something
• Doing you a favor
• Providing you with financial support
• Helping you find jobs or internships.  See the topic: Knowing How to make a Thank You Something Special

2. Communicate the results of how something turned out.   This includes:

• Were you successful in getting the scholarship, internship, graduate school placement, or whatever the recommendation was for?
• How did the advice work out?  Were you able to do what was recommended?
• How meaningful was the financial support to you?
• Here’s an example of such a communication.

3. Provide regular updates on your progress to those in your network.  See the topic: Using Social Media to Develop Your Network.”
4. Send useful information to your network members.  These can be articles of interest, notes about mutual friends, information that they may not know or anything else of likely interest.

A good habit to get into is to set aside a few minutes everyday just to communicate with those who support you..