Thread by @SirJarus

There was no mobile phone or email in Nigeria then so it would be more difficult then

However, if it was today

1. Send an sms immediately you get home to thank him for the lift

2. His card is likely to contain his email, send him an email a week later to thank him again

1/n

https://twitter.com/davidogbodo_/status/1481311627098173449

3. Include in the email that as a young undergrad, you look forward to being successful like him after school, that you like his humility

4. Send him occasional sms or email (say once in 4 months) to keep in touch & if there is anything in the news about him or his firm,

2/n

mention it to him and congratulate him if positive news or commiserate if negative - or if neutral (eg you listened to his speech on TV), commend him or just say something to show you follow and care for him or his affiliations. Only important news/event pls.

3/n

5. Pls don't bother him with too many messages or forwarded as received messages or Sunday or Friday tonic (although I used to this to "enter" a top government person when I was a student - but it wont work for a bank CEO)

4/n

6. If you are the type that pours out intellectual content (eg articles), you could occasional share with him via email - only relevant ones eg economy (avoid sensitive topics like religion, politics). You may use this to subtly stamp your intellectual non-pushoverness

5/n

7. He will not reply you most of the times. Some other times, he will reply with a one-liner. But don't worry, he is taking note of you.

8. When you are about to graduate, let him know. You may add a joke like: How time flies! It's now 3 years that he gave you a lift and

6/n

that day remains memorable to you. That you look forward to finishing and becoming successful like you bla bla

9. Send him your well-prepared CV when your graduate and say you would appreciate circulation.

10. You may decide not to do #9 up and just remain a contact and

7/n

occasionally feed him about your life and career progress - communication may now be extended to once in 2 months

11. As you become older and successful yourself in your own career/life, he is likely to give you more attention

8/n

12. Tweet or do a FB post one day to shower him praises, how he helped you with a lift in your yr 1 in the uni and how it remained memorable- you may @ him

NB: after the guy in question made that FB post, a mutual friend introduced him to Fola. So his own started at #12 here
9/n

13. If no opportunity to physically meet him present itself from #12 above, target an event or conference he is attending and show up as a guest and, his security permitting, find opportunity to walk up to him to narrate to him in 5 seconds how he helped you with a lift

10/n

you may say something like "I am the lift man (with smile), you helped me with a lift when in uni". He'll immediately remember you and may joke with you "Hope you don't carry people in lift now? It's now dangerous do that". Or he may joke and call you "hey, my lift friend"

11/n

you may return the joke with "It was more than a lift, it was a life lift, it motivated me"

He may not give you more than 1 minute on that spot, but the familiarity would have been well cemented.

He will likely reply your SMS or whatsapp messages going forward

Fiam, you now hav a former Bank CEO or chairman as a friend!

IMPORTANT: Never ask for financial favor, continue to give him seniorman respect; you may use him as a keynote speaker in one virtual even one day! He will likely accept if well packaged and you work with his calendar

Ouch, I just gave you a lecture on How to Build and Maintain a Network of VIPs