How To Followup After a Networking Event

One of the most common comments that we hear around networking is that I always meet people at networking events, but then it never turns into anything. So today, I'm gonna give you our five step process of exactly how to follow up after a networking event to turn those contacts into business growth connections.

Hi, I'm Melissa with RodgerandMelissa.com, where we help coaches and entrepreneurs amplify their impact and their success. So let me ask you, have you ever attended a networking event, met new contacts, got lots of business cards, enjoyed some really good conversations, but then the weeks following was like? Well, I'm gonna take you through our exact, five step networking follow up blueprint, that has helped us to explode our local network, and can help you establish client and strategic relationships that you'll value for years to come.

And be sure to stick around to the end, because I'll also cover the top four things that you want to make sure not to do when following up with your contacts. So let's get started.

Step number one, send an "It was great to meet you" email within 36 hours. Consider this a continuation of the conversation that was happening at the event. You should not be using a template, automatic, canned response. It is not to set up a one-on-one, or get them interested in your stuff. But keep it all short and sweet, and focused on them. The main purpose is to bring you back to the top of their mind, and to show them that you value people, that you're intentional about your business, and you are not just in it for what you can get.

Step number two, connect on social media. Now, which platform depends on your industry and on their industry. But you always wanna send a personal note when connecting, reminding them of where you met them, or maybe something you discussed. Comment and share on their posts. They'll appreciate that, and it shows that you took the time to go out and see what they are all about.

Step number three, provide value. Now look, this is the number one most important thing to remember, for all of your follow up communications. It shows that you care more about them, about the new relationship, over pitching your products or your services. Now value is defined by what is considered valuable to them. What they are interested in. Their industry, their personal interests. Maybe you see something in the news about their industry. That's a great time to use a question. A question about their industry.

If you do learn something kind of specific about their personal interests, you can actually turn that into a great way to follow up with them. One time, I actually found out that someone was interested, their child was interested in basketball, and we were headed to a great basketball tournament, just a couple of weekends away. So in my follow up, I sent that information about that basketball tournament to my new connection, they wrote back and they were so excited about being able to take their child to that basketball tournament that they had never even heard of. So that's one way that you can connect, kind of on a personal level.

And by the way, if you'd like to have a copy of our blueprint that we're talking about today, for future reference and more tips, be sure to check out the link in the description, where you can go ahead and download it.

Now step number four. This is my favorite follow up strategy. Invite them to an event. Inviting them to a group function takes away all that anxiety that a one-on-one might produce. Plus, it shows that you are willing to invest in the new relationship. Even open up your community to them. You could do another networking event. You could do another event, hosted by the same people. Ask if they're going to the next one. It could be a seminar that you both would find very interesting.

A fun way is to personally invite a small group of maybe new connections, and maybe a few of your existing ones, to meet each other. Get together for lunch, or have some coffee. It's a great way to bring, intentionally, people together. Now phone calls at this step are much more effective than emails. It's really important that they hear the excitement and the sincerity in your voice, even if you have to leave a voicemail. Now always follow it up with an email with all the details. At this point, depending on the response that you get, you may need to rinse and repeat steps two, three, and four.

Now step number five, schedule an in-person, one-on-one meeting. Now by this point, you should have a good idea if they are a potential client, a strategic alliance, or if they're a good resource for you, or even for you to be a client of theirs. Even if they're a possible client for you, you still wanna approach it with what value you can provide to them, and a genuine concern for their business and their life.

Networking is all about building a relationship. It's not about seeing how quickly you can close a deal or get a referral. Now as a bonus, here are the top four things not to do when following up with your new contact. 

Do not put your new contact on your list, and start spamming them with your e-newsletter and all kinds of information.

Do not connect with them on social media, only to ask them to like your page.

Do not even hint at anything salesy. No offers, no free sessions.

Do not ask for a referral out of their community until you've invested time in the relationship.

Now, three final things. First, if you're new here, be sure to subscribe. And second, be sure to check out one of these two videos for more great content. And third, remember, if you want a copy of this follow up blueprint for future reference and more tips, there's a link in the description below. See you next time.