Networking is such a sensational tool for generating business, building key relationships and professional development for business people. Although much work goes into preparing for networking events, people tend to forget to put in work after the networking event. In order to gain that desired business or develop that valuable relationship, follow up is key. Here are a few tips that you can put into practice for effectively following up with your business counterparts for big success!
Tip #1: Time is of the Essence
After making key connections face to face at business functions or networking events, it is extremely important to follow up and remain in contact. This will build your credibility and show that you are serious about doing business. Another point is to follow up in a timely and respectful manner. You should follow up within 0-3 days of meeting your business counterparts. Follow up quickly ensures that you and the conversations or connections that were established are still fresh and active in your mind as well as the person you are reaching out to and facilitating future business. Waiting too long, may make it difficult for your business counterpart to remember you and will most likely result in not getting a timely response or a response at all.
Tip #2: Re-Introduce Yourself Properly
As you reach out to your business counterpart, make sure that you re-introduce yourself properly and continue to make a good impression. In the subject line of your message write the name of the event as well as the date. Just in case your business counterpart does not recognize your name immediately, they will be familiar with the name of the event or the date of the event. They are less likely to disregard your email and will be more prompt to respond. In the first few lines of the message, you should re-introduce yourself, your company or organization to refresh the memory of other person.
Tip #3: Write a Short and Meaningful Message
The message that you send should be short and of interest to the other person. Do not overload or overwhelm your business counterpart with too much information or try to sell them products and services. You can simply re-state the work that you do and invite them to visit your website or sign up for a newsletter. In the message you can offer to have a follow-up meeting to discuss further business or additional details.
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