5 Easy Ways to Follow Up with Contacts

A few days have passed since you attended a networking event.  You collected hundreds of business cards, and you now stare blankly at the mountain of cards sitting on your desk. What should you do next? Those business cards sitting on your desk won’t do the work for you – now it’s time to take action!

It doesn’t help when you <a href="http://www.meetingwave.com/meet-people.html">meet people</a> and don’t take action after you meet them. Become an effective networker by implementing these easy follow-up strategies.
<ol>
<li><b>Take immediate action and send an email at least 24 hours after you meet a contact</b> - Even if you didn’t make an instant connection with the person you met, it’s a common courtesy to send an email thank you. Do not send out a template-sounding email. Personalize your email correspondence and let that person know you enjoyed meeting him/her. If you wait a few days or even the following week, the person will probably forget meeting you at the event.</li>     <P>  <li><b>Use more than just one follow-up action</b> – If you email a contact, follow up with a phone call. However, do not annoy people by spamming their email or calling them every day. You want to follow-up so people remember you, but you don’t want to be seen as a nuisance and have your calls screened or emails blocked.</li>     <P>  <li><b>Offer expertise and help without expecting something in return</b> – Email an interesting article or mail an informative flyer to contacts you meet. Make sure the information you send ties back to previous conversations – don’t spam people’s in-boxes. That person may not need your services right away. However, you will make a lasting impression by offering genuine help and guidance to them. As a result, they might send referrals your way or use your services in the future.</li>     <P>  <li><b>Offer to meet one-on-one at their convenience</b> – When the person agrees to meet with you, offer to go to their office or meet them at a convenient location. Be flexible and remember to keep the first meeting brief. Be aware of other people’s busy schedules. Don’t make the meeting about pitching your company or services. Get to know the person and ask them questions about their job, family and personal hobbies.</li>    <P>  <li><b>Thank the individual person or group who hosted the networking event</b> – Remember your manners. Send a personal thank you note or email to the person who organized the event. It feels good to be appreciated and networking events aren’t always easy to plan. Your host will appreciate a personalized note.</li>   </ol>  Remember that you might not land a customer or client overnight. Networking means building relationships. When you follow-up with people, put yourself in their shoes and always use professional courtesy.     <P>  Be attentive to people’s non-verbal and verbal cues – if a person is not interested, don’t waste their time. Move forward and remember that not everyone is meant to be a perfect match with you. Don’t take a “no” as a personal rejection – that person just might not need your services or products. However, a “no” right now could still be a “yes” in the future or a future referral – so always keep that in mind!     <P>  If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention <a href="http://www.meetingwave.com">www.meetingwave.com</a> as the original source).

About the author

Jonathan Boyd is an accomplished writer who specializes in the latest in online interaction. For more information regarding business networking meetings, meet people, please drop by at www.meetingwave.com.

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