Congratulations- you applied the previous blog post’s tips to your recent in-person networking event. Now what?
Immediately After the Networking Event
1. Review your Performance
Write down some thoughts about your performance. How did you do? Again, it’s not about quantity, i.e., how many people you met, but the quality of your interaction with the people you met. Did you make a connection and collect a challenge? A few memorable interactions are better than many generic ones. What did you do well- work the room, remember names, perhaps make a connection for someone in the moment? What didn’t go so well- awkward encounter, you spoke too much about yourself, spent too much time with people you already know well? Any thoughts about your performance are helpful. As you network more, you will see trends in your strengths and weaknesses and can make goals on how to address any weaknesses.
2. Enter your Notes about the People You Met into a Tracking System
Ideally, you remembered your pen and took notes about the person you met on the back of the person’s business card or took notes via your phone. Now is the time to enter the names and notes into a tracking system. The system can be an Excel spreadsheet, contacts database, and even an old school business card holder. Pick a system that you will actually use. The key point is not what type of system you use, but your ability to review your network regularly. As you meet new people and collect challenges, it is helpful to have the information all in one place. By periodically reviewing the contents of your system, it keeps people and their challenges in your mind. It also can be a reminder for you to contact someone when you come across his/her information.
Follow-Up Tips for In-Person Networking
Remember that the purpose of the follow up is to ensure a lasting connection. The follow up is where you remind the other person that you are available to assist, not for you to make a pitch or an ask.
1. Reach Out (Preferably via Email)
Ideally, reach out to the person within 24 hours. For most people, reaching out means sending the person an email. Others may chose to call or text, but email is probably the most efficient route because you can add in detail (too much detail in a text or voicemail would be odd). Many people use LinkedIn as the initial reaching out, but we would suggest waiting to use LinkedIn or other forms of social media (see below).
2. What your Message should Say
An email should be concise, polite, and humble. It should remind the person who you are and where you met. Most importantly, it should include a reference why the person would remember you. Give your interaction with the person some context. Maybe you chatted about the game that was happening during the networking event, how you both know someone in common, or found out that you both went to the same school. Reminding the person of the connection you made during the conversation is important and keeps the person interested in reading the rest of the email. When you send the message, the subject line of the email should reference where you met the person and either the challenge or the “special” reference to your conversation. For example, Boston Biotech Conference, Need for Angel Investors, or Tribeca Community Block Association, Duke connection.
Next, if you collected a challenge from the person, briefly restate the challenge and how you either are thinking about how you can help or have an introduction/proposal that may help solve the person’s challenge. If no challenge was collected, then close the email by saying how you look forward to staying in touch or talking again soon.
Unless your in-person conversation was about the person assisting you, avoid making an ask. As we mentioned in the collecting challenges post, give multiple times before making an ask. But if your follow-up email is in reference to what the person said he or she would do for you, then feel free to remind him/her of what was offered.
Finally, if you reached out via email and plan to be away soon after sending the email, set the auto office feature outgoing message to state when you will be back. It would be awkward if the person replied and there was no response from you for an extended period of time.
3. Reaching Out via Social Media
While some people like to use LinkedIn as the follow up, we suggest using a LinkedIn request to connect one week after sending the initial email for three reasons. First, if the person is constantly receiving LinkedIn requests, yours may get lost in the masses. Second, the person may just accept the invitation without reading the text of the message. Third, when the person sees your LinkedIn invitation, it serves as a reminder to reply to your email, if he/she had not already. The message via the LinkedIn request should follow the same format as discussed above.
Many people will have other social media accounts, i.e., Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, etc. The question of whether to connect via these depends on two things. First, is the account a professional or personal one? The Facebook account for a company is dramatically different from the Facebook account of the person you are connecting to. It might be prudent to first connect on a professional level and then decide later whether to make the request on a personal level. Of course, this is assuming you also have a professional/work type of account. Second, what is your comfort level connecting with someone via a social media account? How detailed is your account? Is it bare bones or so rich that your personal and professional lives are intertwined with no boundaries?
Both types of accounts are fine, but if you connect with the person then he/she will also have access to your account. Some people have fluidity between their professional and personal lives and such openness is appropriate for their professions while others insist on firm boundaries with little overlap in their social media accounts.
4. No Response or a Rejection
Let’s face it, not everyone will be interested. That’s ok. It’s part of the networking process. Let’s say the person doesn’t reply back to your initial email outreach. People are busy. If there is no response (or acceptance) of the LinkedIn or other social media connection request, wait one month. Then reach out using both email and the LinkedIn request one more time. If there is still radio silence, then move that person into a separate file in your tracking system. Why keep this person in your contacts? Because the person may not be open to networking now, but circumstances change. Or maybe the person felt no need to reply because it wasn’t urgent. Unless you receive an explicit “no thank you” let’s assume the best in people.
Of course, if you do receive a flat out rejection, that’s ok. It might sting, but at least you received the professional courtesy of a response. In the days of ghosting people, receiving a response is better than no response. Plus, as Jia Jiang, author of Rejection Proof: How I Beat Fear and Became Invincible Through 100 Days of Rejection (2015) states - rejection is something to practice so you can learn from it, e.g., overcome fear, become more resilient, and learn how to turn a no into yes.
5. In-Person Meeting
Sometimes the next step after connecting is an in-person meeting, perhaps to discuss the person’s challenge in more detail or just to meet for a coffee. As we’ve stated before, the purpose of the meeting shouldn’t be about your agenda. Most likely, the conversation will eventually lead to you and your business, so there is no need for you to make a pitch.
Ideally, pick a location convenient to the other person or at the very least halfway between you both. The location should be easy to get to and bustling but not too loud where you cannot have a conversation. While you might be tempted to pick a place you’ve never been to before, unless you can confirm it meets the criteria above, best to pick a familiar site. In addition, be sure to be a few minutes early so you can secure seating.
At the meeting, the same rules apply about attire, shoes, eye contact, etc. from the previous post. Be generous- offer to buy the person you are meeting coffee, lunch, etc. If the person you are meeting is senior to you, he or she will often treat you. Be polite and grateful. Be sure to take notes so you will do what you say you will do. After the meeting, again, follow up with the person in a timely manner.
Conclusion
Congratulations on successfully following up with people from the in-person networking event. The next post will discuss how to have someone introduce you to a particular person in your friend/acquaintance’s network and connect people via email.