What are the best practices for following up with contacts after a professional event?

2 Add value and relevance

The second step in follow-up is to add value and relevance to your message by sharing something that can benefit your contact or relate to their goals. This could mean sending a meaningful article, podcast, or book recommendation; inviting them to an upcoming event, webinar, or workshop; connecting them with someone in your network; or offering your expertise, feedback, or support on a project they are working on. All of these options can help foster a relationship and provide the opportunity for further engagement.

3 Follow through and follow up

The third step is to follow through and follow up on any commitments or actions that you agreed to with your contact. This demonstrates your reliability, trustworthiness, and consistency. You can confirm the date and time of a phone call or meeting, send a thank you note or a feedback survey after a phone call or meeting, deliver on any promises or deliverables that you offered or requested, and check in periodically to see how they are doing, update them on your progress, or share new information. Doing so will show that you are a reliable and trustworthy partner.

4 Be respectful and authentic

In your communication and relationship with your contact, it is important to be respectful and authentic. This means that you should respect their time and preferences by keeping your messages concise, clear, and relevant. Additionally, avoid spamming, pitching, or selling to them unless they explicitly express interest or consent. Furthermore, use a friendly and professional tone that reflects your personality and values. Demonstrate genuine interest and curiosity in their work, goals, and challenges. Lastly, be sure to give credit, praise, and recognition where due.

5 Keep track and evaluate

Keeping track and evaluating your follow-up efforts and results is the fifth step and helps you to improve your communication skills, measure your impact, and identify areas for improvement. To do this, you can use a spreadsheet, CRM tool, or calendar to record your follow-up activities, dates, and outcomes. Additionally, it's important to set specific and realistic goals for each follow-up action, such as getting a response, building rapport, or creating an opportunity. Furthermore, you should monitor and analyze your follow-up metrics like open rates, reply rates, and conversion rates. Lastly, seek feedback from contacts or peers on your follow-up style, content, and frequency; then adjust your strategy based on the feedback and results.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?