3 Tips on How to Make a Better Follow-up

I read and talk about networking a lot, mainly because I enjoy it and want to get better at it. From all the books and articles I've read and all the discussions I've had with people on this topic, it seems that for most of us (yes, I've been there too) the hardest part of networking is to make new acquaintances. 

Some people are shy or not confident enough, and some set unrealistic expectations for themselves and then get discouraged by not achieving their goals.

Reaching out to "strangers" may be tricky especially if you're new to the whole concept of business networking, however, it's important to realize that it's just the beginning.

Note: Here is a related article I wrote a while back. I'll also share more tips with you in the future. 

From my experience, true relationships (both professional and personal) are built over time and outside of the conference hall. 

Be patient and genuinely interested in other people.

What do you think is the next step after you get home from a networking event assuming you got acquainted with a bunch of new people? You guessed it right; it's a follow-up. And the follow-up is what we're going to discuss today.

1) Be timely 

Few days ago I came back from a five-day trip to Hong Kong where I attended great startup events (i.e. RISE), reconnected with many of my friends and, of course, met a lot of new people.

I usually tend to follow up with everybody within 24 - 48 hours, but this time, I was busy volunteering at the conference and without proper access to the internet during the day, so it took me a bit longer. I wasn't happy about that, but it allowed me to make an interesting observation: not many people share the same habit. 

Only around 5% of people (those I hadn't been in touch with before) I met, interacted with me again during the next two days!

If you send somebody a timely and kind follow-up, you're sending out signals that you care about the relationship because you took the time and gave it a priority. Don't get me wrong; I'm not trying to judge anyone, some people are busy (much busier than we're) or have other reasons for not doing it.

The point is that if you DO interact with people right after the event, not only you'll stand out, but also make it easier for them to remember you and the details of the conversation you had with them the previous day. That always helps.

2) Deliver on your promises 

If you're like me, your second nature is to connect the dots (automatically) and create value for people around you by making an introduction, recommending a book or an article, or just offering your perspective—whatever makes sense in a given situation. The conclusion here is very simple. If you promise to do something (send a link, make an introduction), remember it (or take a note) and make sure you deliver on the promise you made. Follow-up email or message is a great way to do so. 

Note: Don't feel pressured, you don't need to promise anything, especially if you aren't sure you have the right set of skills or resources to follow through. At the end of the day, you cannot solve all the problems. It's better to wait for the right timing than trying to impress other people and creating false expectations. 

3) Personalize the message

Always keep in mind that you're trying to build a long-lasting relationship, not to collect as many business cards (contacts) as possible. 

DO NOT:

• Use bulk emails with everybody in the Bcc.
• Rely on predefined LinkedIn messages like: "Congrats on a new role, hope you're doing fine."
• DO NOT sell.

DO:

• Use people's names.
• Relate back to your conversation.
• Mention the event/place where you met.
• Read the text twice before you hit send.
• Create value. 

Why is all this so important? You might ask. On one hand it's a pure practicality. By sending a personalized message (using the tips mentioned above), you're just refreshing other people's memory and so making it easier for them to remember you.

On the other hand, if you take the time and send a proper follow-up that ideally provides some value to the recipient, you'll leave a good impression and lay the foundation for further communication. 

I usually send a short follow-up email; that could look like the one below:

Note: As I discussed before, if there is anything specific you talked about with that particular person, include it in the follow-up email as well. 

At the same time, I tend to add people on LinkedIn (and mention that I did in the email—some people get a lot of invitations) and sometimes also on Facebook, Whatsapp or WeChat (in China). Plus, I take those two or three extra minutes to send a personalized message even on these social media sites. It is worth it, believe me.

. . . . .

Is there anything else that works for you very well when it comes to follow-ups? Feel free to share your experience and tips in the comments below or get in touch with me via PM.

As always, click a  ??  bellow if you found the article useful. If you do so, more people will see it (and hopefully read it too), which means a lot to me. Thanks a million! :-)