Networkers: Some Tips to Help You Not Fall Down on Your Follow Up

Somebody once said that the key to networking is "work." Nothing is more true about that statement than what happens after you leave a networking event!

Here are 2 Game Changing Ideas:

. You schedule time for the event on your calendar. Schedule follow up time, too. Part of the reason you may be falling down on your follow up is you don't make time for it. Make sure "follow up" time is a regular part of your routine.

. Request connections on Social Media so you can stay in touch. Since we do business with those we know, like, and trust, becoming Facebook friends with new business contacts can help you stay connected and potentially grow your relationship.

But there's more:

Now, What To Do With Those Business Cards. If you've followed the "rules" of good networking so far, you should have a pocket full of others' business cards. Now what? Obviously you need a way to organize them and use them to help your business grow.

One suggested method. Sort your pile of cards and notes into two stacks: a follow-up stack and a non-follow-up stack. The follow-up stack is contacts most likely to trade referrals with you or able to do business with you. Some of the cards in the follow-up stack could possibly be a "Key Business Connection." (I will address Key Business Connections later in this article.) The non-follow-up stack is contacts who are important resources of information and referrals for other people you meet, but who don't connect directly with your business needs. Now, sort and arrange each stack by business and alphabetically. You will do some more sorting with your follow-up stack after the next step.

Next, enter all this information into your computer database/email contact management program. There are some very good programs to help with this: Infusion Soft, Mail Chimp and Constant Contact are examples. Again, keep the information current. This material will help you keep in touch with your network and help you 'manage' your network as it grows.

If you are not savvy with such programs or are not detail oriented, you MUST delegate this out to someone who is. Managing your data and follow up is a vital foundation to all your networking efforts and growing your business.

Decide who in your follow-up stack you need to contact immediately. You decide this by what you can offer them and what they can offer you. Your goal is either to give information or referrals or to set up a "win-win" situation. Remember, you may need to give first in order to get later.

The 800 pound phone. Now with these contacts, set up an appointment as soon as practical. Don't let a good contact grow cold. (That means you have to contact them!) You may be great up to this point. But then do you feel like the telephone weighs 800 pounds and you just don't pick it up? Let's be honest. Are you afraid of being rejected? That's understandable, but it's also irrational.

Let's walk through this together. First, this business person went to a networking event to do what? Network! Meet people (like you!) who could help his business grow. Secondly, you spoke to this person long enough to collect his business card and sufficient information to make you believe you should contact him immediately. This is not a cold call! Do you think he gave you his business card with his phone number on it because he actually believed you would never call? No, he wants his business to grow, and if you can help him do it, he'll be all ears. And lastly, what's the worst that can happen? If he does reject you, what have you lost? Actually, in that case he's helped you weed himself out so you don't waste your time.

The point is, you shouldn't think of the phone as an 800 pound weight that is impossible to lift. You ought to think of it as an 800 pound gorilla who's on your side. Remember the old joke: Where does an 800 pound gorilla sleep? Anywhere he wants to! By making a phone call, your 'gorilla' is opening doors of opportunity.

The last thing you should do is email or send a note or card to our non-follow-ups letting them know you enjoyed meeting them and look forward to being able to share information with them in the future. Schedule a second email, note, or card to be sent in six to eight weeks. You want to stay in front of these contacts. Circumstances might change for you within that time frame which may require you to contact them more directly.

Picture your network as a spider would it's web. The spider sits in her web and whenever there is a vibration anywhere, she responds to it quickly. Her very life depends upon her response.

If she doesn't respond, she doesn't eat! The same is true for you. You are the 'spider' and your 'web' is your network of contacts. The most immediate 'vibrations' you want to respond to are the ones that affect your livelihood: your business. (Those are the people in your follow-up stack.) The other 'vibrations' (those in your non-follow-up stack) are important, too. You should respond to them for long-term benefits: building your reputation and for future referrals from their contacts. If you don't take care of your web by keeping each connection current, the winds of time will tear it apart and you will lose.

It's time to talk about Key Business Connections. Sometimes you can attend an event and meet someone who can make a HUGE difference in your business and your life through power-partnering or collaboration.

A Key Business Connection is an influencer or a potential power partner - someone who shares your clients and it's not competition. When you have one of their cards in your follow-up stack, call them right away!

My Carol Evans Story. Have you ever heard of Working Mother Magazine? Back in 2006, I had just written by first book, The Business Mom Guide Book: More Life, Less Overwhelm for Mom Entrepreneurs. I heard Carol Evans of Working Mother Magazine was going to be speaking at a women's event near me. I knew she would be an amazing connection for me to reach more moms!

I invested my money and purchased a ticket to the event.

I invested my time to attend the event.

I met and spoke with Carol at the event. She told me, "I have been thinking we should do regular segments to reach mom entrepreneurs. Here's my personal email. Contact me."

Did I go back home and contact Carol Evans? No. I. Didn’t.

Now, I ask myself... What would have happened if I had? I could have been nationally (or internationally!) known as an expert for mom entrepreneurs (years ago!) Clearly, I lacked the confidence and wasn't ready for this at the time.

Can you think of your own Carol Evans story? Who is someone who would be an AMAZING, POSSIBLY life changing connection for you? How might your business and your life be different if you had connected with this person? What could you have gained? What have you missed out on?

Let's say you have the business card of a Key Business Connection in your hand right now... Just do it! Follow up now. Invite them to coffee or lunch if they are local. If they are not, invite them to call you or chat via video call. Focus on the WIIFM (what's in it for me) for the person you are reaching out to.

Sometimes it's easy to make excuses and postpone making a call to an amazing contact like this because you want to be as perfect as possible. You want to impress them!

You worry:

Are your business cards up-to-date?

Are your latest programs fully developed?

Are there changes or updates that should be made on your website?

But there is no need to be perfect. You are a work in progress. You will never be perfect. What's most important is that you take action!

Now that you have an appointment, what in the world do you say to the contact at your meeting? It's important that you build rapport and get to know each other better and brainstorm "how can you help each other." At TEAM Referral Network, we call this a Coaching Session. If you would like a copy of TEAM's Coaching Session Worksheet, please email me at [email protected].

Lastly, remember:

. Be you. Believe in yourself. We do business with those we know, like, and trust. It is important that you are authentically you.

. Know you will NEVER feel ready.

. You may always have feelings of not being good enough. But so do they!

. Fight for your dream. No one else is going to do it for you!

Terilee Harrison helps entrepreneurs and small business owners get more referrals, leads, and clients through proven offline and online marketing strategies. Book your referral strategy session here.