Why are FollowUp messages so difficult?

#FollowUp is probably the single biggest challenge to your network building and business building plans: mainly because of these key blocks:

What: what do you say in the message? (The actual words to use)

When: when do you send the first message (and when do you send the next one)

Where: which platforms or media should you use to send the message? Email or SMS or LinkedIn or Facebook? Which one works best? and why?

Why: what is the purpose (intention or desired outcome) of you sending the FollowUp message?

What words do you use?

What: what do you say in the message? (The words to use)

“Good morning John, it was great to see you / meet you / chat to you at the Where (The Extraordinary Networking Event at the Extra Special Hotel on Thursday)”

If its any platform other than LinkedIn (which you should have this text in your headline) include this text "… this is Paul Jensen, (Business Development Mastery & The LinkedIn Strategist) - don’t miss the opportunity for a good bit of branding in your message

Include the where and when you meet them so that when you look back at the connection in six months you can quickly recall the circumstances of you meeting

When do you send the FollowUp message?

When: when do you send the first message (and when to send the next one)?

When do you send the first one: the most effective FollowUp message is the one you send on the same day, the next most effective one is the message you send within 24 hours

Each day that passes between when you meet and the first message reduces the effectiveness of your message by up to 5% until cumulatively there is almost no point in sending the message at all (except for your records - ie sending a first FollowUp message more than two weeks after you meet has almost no impact on the recipient)

Where do you send the FollowUp message?

Where: which platforms or media should you use? Email SMS LinkedIn Facebook? Which one works best?

Use all of them:

One of them will be more effective depending on the preference of the person you are sending the message to.

Each of them has Pros and Cons:

email: easy to send and as easy to ignore (very abused channel in terms of SPAM)

SMS: if skillfully and lightly used it is bar the most effective method in my experience #YourMobileDatabase

LinkedIn: easy to send and as easy to ignore (very abused channel in terms of SPAM)

Facebook: can yield interesting results as not people send messages fore real People that they have really meet in person on Facebook: so your message can really stand out

Why do you send your FollowUp message? (Purpose?)

Why: what is the purpose (intention or desired outcome) of you sending the FollowUp message?

What is your intention?

If your intention is to create the need or the urgency of an actual FollowUp conversation then the more specific you can be the better: quote actual words stories and phrases that they used in your original conversation is very powerful (ie it demonstrates that at least you listened)

For everyone else (that you send a FollowUp message to you are

1] Reminding them that you were there

2] Giving them your contact details if they need them now or in the future

3] Creating the possibility that they may look at some of your content (on LinkedIn especially as most people look at your profile and or posts when you send them a connection message)

4] Create the possibility that they may look at some of your content at some in the future and (best of all:

5] Next time they meet you (come across you), they may remember you better (and if you have delivered real value in your content that they may see as more valuable as a connection)

The No. 1 challenge in business development is effective and efficient FollowUp