Insights Networking

Four Simple Follow-ups for Networking Professionals

Written by Fiona Blinco

Most small businesses owners will spend time networking.  For those providing professional services to other businesses this will often be at chamber of commerce, business networking event or conference. 

Lawyers, bookkeepers, HR agents, website developers, consulting firms and many other B2B service providers attend these networking functions with the hope of connecting with potential clients.

But five minute conversations don’t become personal connections unless that person gets to know you and trusts that you are a good business operator.  Trust builds over time and with demonstrated evidence. By pro-actively keeping in contact with relevant information, the people you’ve networked with may become your client.  If and when the time is right, they may also become good referrers.

In a typical two hour event, a good networker will shake 20 hands, share their elevator pitch with 10 likely candidates and identify 3-5 people who might be interested in their services.  Business cards will be exchanged with those 3-5 people.

Then what?

Follow up one

The first follow up is to send an email to those people where there was a potential fit.  Ideally this is the next day and at the most, a few days after the event. 

This email is best when it is personalised and individual to the meeting and connection made.  It may include a quote inspired by the evening or a follow up to a question asked.

Follow up two

Connect on LinkedIn.

Follow up three

Give first. Expect nothing in return.  This might be as simple as sending a link to an article that was referenced in the conversation or recommending a business or person to them.  Or maybe you have a freebie that you can easily give away from your own product range or a small gem of your own expertise.

Take the lead and expect nothing in return, in doing so you’ll build a reputation as someone who pays it forward.

Follow up four

Add them to your newsletter list.

This follow up is the one that most businesses fail to do, yet it is critical to getting the best long-term value from networking.  Most small businesses fail to do this as they don’t have a regular newsletter they send to their clients and their network.

For service professionals, working in the B2B environment, a regular newsletter is a great way to keep your business top of mind.  Not only that, a good newsletter will demonstrate your expertise in your subject and industry.

Other follow ups

Each of us has our own style and methods, here’s some other jewels we’ve heard from savvy business owners:

  • Write the date and place you first met the person on their business card
  • Invite somebody you connected with to the next networking event you’re going to
  • Add a note in your diary 1-2 months ahead of time to re-connect
  • If you happen to come across opportunities that could be beneficial to your connections – don’t hold back – share it with them

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About the author

Fiona Blinco

Fiona Blinco is the owner of DIY Digital, specialising in online marketing for small businesses in Adelaide.  She regularly helps clients with, and gives presentations on, websites, MailChimp and Google.