Networking 101: 7 Steps to Slay the Follow Up
Congratulations – you’ve survived a networking event. Hopefully it was an appropriate mix of awkward and fun. Now let’s build on the fun, and make the awkward moments worth it. Now that you’re back home in your PJs, let’s go over the 7 steps to following up like a boss.
Hopefully you took business cards
It’s infinitely more useful to take business cards than to send them out into the abyss. It sounds obvious, but if you get this simple thing, you’re already ahead of the curve. If you have any inkling that you may want to connect with someone, take their card so you can follow up with them. Worst case scenario, you throw it out.When you get home, write down everything you learned and everyone you met
We all know how it goes – you think in the moment you’ll remember everything forever, and by the next morning it’s all gone. So when you go home, immediately write down any notes you have from the event – which interactions went well, and why? How could you have used your time more effectively? What seems SO obvious now that you missed in the awkward haze? Most importantly of all, go through your cards and take notes on each person you want to follow up with. What fun anecdote from your conversation can you call back to? What do they do? How can you help them, and how can they help you? Bonus points if you write down their phone number and email. I’m not saying I’ve ever seen a whole pocket full of important cards disintegrate in the laundry... but I definitely have.Prioritize your contacts
You’re busy making your dreams come true – you don’t have time to meet and talk to everyone. So prioritize your communication. Look out for people who are trying to take advantage of you, and people who have jobs that aren’t relevant to yours. Unless you want to hang out for other reasons, they’re not worth a call. Most importantly, look out for pyramid schemes. Networking events are riddled with them. You don’t need their cosmetics, you don’t need their insurance, you don’t need their shakes, you don’t need their Gwyneth Paltrow vagina eggs. And they will do nothing for you but entice you with the promise of a referral you’ll never get, and try to get you to join their triangle of deception.
A good connection, in contrast, is in a field relevant to yours – someone who may want to hire you, or who may be able to provide cross referrals. They will be generous, but clear in what they want from you. Ideally, they will be well connected themselves, and at a similar place in their business. If they’re just starting out, they may not be serious or committed enough. But if somebody is significantly more experienced, you are likely a small fish in their large sea of referrals. You want to hit that sweet spot of established, but still in their early years, you have a good chance to build a strong professional relationship.Follow up immediately
Or you won’t do it. Also they’ll forget who you are, and you’ll likely forget who they are. You get 3 days. MAX a week. But your best bet is the next morning, while you’re still jazzed.Pick your communication method
There are advantages and disadvantages to each. Email gives you a record of your conversation, gives you more opportunity to jog their memory about who you are, and lowers the communication barrier for both you and them. You can also send work samples, and they’ll always know how to get in touch with you. That said, especially these days, a phone call stands out. It sounds more genuine, and lets them know you’re serious about your business, and your relationship with them. And it’s hard to charm someone in an email. I go on a case by case basis, but as a general rule, I usually go with email if my contact is under 35, phone if they’re over.Get lunch or breakfast
You have to meet, you have to eat. It makes hella sense to do them at the same time, especially since nothing brings people together and builds trust like sharing a meal. Come prepared with talking points, an elevator pitch, and an ask, but also be prepared to listen to their needs and what makes them passionate about what they do. And don’t make it all business – with rare exception, small talk (or deeper talk) is actually just as (if not more!) important to building professional relationships as shop talk.Follow up again
This one you can definitely do via email. This is a great opportunity to recap what you talked about, and share any work samples or references if you have. Remind them why they enjoyed spending time with you and why you’re such a good connection. As soon as you can, send them a referral to keep yourself at the top of their list. Lather, rinse, repeat until you’ve built yourself a nice little network of like-minded professionals.
