Follow Up on Networking

Today I am following up from a networking event I attended last week - I am LATE with my follow up and I am feeling badly about it.

Research tells us that if we follow up within 24 to 72 hours, contacts are more likely to recall what we look like, what our "pitch" was, and be inclined to respond to our follow up.

I often talk with clients who say they only follow up with contacts that they feel an immediate connection with - or see some synergy in the types of businesses each represents. I feel this is a mistake. If someone is an insurance agent - but you don't need insurance, your follow up may spark the fact that at the time they met you, they thought you would be a perfect fit for their brother-in-law's business. If you don't take the time to follow up with the insurance agent (no, I am not singling out insurance agents, you can fill in your own blanks here as to who it is you were not going to follow up with) you never know what type of network she/he has and where you might fit in.

I often hear that clients feel they are harassing or haranguing these connections by even following up -- after all, if they were that interested, wouldn't they call us? Again, that is not always the case. I think business professionals want to have the chance to gauge your persistance and see how serious you are to be included in their circle. Take the extra few minutes to drop them a note, an email, a phone call - your time is valuable, YES, but the connections made by and through other connections is what will help build your own contact network.

The social networking sites are all about deepening the levels of connections and the number of connections we can touch. You are your own best advertisement - and your own best representation. Follow up on networking contacts is an important part of building a business and a referral system. The Queen has Spoken!

Have a great SPRING day - Melissa