Follow-Up with Your Contacts

What happens when you meet a potential client at an event and you do not follow up?

So now the event is over and you have collected a number of business cards, taken notes on the best prospects, divided the cards into Y(es), N(o), and M(aybe), now what? It is time to follow up. The best follow-up is immediate - they will remember you best if you go home that night and enter their information into your database and send a personal email or hand-written note. E-mail is much faster and you will be surprised at the fast response you get. This gives you instant contact and you can then ask how they felt about a certain event. You are sure to get a response. This gives you an immediate relationship with the individual.

Fast response gives you an edge on the competition. You had a reason to follow up (the event) and then a further reason to set that all important appointment with the right individual. It may be that you have talked with this individual extensively at the meeting and now want to discuss your business relationship further. The ultimate goal of attending an event is to get to the next appointment with certain individuals you feel you would like to do business with. It is not rocket science that you will have a common goal in business, after all, that is the type of person you sought to be introduced to in the first place. You have a quasi-relationship in the fact that you were both at the same event and the fact that you followed-up promptly. Sometimes when talking to someone at an event, they may want to talk at a later time; then write it down and follow up.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite, She decided to find the best ways to get people's attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the "Networking Queen".

Blueprint for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in June 2005. For more information visit http://BlueprintBooks.com

---

Franchisees Should Learn From Each Other

If you own a franchise you should be in contact... Read More

Lessons from the Wedding Mafia

One of my clients shared a story with me from... Read More

Successfully Meeting And Greeting - Ten Strategies For Getting Off To A Good Start

A day in the life of every businessperson is made... Read More

Politics, Religion, Race; Conversational No-No?s in Business

Do not destroy all your positive displacement and high energy... Read More

Unforgettable First Impressions Part 2: Its All About Them!

Jean de la Bruyere said, "The great gift of conversation... Read More

Networking Group Loyalty Requirements

How can you find out the group loyalty requirements before... Read More

Why Arent You Talking to Me?

Your nonverbal communication talks before you do. Only seven percent... Read More

When Gifts Say More

What's a gift mean? If you're like me, you probably... Read More

Joining Industry Specific Organizations Has Many Benefits

Recently, while providing an up-and-coming Virtual Assistant (VA) and small... Read More

Networking: Breaking into the Buzz

Breaking into conversational groups is one of the things people... Read More

Are You Sitting With The Right Company?

When I walked into Dallas's famous Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse, all... Read More

Ask for What YOU Want and Gain More Business

Why ask others for help and what do you gain... Read More

9 Ways to Spice Up Your Nametags for More Engaging Conversation

Nametags are worn for a variety of jobs and functions,... Read More

The Festive Season: Your Networking Opportunity

The festive season is a great time to sharpen and... Read More

Where Does That Word Come From?

"Instead of a handshake, I gave Toby a high-five to... Read More

Two-Step Your Communication

Ever use someone else to get your message out?For example,... Read More

How to Announce a New Product

How can the introduction of new products affect the way... Read More

Networking in the Change Room: 5 Ways to Network Effectively While Getting Undressed

There's a time and place to network with people in... Read More

Powerful Networking: Focus on Building Connections, Not Closing Sales

You can find numerous references in the business literature about... Read More

Measuring Value for a Networking Group

How do you measure a group's worth to your organization?It... Read More

How to Turn Water into Lemonade by Giving a Flavored Answer to a Fruitless Question

I remember the first time I opened the fridge to... Read More

Lesson 15 - Meeting the Prince with More Reputation than Power

The StoryBusiness has a habit of testing us as individuals... Read More

Growing Your Network of People Can be Easy and Fun!

A few years back when I moved to Charlotte, NC... Read More

Savvy Networking: Grow Your Business and Your Career

Did you know that contacts are the bread of career... Read More

Creating Successful Alliances and Partnerships through Networking

Douglas Wilder, former Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and... Read More

You Can?t Spell Networking Without Serendipity

"Fear not to entertain strangers for by so doing some... Read More

Build Your Business through Strategic Networking

Networking ? it's the latest business trend. Or is it?Actually,... Read More

Develop a Great Network - Pay It Forward for Maximum Success

Who needs a network of people to talk to about... Read More

Getting Leads

How many leads do you pass on?As a reminder, you... Read More

Networking: Strangers, Friendship, and Business Growth

You already know that uncomfortable feeling, that knot in your... Read More

5 Ways to Wow People Who Wear Nametags

People wear nametags more often than you think. The majority... Read More

Talk Isnt Cheap

The most successful organizations have good communication skills. Survey after... Read More

Effective Networking

The process of finding out about a job, getting interviewed,... Read More