Networking events can be an excellent opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, generate new ideas, and foster new business relationships. However, what happens after the event is just as crucial as what happened during it. One of the best ways to maximize your networking efforts is to write a follow-up email to the contacts you made during the event. In this article, we will explore the importance of a follow-up email and provide a step-by-step guide on how to write one.
Understanding the Importance of a Follow-Up Email
The primary objective of a follow-up email is to create a lasting impression and build a strong connection with someone you met at a networking event. It is essential because it demonstrates your professionalism and commitment to developing a relationship. Furthermore, sending a follow-up email is a great way to stay top-of-mind with your new connections.
Strengthening Connections
Sending a follow-up email strengthens the connection you made during the networking event. It allows you to continue the conversation and provides an opportunity to build a relationship with your new contact. By maintaining contact, you create a mutually beneficial relationship with people that can offer advice, referrals, or even job opportunities.
Demonstrating Professionalism
A follow-up email also demonstrates your professionalism. It shows that you are committed to building professional relationships and that you value the time and effort they invested in the networking event.
Creating Opportunities
A follow-up email can also create opportunities for both parties. By staying in touch, you may find that you can help each other in ways that go beyond the initial networking event. By cultivating relationships through follow-up emails, you are opening the door to new business opportunities, collaborations, or ideas.
Preparing to Write Your Follow-Up Email
Before writing a follow-up email, you need to organize your contact list and review your networking event notes. You should also set goals for what you hope to achieve from the email.
Organizing Your Contacts
Start by organizing your contacts into groups based on their relevance. Be sure to prioritize the contacts that you believe have the potential to be valuable business connections. Keep a detailed record of their name, their company, their title, and any personal interaction you had with them during the networking event.
Reviewing Your Networking Event Notes
Review your notes from the networking event to refresh your memory. Jot down some notes on a piece of paper to reference when you sit down to write your follow-up email. Note any significant takeaways that you can mention in the email as a conversation starter. You can also use this information to offer value or assistance in some manner.
Setting Goals for Your Follow-Up
You should also set goals or objectives for your follow-up email. Are you hoping to schedule a meeting or call? Do you want to provide further information about your product or service? Are there any topics of interest you’d like to discuss with your contact? Having clear objectives in mind will help you craft a more focused and effective follow-up email.
Crafting the Perfect Follow-Up Email
Writing a follow-up email is all about creating a personalized message that engages your contact and helps strengthen the connection you made at the networking event. To craft the perfect follow-up email, you should consider the subject line, personalize your message, and offer value or assistance.
Choosing the Right Subject Line
The subject line is the first thing your contact will see, so it’s vital to get it right. Make it catchy but straightforward and try to include something that resonates with the conversation you had during the networking event. A subject line that is too general or vague can easily be dismissed as spam or unimportant.
Personalizing Your Message
The body of your follow-up email should be personalized. Use the information you recorded to show that you remember the conversation, mentioning something specific that you talked about. This will show your contact that you valued their input and took the time to think about your conversation.
Highlighting Key Takeaways from the Event
Reiterate some of the key points or topics you discussed during the networking event to jog their memory and provide a meaningful conversation starter. You can also mention the topics you’re interested in discussing further or offer assistance or value relevant to the topics you covered.
Offering Value or Assistance
A great way to engage your contact is to offer them something of value like sharing an article, resource or even a job opening that might interest them. You want to be seen as someone who can help your new contact achieve their goals in some way. This will help characterize your follow-up email as genuine, helpful, and not just a platform for selling your product or service.
Timing Your Follow-Up Email
The timing of your follow-up email is also essential. You don’t want to wait too long because the memory of the network event can fade quickly. However, you also don’t want to come across as too eager and seem pushy. Finding the right balance is essential.
When to Send Your Email
The best practice is to send the email within a day or two of the networking event. You want to capitalize on the memorable event when you’re still fresh on their mind. However, it’s essential to keep it professional and not appear too desperate for their attention.
Respecting Recipients' Time Zones
One other thing to consider is the time zones of your contacts, especially if they’re in a different region of the world. Sending an email at odd hours of the day can potentially come across as invasive and rude. Be mindful of their schedule and where they might be before sending the email.
Following Up on Unanswered Emails
Finally, remember that some contacts may not respond to your first follow-up email. Be sure to give them ample time to respond, but also consider following up a few days or even a week later. In this follow-up email, you can mention your previous email and provide relevant and valuable information that might incentivize them to reply.
Wrap-Up
Networking events can be a great opportunity to make new business contacts, but it's what you do after the event that counts. Follow-up emails are vital in maintaining relationships and, when done correctly, can create new business opportunities. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you'll be able to write personalized, effective follow-up emails that show your professionalism, strengthen your connections, and build a strong foundation for a mutually beneficial relationship.
