Networking master class: the art of the follow up

There’s a lot to learn about networking, so I broke it down into short, fifteen-minute blog posts. This blog is about work, purpose and time, and I hope it lights a fire under you to start making more connections and finding greater purpose and accomplishment at work.

So, networking. Lots of people tell you about how to do it, but few focus on the most critical part: following up.

That’s where some of the best introductions fall apart, because the high you might have been feeling about meeting a great potential business service provider or client becomes a low driven by false promises.

If you’ve set aside time for a networking event next January, you should also set aside a few hours to actually make something great out of the contacts you built at the event. Let’s block off three hours on the morning after your networking event.

Come on. Do it.

OK.

After a networking event, grab all of the business cards or the event attendee list and start making plans. What do you want to do with the contacts you just created? At the most basic level, send that person a personal note, tell them you enjoyed meeting them, and invite them to connect with you on LinkedIn.

I also think that most introductions warrant a follow-up meeting to cement the relationship, such as a quick coffee meeting or lunch. Call them directly to set the meeting, but avoid playing phone tag if they don’t answer.

Instead, I suggest leaving a quick phone message like, “Hi John, it was great meeting you last night and I wanted to follow up on our conversation. Would you like to meet for a cup of coffee next week? I’ll send you an email to suggest a few days that might work.”

When you follow up and ask for the action you would like them to take — whether that’s a formal meeting, a coffee or lunch, a LinkedIn connection or an invitation to another event — you are showing that you are interested in a real business relationship, not simply making small talk at a business function.

The quickest killer to this budding relationship is broken promises. You must send anything you promised at the event, such as “I’ll e-mail you our report on that,” promptly, and leave the door open for questions and follow-up. Hopefully, you took the advice from a past post about writing a note on the back of their cards if there is something specific you promised.

Some of the most memorable connections I’ve made at events were the result of totally thoughtful, unique actions that showed people had listened to me on a personal level.

• At a “Rainmakers” event, a fellow honoree learned I collected vintage pottery. She sent me a small vase with a letter of congratulations.

• At a “Women in Business” event, a printing vendor heard about my home-improvement project. She sent me a small tool, together with samples of her print shop’s work.

• At a marketing event, I told a potential PR Agency executive that I’d met the drummer of the band Moody Blues at my hotel the night before. She sent me a copy of his group’s album together with a pitch for my business.

• At a “Grip-n-Grin” political event, a title officer and I discussed our favorite lunch place and their signature soup. She sent me the recipe and her business card.

These people exemplify successful networking — making a connection, making an impression, and then making a pitch for business. In addition to their creative approach, these people made it easy to connect with them — and refer them — with up-to-date professional profiles.

If you’ve recently made a new connection, even virtually, and want to keep it going strong, double down on your follow-up. This gives your seed stage relationship fertile ground to grow on.