When people complain they’ve been to networking meetings and got no business, I ask them one simple question:
Did you follow up?
Yes, you may have swapped business cards, yes you may have met up already, but did you follow up your meeting? We are all very busy, but if we fail to keep in touch, it’s all a waste of time.
A simple suggestion that will make your networking more effective.
- Log all your contacts you’ve met in recent months.
- If you haven’t been in touch for a while, send a quick email to say you’d love to catch up.
- Personalise the email message. People get such a large volume of emails each day, they will ignore it unless there is a personal message. It may be that you discussed a particular venture or it may be that your colleague launched a new product. Ask them about what was discussed in the last meeting. Ask them how things are progressing. The more specific your email is, the more likely it is to get a response.
- Suggest either meeting up or having a chat over the phone.
- When you do meet up, suggest another date to follow up.
Remember, a lot will have happened since you last met, so following up gives presents an opportunity to talk about new developments that your colleague may be interested in. E.g. You may have launched a new product, your business may have diversified into new markets.
Most importantly, be patient. It can take anything from six months to a year from when you first meet till you start doing business together.
