You may have noticed from my social media posts that I attend A LOT of networking events. As the owner of a marketing agency, I know the value of paid advertising done correctly. But I also know that nothing can beat the value of a face-to-face connection.
So let’s say you’re at an event and you’re killin’ it: you set a personal goal for yourself to meet XX number of people and hand out XX number of business cards and you receive XX number of cards back. Nice. But now what??
1. FOLLOW UP
I make sure to contact every person within a week of the event- usually just a quick email. In the subject line, I say something like “Nice to meet you at XX” so they know I’m not a complete stranger. In the body, make sure you customize your message. Don’t just copy and paste – people can tell…
If you had a particularly great connection with this person and maybe even discussed meeting with them soon, follow through! Invite them to lunch or another similar event you’re planning to attend.
2. TAKE NOTES!
I always write on the back of the business cards I receive (or on a sticker attached if necessary). I put the event/place we met, date, and sometimes a specific topic we discussed because:
a) I have a horrible memory and it helps me remember these things
b) It’s fun looking back at the cards to see how and where I met my acquaintances who then became my friends
3. GET ORGANIZED!
Whether you use a business card app like ABBYY, or you’re old school like me, find a way to get organized so you don’t lose your hard work and connections. I have this handy dandy business card organizer that I store all of my contacts in, alphabetized by company.
Hope this helps! Kill it at your next event. ?
Speaking of events, click the link below for a calendar of local networking events for entrepreneurs!