How to be card smart in three easy steps five shortcuts for following up in record time. 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 take notes on the best prospects divided the cards into yes no and maybe now what it is time to follow up. The best follow up is immediate. your prospects will remember you best if you go home that night and enter their information into your database and send a personal email or handwritten note. Email is of course much faster and you will be surprised at the fast response you get.
Email gives you instant contact and you know you can then ask them how they felt about the certain event. If they would like to set up a follow up meeting, you are sure to get a response as to forming a potential business relationship. If they are not keen to do business with you, then you can take the time to learn more on how you can help each other build sales. Fast Response gives you an edge on the competition, you had a reason to follow up, which is the event and the further reason yet to set a time for that all important appointment with the right person you may have talked with this prospect is extensively at the meeting. And now you want to discuss your business relationship further. The ultimate goal of attending an event is to get you to the next step an appointment with the certain individual you feel you would like to do business with.
The reason you want the appointment is to get to yet another chance to meet and further that relationship. Follow up is not a one time component. The goal of follow up is to get to the next appointment and perhaps the sale It is not rocket science that you will have a common goal in business. After all the connection is related to the face you sought to be introduced to in the first place. Your ideal best customer, you have a quality relationship as you were both at the same event and you followed up properly to free that conversation. Sometimes the person you were talking to it, any event, they want to talk again at a later time and by following up, you make it happen.
Write down all potential meetings and follow ups as quickly as possible. Remember why you were at the event to gain business, not just to socialize, although fun is all part of it. When you were at the event, what did you promise? timely responses following up with new contacts within 24 to 48 hours after a networking event will make you stand out Am I Majority of networkers, you may be surprised to learn that most that is at least 95% will not follow up, nor will they act as promised. In other words, they don't do as they say they will do. Get those names into your database immediately after the event.
Do not wait until the next day. Be prepared to be in touch the next day so you do not look like you're being pushy. Nothing is worse than promising to make the connection and then letting it slide like most people do. I've been guilty of letting it slide and the result is not getting business with the other person. Always do what you say we're going to do. action items, people will do business with those that do as they say they will do.
If you make a promise to do something, do it and do it in a timely manner. After the meeting before your next time slot, what are you going to do? You want to get more business. staying in touch, stay in touch immediately. The key to follow up email after an industry conference or an event or a networking event is not about making the sale. It's about getting to the next meeting.
This means staying in touch with your professional network as it grows. So when you meet people stay in touch, but do it within 24 to 48 hours. one of your goals should be to get to the next event. My suggestion is to have at least one or two months of events scheduled ahead of time. If you meet a prospect and they're busy, I suggest they also come to one of those events with you. You can meet them ahead of time, one hour to save the travel Use events as an excuse to connect with other attendees on a regular basis.
A friend of mine in California that runs genuine networking events, encourages people to schedule their one to one time ahead and after meetings, This to me is a significant time saver. What about your schedule? revise your schedule, look at your calendar again after the event. Do you need to make adjustments to accommodate new meetings, often you will meet more people than you have anticipated, especially those where a follow up meeting is crucial. Open up slots so you can make these meetings happen. The space should be open for at least two weeks in the future.
Find ways to shuffle work, other work, not other meetings around these new meetings. Your success in gaining more business will depend on how flexible you can be shuffling does not have to take up a great deal of time. Just know you may Get some good business in exchange for the effort. Remember what we're all laughter is more business. So how can you use your calendar to your advantage? In reality, how busy Are you if you're attending networking events, then you obviously have time in your schedule.
You can meet with people before after, as I mentioned before, or have a meal. We all have time to eat. We all take breaks. Just know when you can fit things into your schedule. This means have a mental note of where spaces in your calendar exists before you attend. If you have room for three meetings in the next week, then fail only three and tell people you will follow up to schedule other meetings.
If you end up with more possible meetings make no call them into schedule it in. Call them the next day. Do not wait. Immediate meetings, met someone at the event you need to connect with immediately meet after the I have met several people that way. They are very busy, but I had their attention at the event. They were there.
They had cleared their calendar to be at the event. You could even meet for a quick coffee during the event and make an appointment for the next day. Make it easy to work with you, but not so easy that you seem really eager. schedule, work production, marketing and sales meetings so that they fit your calendar meetings now or later. Money doesn't wait. Do it now.
Why don't you have more business than you can handle? I don't consider that a problem. First thing is you want to follow up after the event. The day after the event is the time to follow up on any contacts you've made. Resist the urge to send any sort of follow up the same night. Well, actually, you can do it but schedule it for the next day.
That can seem either overeager pushy, or both. Maybe give it till mid morning The next day, people will know who you are. So what should you send them? Because we know it's going to bring you new business. First, an email or a thank you note, handwritten to the hostess sponsor of the event will go a long way, let them know you appreciate them taking the time to host the event. And what a great time you had while they're Second, you can send a short email to anyone who gave you their contact information, maybe get permission to add them to the list at the same time.
This means anyone that gave you the cart this note is not for the people you're hoping to do business with it is for those that you met and talked with. You want to be able to add them to your contact list for future reference. Open the door for communications. Most of the people on this list are not likely to respond. Remember 95% do not and they don't follow up. A longer and more personal email to potential prospect or those you want to maintain a connection with socially is where this email should go.
The email should confirm a future meeting with them if you made one or set one up in the following week or two. Don't leave the possible appointment time too far in the future or they may forget about you. Once again, it is up to you to stay in touch. And the response rate for many emails is not high. Speaking of emails, here are some ideas of what to say. Share useful information.
Ask for an opinion, offer to be a resource. focus the attention on the receiver of the email address value, include an action item and follow up timeframe for that action. How to create a winning schedule. The importance of having a follow up system is that most of us pull our hair out when it comes to following up it takes time, it isn't as fruitful as you would like it to be better than cold calling. It sounds like work and reality is all the above. One of the keys to quick and timely results is to have a good system in place that makes it easy for you to follow.
Systems can be made into habits which will make the difference between being successful with your follow up and having no follow up at all. If you are a time waster, then the event itself is also a time waste. So don't bother going. Don't be the person that does not follow up. It may seem like you're chasing people, but the effort can be taken to the bank and it'll be well worth Your time. Don't be the person who leaves most of the business on the table.
Everybody likes to eat. Time. scheduling your own time. Michael Porter, a best selling author and business coach says that having a strategy for keeping in touch with contacts you meet maybe the most important marketing strategy you will ever use. Money. Don't leave money on the table just because you don't want to follow up.
Money will follow you. So set aside time to do your follow up. Have a plan and how you will deal with your own time issues around that follow up. When you are scheduling an event. Add the schedule for the following at the same time. Your follow up should entail time for the event time for immediate follow up right after the event.
Time for meetings before and after the event and time to maintain con 10 1530 and 60 days later, always schedule it in all of these meetings mean you will form a more solid relationship and maybe put more money in your pocket. ideas to remember from this lesson, follow up techniques. Your follow up should be immediate the same day as the event when possible. Do not give your prospect time to forget who you are, keep their memory of you very fresh. Set the next appointment within the next few days. The goal of each appointment is to get to the next appointment.
The goal of any communication should be to get to the next communication and or sale. Follow up is constant. Keep your name fresh in the mind of your ideal customer. So what did you promise people will do business with those that do as they say they will do if you made it Promise, do something, do it and do it in a timely matter. After the meeting before your next time slot, work on your personal schedule so that you are more flexible and can accommodate new meetings. Know what can be moved to another day.
If you can't work on your schedule, then do not bother going to the event. It will be a waste of your time. Use your calendar to your own advantage. Some meetings just can't wait. Meet with the prospect directly after the event. I have known people to leave an event early just because they are going to work on a deal right away.
Show the prospect that they are extremely important. It could even be a current customer. do all you can to accommodate their schedule. More business than you can handle three things you should do right after the meeting. These follow ups will set you apart from almost everyone. send a thank you note to the host or organizer send a short email to those that handed you the card.
No sales pitch just wanting to stay in touch and send a longer personal note to those who hope to do business with. Sending a follow up note that includes an action item will further your communication opportunities. And finally, how to create a winning schedule for follow up. Set aside time to do your follow up. Have a plan for how you will deal with your own time issues. When you are scheduling any events add the schedule for following up at the same time.
Your follow up should entail these steps. Time for the event. Time for immediate follow up. Time to maintain contact 1530 and 60 days out time to meet before and after the event and time to schedule meetings to solidify relationships You feel you should pursue And now on to the next steps and what you can do for your own network.