Networking is such a valuable business development strategy. Each time you connect with someone, whether online or at an in-person event, you create the opportunity to lay the foundation for a business relationship. But one conversation won’t be enough to keep that relationship going – you need to stay on their radar and continue to nurture the connection.
Or, in other words, you need to learn the art of the follow-up.
After meeting someone at a networking event who you want to nurture, make sure to follow up with them in some way, ideally within 24 hours. Personalise that follow up by making sure to reference something specific about your previous interaction. Chances are, you’re not the only person they’ve connected with, so you may need to jog their memory of who you are, and where and when you met.
Let’s say you sit next to someone at a conference and engage in conversation, follow up with a LinkedIn request the next day letting them know how much you enjoyed the chat. If you connected with a speaker at a virtual event, follow up with an email letting them know how valuable you found their presentation.
Then, continue to look for ways of building the relationship. If they are a business owner who mentioned their company was struggling with a particular issue, offer to get together for a meeting to share your insights and ideas for solutions.
The point is, using networking to connect with other people is great—but if you want your efforts to grow your business, you need to follow up with those connections and continue fostering those relationships.
If you are looking for new ways to network while growing your business, why not take a look at one of our group coaching programmes and then get in touch.
