The Perfect Networking Follow-Up Email Strategy (With Templates)
You’ve met someone interesting at an event. You’re excited about the possibility of working together, but with everything else that’s going on at the event, you forget to follow up. A week later, you finally fish their business card out of your briefcase.
Is it too late to follow up?
Rather than letting great networking leads fall through the cracks, put a networking follow-up strategy in place to ensure you get the maximum value out of every new contact. Here’s how to get started.
Before the event
You can dramatically improve the chances of making connections at a networking event if you do a little legwork beforehand.
First, if possible, try to find out who will be at the event. If it’s a conference, check the official speaker, exhibitor, and attendee list if one is available. Contact the conference organizer and ask for one if it’s not (the worse they can say is ‘no’).
Once you have a list of people you want to connect with, use a tool like Voila Norbert to find their contact info.
With the name and email address in hand, research them. What are their latest projects, recent awards, other industry recognition, recent publications, or personal achievements and milestones? You need to find enough to personalize each message you’re going to send.
Finally, reach out to them. Send a simple, brief, and personalized email message. It need not be any more complicated than this:
Hi {{first name}},
My name is {{your name}}, and I’m attending the {{event}} next weekend. I run a small digital marketing firm, so I’m really looking forward to {{their talk, chatting with them about X, etc.}}. I read your recent blog series on X, and it really sparked a few ideas for my own business.
Anyways, I’m sure you’re busy getting ready, so I won’t take any more of your time. Perhaps I could buy you a quick cup of coffee after {{the event, their session, etc.). I’d love to get your opinion on something.
Cheers,
{{your name}}
It can be that simple. Obviously, adjust the template to fit you and your recipient.
During the Event
Send your emails, and hope for replies. But – and this is the best part – even if you don’t hear from them, you’ve still set yourself up for success.
Now, when you approach them, you’re not a stranger. They’ll most likely remember you or recognize your name, and if not, you can subtly remind them.
Either way, you’re now at least slightly more likely to get a few minutes of their time, or to schedule a quick chat later at their convenience.
And even if that doesn’t happen either, you’re still golden. The worst-case scenario – they don’t reply, or reply but say they don’t have time, and they can’t chat with you at the event – still means you’ve engaged with them twice. They know you, even if only superficially, and that’s something you can build upon (more on that in a moment). There’s no downside.
After the event
Whenever you’re trying to start a new habit – in this case, getting better at networking follow-up – putting a system in place can help reduce the chances you’ll forget to execute important steps. And in the case of networking, Ivan Misner’s 24/7/30 system is a great place to start.
Ivan Misner’s 24/7/30 System
Described in his book, Avoiding the Disconnect, Misner’s system involves three steps:
- Send your new networking contacts a note within 24 hours. According to Misner, a handwritten note is best, but sending an email is better than not being consistent or missing the 24-hour window.
- Connect with them on social media within 7 days. Don’t try to sell them yet. Just try to engage them in conversation, based on where and how you met.
- Try to set up a face-to-face meeting within 30 days (either in person or using a videoconferencing tool). Again, in person is better, if you can do so. Use this meeting not to try to sell your new contacts, but rather, to see if you can help them with anything.
Putting the 24/7/30 System Into Practice
Misner’s system is pretty straightforward. But to help you put it into practice, I’ve put together different templates you can use at each stage of the 24/7/30 process.
The Note You’ll Send Within 24 Hours
You’ll need to customize this template based on where you met your new contact, as well as the interaction you had with them. If you can, work gratitude into this message for something the recipient helped you with or shared with you – everyone loves to hear that their actions had an impact on somebody else.
Ultimately, keep it simple. If you have nothing else to add, Misner suggests, “Let them know that it was a pleasure meeting them and you hope your paths cross again.”
Subject: Great to meet you
Hello {{name}},
Great meeting you at {{event or location}}. I really appreciate you sharing {{a piece of advice, a resource, etc}}.
Hoping we can connect again in the future.
Take care,
{{signature}}
The Social Media Outreach Post
According to Misner, “Make a connection via LinkedIn or Facebook. Follow them on Twitter. Find ways to connect and engage with them via social media platforms that you and they use the most.”
If you see that your new contact uses Twitter the most, you may not need a template – following them and engaging periodically with their tweets may be enough. If you’ll be connecting via LinkedIn, Facebook or any other platform that requires them to accept your connection request, the following template may be helpful.
Hi {{name}},
Just realized we’re both active here. Would love to connect so we can keep in touch.
Hope you’re well.
Thanks,
{{signature}}
The Invitation to a Face-to-Face Meeting
Use social media or any other channels you identify to deepen your relationship with your new contact and to remain top-of-mind. Then, within 30 days of meeting them, reach out to set up a meeting.
Subject: Maybe I can help?
Hello {{name}},
If you have a few minutes free, I’d love to set up a time to connect to learn more about your business. I’m not sure if opportunities exist for us to work together, but I’d love to see if there’s anything I can do to help.
Can we put a 30-minute meeting on the calendar for sometime in the next few days?
Thanks much,
{{signature}}
However you customize this template, keep in mind that your goal is to help, not to sell. As Misner states, “At this meeting, find out more about what they do and look for ways to help them in some way. Don’t make it a sales call. Make it a relationship building opportunity.”
Confirmation of the Face-to-Face Meeting
Once you’ve worked out the details of your upcoming meeting, confirm the time and connection details to minimize confusion. If you aren’t using a calendar booking tool like Calendly or Pick.co that sends meeting details automatically, use a template like the following to simplify your process.
You may not need the subject line or greeting if you’re replying to a previous message.
Subject: Meeting details for your reference
Hello {{name}},
Looking forward to our meeting! Just to confirm, I have it on my calendar for {{date}} at {{time}}. I’ll plan to {{call/meet}} you {{on/at}} {{conferencing tool/location}}.
Appreciate your time,
{{Signature}}
A Reminder for the Face-to-Face Meeting
Finally, reduce the chances of your new contact no-showing on you by sending a reminder in advance of the meeting. Personalized email tools like Mailshake can automate this process, based on the interval you specify (for example, eight hours before your scheduled meeting).
Subject: Looking forward to our meeting
Hello {{name}},
Looking forward to connecting on {{date}} at {{time}} at {{location/conferencing link}}. If anything has changed on your calendar, just let me know so that we can reschedule.
Chat soon,
{{signature}}
5 Networking Email Templates to Turbocharge Your Personal Network
Having done the hard work with your networking prospects – making a great first impression, adding real value, and getting them to hand over their contact details – it’s essential that you keep up the momentum with effective follow-up emails. With that in mind, here are five templates you can use as inspiration for your own networking follow-ups:
1. Asking for Advice
Obviously, there needs to be a reason for you to follow up. There’s little value in emailing a new contact just to say “hi.” Your ultimate reason for reaching out might be to eventually sell them something – but your initial email absolutely isn’t the right time to start trying to close the deal.
So what should you be talking about? What’s your opener? One excellent technique that I’ve used a lot of in the past is to simply ask their advice. Chances are you were having a business conversation when you originally met, so why not carry it on via email?
This template is a really effective way to ask for your prospect’s insight on a business topic:
Hi {{name}},
This is {{your name}}, we met at {{event name}} yesterday morning / afternoon / evening.
We were talking about {{remind them what you were discussing}}, so I know you have a lot of insight when it comes to {{subject}}.
My team / a colleague / another prospect has been struggling with {{something related to that subject}}, and I’d love to get your advice on it.
Let me know if you’re free over the next couple weeks for coffee. I’d really appreciate the chance to ask a couple more questions.
Thanks again,
{{name}}
2. Following Up with Someone You Met Briefly
However charming, funny and intelligent you may be, not all of your prospects will instantly recall meeting you.
After all, you might only have chatted for a minute or two; you might even have been part of a larger group.
Maybe they didn’t even catch your name. So how do you reintroduce yourself to someone you only met briefly at a networking event? Stick to the following format if you don’t want to sound like a potential stalker:
Hi {{Name}},
It was great to meet you at {{event name, location}} yesterday.
We only spoke briefly, but I enjoyed our chat about {{topic}}. It’s an area I’m really interested in, and it’s always really valuable to get another perspective.
I stumbled across this article about {{relevant topic}} this morning and thought you’d probably find it a good read, too. I particularly enjoyed the part about {{pick out a particularly interesting / relevant part of the article}} and I’d love to know what you think about it: {{include URL here}}
Again, I’m glad we got to meet, and I’m looking forward to keeping in touch. Don’t hesitate to drop me a line if you want to get together and talk some more about {{topic}}.
Thanks again,
{{Name}}
3. Connecting with a Friend of a Friend
Mutual connections can be some of your most valuable prospects. It’s no coincidence that 47% of top salespeople ask their network for referrals, compared to just 26% of non-top performers.
You might have been introduced to a friend of a friend at a networking event. If that’s the case, feel free to use one of the other templates in this article.
But if you’ve been given someone’s details by a mutual acquaintance who you met at the event – in other words, you’re looking to reach out to someone who you have never actually met – here’s how to proceed:
Hi {{Name}},
My name is {{your name}}, and I met {{mutual connection}} at {{event name / location}} yesterday.
We got to talking about {{topic of discussion}} and they mentioned your name. Sounds like you’re someone who’s had a lot of experience with {{area of expertise}}, and I’d love to tap into some of that knowledge!
Looking forward to connecting,
All the best,
{{Name}}
4. Assuming They’re Busy
You won’t win yourself many friends by assuming that everyone has plenty of time to speak to you and help you out.
Conversely, if you start from a point of assuming that your prospect is busy, they’ll likely appreciate it and be more open to fitting you into their tight schedule.
This follow-up email is all about keeping things brief and actionable:
Dear {{Name}},
My name is {{your name}}, and we met yesterday at {{event name, location}}.
I’m reaching out because we were talking about {{subject matter}}, and I’d love to learn more about {{two or three things you’d like to learn from them}}.
I know you’re super busy, but if you could spare 10-15 minutes on the phone on {{date}} I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks so much,
{{Name}}
5. Booking a Face-To-Face Meeting
Of course, securing a face-to-face meeting is the ultimate goal of any networking follow-up. After all, face-to-face requests are a staggering 34 times more likely to be successful than those made via email.
If you can get in front of your prospect, there’s a much better chance that you’ll come away with a positive result (whether or not it’s a sale). But as with every part of the networking follow-up process, you need to have a reason for requesting a meeting. And if that reason is “to sell you something,” don’t expect to see much of a response.
If you’re following the 24/7/30 process, you should already be connected on social media by the point you’re ready to book an in-person meeting. Try this follow-up:
Hi {{name}},
It’s been great chatting over the past month about {{subject area}}. I took your advice on {{topic that they offered advice on}} and did {{an action recommended by your prospect}}, and the results have been unreal! (Give a little more detail here if you can).
I’m not sure if there are any opportunities for us to work together right now, but I’d love to see if there’s anything I can do to help you out with {{prospect’s pain point}}.
Can we put a 30-minute meeting on the calendar for sometime in the next few days?
All the best,
{{Name}}
Troubleshooting the 24/7/30 System
The templates above may help you implement Misner’s 24/7/30 system. They may not. You may run into other challenges if the model doesn’t exactly fit your needs or your networking style.
But any good system comes with troubleshooting steps. Here’s how to make sure you’re getting the most benefit out of this framework:
If you’re forgetting send the message within the first 24 hours, you could:
- Carry notecards in your briefcase with stamped envelopes so you can write them as soon as you have a free minute. This can be helpful if you’re at a multi-day conference, and you won’t be back in your office within that 24-hour window to get your notes out.
- Build an internal form for your use that’ll trigger a follow-up message to be sent automatically. Once this is in place, you should be able to simply complete fields like “name,” “event” and “advice” or “resource” and have the message be sent immediately on your behalf.
If you’re having trouble finding your new contacts on social media (or if you’re spending too much time doing this manually), Voila Norbert’s enrichment tool can help you identify profiles easily. This can be even more useful if you’re attending large networking events where you’re making dozens or hundreds of new connections.
If you’re struggling to get people to agree to face-to-face meetings with you (or to show up at the time you agreed upon):
- Look at how you’re asking. Maybe the value proposition of what you’re offering isn’t that appealing to them. Test different templates until you’ve found the right language that connects with them.
- Reach out using multiple forms of contact – and make sure they have several ways to get in touch with you. Sometimes, no-shows aren’t malicious. It could be that they’re stuck waiting for Skype to update or watching their constantly-spinning cursor fail to load another conferencing program.
Pay attention to your follow-up strategy’s performance at level to identify other potential troubleshooting opportunities. If you notice, for example, that you always manage to get messages out within the first 24 hours of meeting someone new, but then forget to follow up on social within the next week, take whatever steps you need to in order to change your performance at this stage.
Building Your Own Networking Follow-Up Strategy
Ultimately, according to Misner, “Networking is more about farming than it is about hunting.” It doesn’t matter how many leads you stalk down and capture if you don’t ever nurture them into real, mutually-beneficial relationships.
Take the time to build your own networking follow-up strategy, whether you follow Misner’s as law, adapt it to suit your own needs or build something entirely different. Get in the habit of nurturing leads the same way farmers nurture their plants. The relationships that bloom will be well worth the effort.
