NETWORKING - Part Three

FOLLOW UP

Well you prepared for your conference and you executed your plans perfectly. Now what?

You're home, exhausted and excited. And when you look in that cool free bag you got at that conference its full of promo....and your purse is full of cards!

Take a Deep Breath

Now, hopefully you kept all the important ones separate. Sorry, forgot to mention that you should have a special place, ie a business card holder...to put all the cards that are important. Oops!

If you followed all the steps in my previous blogs it should be a simple thing to sort through the cards and choose the top people you connected with. They are your FIRST STRING


FIRST STRING

Facebook and email them immediately

Don't wait

Remind them of who you were and how you met...Now do you see why you needed the back of your business card to be blank and why you wrote details on their cards? Their kids names, that article you told them about. The blog they were interested it?

See, I'm not full of total crap! LOL

Also be sure to include any info in the email about what you discussed. Real networking is about not how that person can benefit you but how you can benefit each other.

If there was something that you can do to help them out make sure to include it in this email. That special touch, showing that you cared enough to help them out will go a long way to forming a real relationship

Hopefully your new friends respond and you can cultivate the connection that will benefit both of you.


SECOND STRING

These are the folks who gave you cards but maybe you didn't feel that there was a huge connection. Well you never know who will become a friend and who will forget you. Often my first stringers forget all about me :(

At my second conference I realized these second stingers often remember you and when you can reconnect they get bumped up to first string.

Don't discount someone that you chatted with for ten minutes. Take a moment to drop them a line and say Hi!


REMEMBER: Email every connection you feel is useful or valid.


GETTING FANCY

You can kick it old school and send them a thank-you card via snail mail.

Just make sure that their address was on their card. Don't google it or they will think you're a nutter! LOL


ONE EMAIL IS NOT THE END

Sometimes you get no response, after a week and a half feel free to drop a second email but don’t go stalker crazy.

That’s why FB is so great because they accept your request and the social connection is there to be cultivated until the next conference


REVEL IN YOUR SUCCESS!!

You did it!

Your preparation paid off and putting yourself out there despite personal fears paid off!

Well, I hope I offered you a few helpful tips for making your conference successful!

Good Luck!

Now GO NETWORK!!!

Deanna
'Spicing up your love life one naughty read at a time!'