From the course: The Ultimate Guide to Professional Networking

How to do follow-ups that close the loop and open new doors

From the course: The Ultimate Guide to Professional Networking

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How to do follow-ups that close the loop and open new doors

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- Sometimes a positive asset can work against you negatively. Here's how that can work in networking. For some people, networking comes naturally, and it can seem like an asset. We know the type: a big smile, a firm handshake, relentless cheerfulness. These are great qualities. However, networking isn't just about being friendly and likable. If you relied on friendliness and charm alone, you'd end up with a lot of people who like you, but you won't necessarily gain a useful business relationship. Yes, this is all about people, and certainly don't want to dial down any natural warmth you might have, but if you want to actively leverage your friendliness into building beneficial business relationships, then you'll need to use some specific tips to build and solidify your network. First, take notes, after you meet with someone promising. Keep track of your contacts in some systematic way that's easy and intuitive for you. I happen to use my Gmail account for this. As I create a new contact within Gmail whenever I meet someone new, and then I just add my notes from there into their profile. Others use customer relationship management systems, often called CRM, like Salesforce or Act. Just find what works for you and keep it simple. The easier your system, the more likely you'll be able to use it. Next, make sure you follow up with a new contact. After you've met someone new, follow up with an email. Use the email to remind them of who you are, but, more importantly, show them that you were listening when you met. Find something specific to recall and comment about it. This will also be useful to serve as a point of reference later, in case you want to contact them after a long absence. Use the followup email as a way to close the loop on something you promised to share. This could be an introduction to someone that you mentioned. It could be an article, a Ted talk, a video or podcast episode, something that came up in your conversation. Finally, use the email to open new doors by asking a question or requesting an introduction or exploring something you may not have talked about previously. Here's an example. "Hi, Bill. It was great to meet you at the entrepreneur meetup last Thursday at the Mission Brewery. I'm glad that David Smith introduced us. I've known him for years. I didn't realize that you and David worked together at ABC-Wines.com. It sounds like the venture's doing great. I promised I'd introduced you to my CPA, so look for another email for me to introduce you. Also, I could use a little advice about my own venture because your experience with ABC Wines might be able to help me avoid some pitfalls. Do you mind if I ask a few questions? Nothing urgent, but I'd appreciate a bit of input. Yours, Dana." The fortune is in the followup, as they say. If you're diligent in your followups, you'll maximize every networking encounter you have.

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