Are your follow up strategies in place?
The biggest mistake business owners make after business conferences and events are in their follow up strategies.
When you are inundated with visitors and strangers at an event – it’s really important to have your follow up process in place so that you can capitalize on the ‘afterglow’… The longer you wait to follow up with your new connections, the less likely they will be to remember you.
To make the most of your business conferences and other events, here are twenty successful follow up strategies to help you extend the event and really build relationships with those people you meet.
20 Successful Follow Up Strategies
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- Connect with anyone who was memorable or connected to you within two weeks after the business meeting.
- Schedule a cup of coffee, breakfast or lunch with an associate. (I like the coffee/tea idea to keep costs lower…)
- Invite a new connection to a networking event you will be attending.
- Use the event to uncover their biggest business struggle today – and share a recent article of yours that helps them take the very next step in business.
- Host a joint client event with your new connection and split the costs and the agenda!
- Run a promotion with your new connection that mutually promotes their products and services.
- If your new joint venture connection offers products – see if they’re willing to share a slight discount with your followers.
- Pair up with your new connection and plan a ‘press-worthy’ event that is also a contribution to the community.
- Write an article for your new connection in your newsletter.
- Offer them a chance to view or opt into your core content or free offer.
- Send a video message as a reminder. There are many ways to do this, but the easiest is likely to snap a quick video with your phone and either text them or connect via Facebook (or another social media portal).
- Offer to be a guest writer for their e-zine or blog with a hot topic that is relevant to their following.
- Inquire to see if your new connection has an affiliate or referral program.
- Pick up the phone and call your connection a week or two after the event. This is one of the ‘old fashioned’ ways to do business – but has been proven as one of the most effective.
- Market their services on your Resource List, Referral List or Business Directory.
- Link to their websites and ask for them to reciprocate and link to you too.
- Sponsor or Co-sponsor Workshops together and share each other’s client lists for the group or event.
- Connect on a social media platform and share their blog posts.
- If they blog or are active on social media: like, share and comment on their most recent posts!
- Since most people receive hundreds of emails daily, be sure you stand out! Send a note along with a Starbucks or iTunes gift card. To make it pop dress it up in a gift bag or try send it via FedEx. Pure curiosity alone guarantees that they open it. Your FedEx package is likely to stand out more than dozens of followup generic emails from other companies in their inbox.
The top two things that make you memorable after a large event are:
- Standing out by making a meaningful connection.
- Following up with a special or meaningful message.
These strategies will not just make you more memorable after an event but are just good business. Incorporating follow up strategies like these into your business practices and solidifying a follow up strategy will really help you build your network!
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Your Sanity Assignment
Which of the 20 tips will you explore and/or incorporate for the next event you’re planning? Please share below – and offer any additional tips missing from this list that others may benefit from!