Follow up Email Templates for Connections made at a Networking Event

I thought it might be helpful if I showed you how I wrote follow up emails to two people I met yesterday at a lunch meeting hosted by one of my clients.  Why am I doing this? Because in the talks and presentations I do about business networking, people frequently ask me, how do I follow up with a new contact I meet at a networking event? 

Here’s what I wrote in my first follow up email…..

Hi Steve. It was great meeting you at John Cameron’s networking lunch yesterday. I enjoyed every bit of our conversation. I especially appreciated hearing how you work hard at keeping your clients out of the court room, saving them on expensive litigation fees. (Steve is a family lawyer.)
If you have the time, let’s meet up for a cup of coffee and find out more about each other’s work. I’m thinking if we get to know each other better maybe we can be helping each other with our networks.
How are you placed over the next week or two? Coffee’s on me!
Best regards. Ron Gibson.

And here’s the other follow up email I wrote…..

Hi Shirley. Great to meet you at John Cameron’s networking lunch yesterday. Our conversation was going along nicely when we had to break it off and I’d like to learn more about the work you do for your clients in the mining sector. I know a few people in this area too and I would be happy to help you with some personal introductions, if you’re interested.
You expressed an interest in learning more about my networking coaching program and I’d be happy to tell you about it.
Would you like to meet for coffee? If so, let’s know your availability.
Best regards. Ron Gibson.

Now just a few things about these emails:

• They are short and to the point. Don’t waffle. 
• They personally relate to the recipient. Never go generic.
• They are non-sales-y (even though Shirley showed real interest in engaging me as her networking coach), they don’t ask for anything other than a follow-up meeting to continue the conversation over a coffee and they are not pushy or manipulative in any way. No brochures/marketing materials attached.
• My desire to help Steve and Shirley with my network of contacts is genuine.

I follow up with all the good connections I make and every one of my follow up communications are uniquely personalised.  Depending on the conversation I had with my new contact I will either connect them (via email) to someone I think they would like to meet, forward an article on a topic that will interest them, invite them to an event I am attending, invite them to connect with me on LinkedIn or introduce them to a business opportunity.

If your agenda is to build win-win, mutually beneficial relationships, your follow up communications with new networking contacts will be successful. And ultimately, as a by-product of your relationship-building conversations, you will do more business — either directly with the people you meet or indirectly through referrals you get from those people. I guarantee it!

Would love to hear how you follow up with the connections you make at networking events, Share in the comments below