Perhaps you have met someone new at an event or conference. You get back to your office and wonder, what is the best way forward?

Follow up can be done in many different ways: email, fax, phone, mail or in person. But exactly how do you do it? Do you leave a pile of business cards on your desk and rummage through them 6 months later, only to find that they have moved firm? Maybe you write the contact’s name on your ‘to-do’ list but you take no action because there are too many other distractions?

In order to build relationships with new people that you meet and to make the most of these opportunities, it is essential to develop a plan that is easy to implement.

Here are our 10½ tips to help you to build an efficient follow up system for your business.

1. A speedy first step

The dilemma for the person who has just met someone socially is that they don’t want to appear too keen or desperate. However, as ‘out of sight is out of mind’ they also don’t want to leave it too long to make contact for a date

In the world of business there should be no dilemma. There isn’t a ‘too soon’ option only ‘too late’. You’ve got 1 working day within meeting someone to make the first contact.

2. Make it personal

When sending a written follow up make sure that you refer to the conversation that you had when you met to show that you were listening and that you thought it was of value.

You could start the rapport with a sentence which links directly with the event and the conversation that you had. For example: “It was a pleasure meeting you earlier today in London at ........... Conference. I feel that we share much in common with regards to ideas of how to survive these tough economic times.”

3. Call to action

A follow up email, letter or phone call will always work best when it includes some form of call to action.

A call to action is punchy and direct, making it clear what you want the receiver to do next, for example; meet for coffee, sign up here, call this number, visit our website.

Always give people specific ways to respond to you by providing a variety of ways that are clear and easy for them to get in contact with you.

4. Be specific

If you are suggesting a face to face meeting, perhaps over coffee, do make specific options available to your contact.

Suggesting that you meet ‘sometime’ is far too vague and will most likely never happen. If you propose to meet for coffee, for example, when and where will you meet? Make sure that you provide several options for dates, times and venues.

5. Be authentic and genuine

People who are uptight and anxious can come across as being insincere. Be yourself and trust in your abilities and you will find that others will be at ease around you. You are in the business of building relationships and by being yourself you will come across as being authentic and genuine, and ultimately someone who is good to do business with.

6. Give them something of value

Have you read a book or an article recently which you think will be of benefit to the person you met? Have you a contact who you could recommend to them?

Send the recommendation, or better still, the book. Make the phone call to facilitate a meeting. You will find that there is no better way to show that you value this person.

At Size 10½ Boots we actively seek opportunities to share valuable information and to make connections for our clients over and beyond our project brief.

7. Be interesting

For your conversation to be interesting, you have to be interesting yourself. What does this mean? Being interesting is such a subjective thing. Well, actually, this is a simple thing to achieve. Being up-to-date is one way to be interesting.

People respect someone who has something substantial to say because he or she is aware of what is happening around the world. Make sure that you keep abreast of current events; watch TV, read the newspapers, root out information on the internet.

Make sure that you are well informed because, if you are going to talk to people, make sure you know what you are talking about.

8. Deliver on promises

Effective networking is all about building positive and fruitful relationships. If you have agreed to answer a query, to phone, e-mail, or send a piece of literature you thought would be useful, make sure that you deliver!

Create rapport and start to build their trust by delivering on what you have promised.

9. Clear sense of purpose

Before you have any initial contact via phone, email or letter have in your mind a clear objective of what success will look like for you.

Are you trying to engage with a contact you have not spoken to in a while? Arrange a coffee meeting? Or are you trying to identify a referral opportunity?

By having your objectives in mind you will be able to communicate effectively and get the desired outcome.

10. One step at a time

Incredibly, statistics show that you need to communicate with someone seven times before they are happy to do business with you. So once you’ve passed the twenty-four hour deadline get your thinking-cap on as you need to get creative.

You have numerous tools at your finger-tips so tantalise your prospect, personalise your greetings and bowl them over with your uniqueness. Keeping yourself in their frame will not go unnoticed.

If you leave it too long you may miss the time when they realise you are the solution to their problem. I know what you’re thinking, if you keep this up you are going to drive them away. Not at all, just remember a few key points and you won’t be given the elbow, they’ll be begging for more!

10½. Focus on how you can help them NOT sell to them

Your new contacts know you are in business to make money, because they are too. However, don’t sell to them and focus on how you can help them.

You need to establish rapport in order to develop a working relationship and gain their trust. By doing this you will be able to get to know how their firm operates.

What is it that ‘makes them tick’? The more you know about your contact, the more you can advise and develop strategies for them and with them to move their business forward. By doing this you will make them see that their business is important to you; it’s a relationship of equals and mutual benefits.

Famous feet

Billy Davis
Nottingham Forest FC Manager
Shoe size: 6½