It’s no secret that I love to network. But, after a fabulous event or conference, even I have faced that pit-of-the-stomach feeling when I look at the business cards I’ve collected. I wonder, “How am I going to follow up with these people? Will I be bothering them if I call? Will email seem too impersonal? Is it presumptuous to friend them on Facebook?” So stressful!

Perhaps you’ve had the same concerns.

Over the years I’ve developed a plan to take the guess work out of follow-up. It’s super simple and works every time. When I meet someone I’d like to connect with again, I simply say, “I’ve really enjoyed meeting you, and I’d like to keep in touch. What’s the best method to reach you?”

This gives your networking contact the options to:

a) Politely blow you off by saying something like, “That’s really nice, but I’m quite  busy right now. I enjoyed meeting you too and hopefully we’ll run into each other again.” (Translation: I’m just not that into you.)

b) Tell you his or her preferred contact method.

If the answer is b (and it usually is if you’ve read the situation correctly), once you know where you stand and how to communicate, the rest is easy. Follow up exactly as instructed, and your fabulous contact will be eagerly expecting your communication.

TAGS: Networking