This happened to me recently at a large scale networking event I attended. I met with several contacts, had a really great conversation about our businesses and we exchanged business cards. I even jotted down a few notes about the conversation on the back of the card. However, when I got home and went to follow up with them, I had nothing more to say than “Wow. It was great to meet you”. Which is not the best way to make a lasting impression that could lead into a long term business relationship or future client. But the truth was – I didn’t know what to say next. What do you do when you don’t have an immediate action to take?
So I thought of three quick and easy things to do. And the more I thought about it, I realized this would really simplify my life tremendously. I have stacks of business cards from prior events. And with many of the cards I haven’t done anything after meeting the person because I didn’t know what to say except a cheesy reminder from our conversation or send a holiday card.
So here are my three next steps:
1. Invite them to your LinkedIn network
This is a no brainer. One of your goals in LinkedIn should be to increase the size of your network. And while many of us don’t log in except to update a new job/title or reach out to a contact when looking for a new gig or client, it is a great tool to use on a regular basis. (Yes, this is also a great time to go back and ensure your profile is 100% complete)
So send them a link with your custom LinkedIn header and/or try searching their name to see if you can invite them directly.
