DEBRIEFING AFTER THE EVENT

So you have just left an event and your brain is in networking overload, what next!


Before you put the car in reverse to rush home and watch "Two and Half Men", take a few moments to debrief. Take out the business cards you collected and write notes on the back of the card about something you learned about the person. If you don't have a business card then write on that notepad that you conveniently have in the car! Depending on your line of work it may be very important to know how many dependents they have, what their job title is or that they just cashed in a ton of stock! If they mention a job title or their place of employment put that down as well. You may want to even create your own ranking system that will help you prioritize your contacts.


Why is this important? You know how hectic life is and you are more than likely leaving this event to attend another event, return to work, have dinner with a friend or sit in the bleachers at a kids sporting event. If you don't take time to debrief immediately following an event then you might forget valuable information or get it confused with someone else you meet in the next 24 hours.

You may think "how could one name matter in a file of hundreds". That one name could be someone you are interviewing with in a few months. They might be the next referral for your business if you follow-up in the appropriate manner.

Speaking of follow-up. Watch for the next blog from Networking Man on easy ways to follow-up with individuals you have met at a meeting, conference or event.

Make a connection tomorrow that could change your life or someone else's!