You come home with a stack of business cards that you just collected at a networking event. The dog's need to go out, the kids want to play or you are rushing out to dinner with your significant other. You think I will follow-up with them tomorrow and then there are deadlines to meet and suddenly it is 2 months later and the contact has probably forgotten about you.
We all know that a personal note is still the "gold standard" in communication follow-up. But in today's hectic world you always have time to at least send an email. Make a point to carve out 20 minutes to type a short email to networking conacts you just made because it leaves an impression. It shows that individual that you are serious by staying connected and is a subtle way of providing your contact information again if they didn't get it or misplaced it for some reason.
For the individual who met a lot of people it provides them a refresher on what you might have talked about and the purpose of your interaction. Always remember to put in that one little tidbit of information and shows them you really were paying attention. If they tell you they were just married, recently had a death in the family or are planning a family vacation it is just a simple way to say, "I was listening".
As the recipient of many follow-up emails I can tell you I appreciate them because I can read them at my own pace. A phone call can sometimes to an interruption to your day especially if you are trying to meet a deadline.
Remember the second interaction is sometimes more important than the first and don't let a great connection slip away by not following up!
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