Week 21 (February 17 – February 23, 2025)

Introduction

“Good morning, everyone! Today, we’re going to focus on something that’s often overlooked but incredibly important in networking—follow-up. Building relationships doesn’t end when a conversation does. The real success comes in how we follow up afterward, keeping the connection alive and opening the door for future referrals.”

Body

“Following up is key to turning a simple interaction into a lasting business relationship. Here are three effective strategies for making follow-up a natural part of your networking routine:

1. Be timely – The best time to follow up is within 24-48 hours of meeting someone. Whether it’s after a Chapter meeting or a One-to-One, a quick message or email helps keep you top of mind and shows you’re serious about building the relationship.

2. Personalize your message – When you follow up, reference something specific from your conversation. This shows you were truly engaged and helps remind the other person of your connection. For example, ‘It was great hearing about your new project; I’d love to continue our conversation.’

3. Provide value – Instead of just checking in, offer something of value in your follow-up. This could be a useful resource, an introduction to a contact, or simply an offer to help in some way. Providing value helps solidify the relationship and sets you apart.”

Example

“Let’s say you meet someone at a networking event, and they mention they’re struggling with marketing their business. When you follow up, you could send them a helpful article or offer to introduce them to a marketing expert in our Chapter. This not only strengthens the connection but also positions you as someone who brings value.”

Conclusion

“Following up is where networking success truly happens. By being timely, personalizing our messages, and providing value, we can turn simple conversations into lasting, referral-generating relationships. Let’s all make follow-up a key part of our networking strategy moving forward.”