When it comes to networking for your business, LinkedIn Events is an unmatched tool that you should make sure to keep in your arsenal. LinkedIn has become the standard platform for employees and businesses who are eager to make connections in the business world, and there may be no better place to find leads for all areas of your business.
To make the most of your LinkedIn Events experiences, you should understand the follow-up etiquette that can provide the best results for your networking efforts. The follow-up process isn’t too complex, but if you do not approach it carefully, then you will risk missing out on great leads for your business. Read on and learn more about the best ways to follow up after a LinkedIn Event.
Make sure to reach out to your leads on LinkedIn
If you have met new professionals during your LinkedIn Event, then you will want to make sure you go through with connecting with them further on LinkedIn. With the number of events that are online now, you don’t even have to wait until the event is over, you can send a connection request while you are still attending your event.
Now you may meet a lot of people, but you’ll want to make sure that you address each of your new leads by name and make your connection request personal but professional. If your request is too template-like, or it seems like you are going directly into a business proposal, then your new contacts can feel pressured. Use this first opportunity to continue with the conversation you held during the event.
Focus on meaningful connections
If you do happen to have one of those events where you meet a lot of people, then try to only make further connections and follow up with those leads who you felt provided the most meaningful relationships. You will come across a lot of brief discussions and momentary acquaintances at networking events and trying to reach out and keep up with all of them would be counterintuitive for your business.
You can still offer your card for other people to contact you but in an effort to show your investment in your new contacts, you’ll want to follow up with those that were meaningful to you.
Provide details about your meeting
Odds are that your new lead will have come across more than just you at this networking event as well. In your follow-up connection request, you should look to provide some context as to how you met at the event and what your discussion was like.
Your lead will probably remember you, but it is always a beneficial move to provide a reminder, plus it is an amicable way to open a connection request. You don’t want to dive into business talks too early, so reestablishing your connection with a refresher is a great way to get back on the same page.
Be considerate of the 24-hour window
The business world moves fast, and if you are a person who frequently networks, then you’ll know that the next event is not far away. You’ll want to seize this opportunity and try to deepen your connection with your lead as soon as possible. A great rule to go by is to have a connection request follow-up within 24 hours.
Now ideally, you are already sending your connection request during the event, but some people will want time to gather their thoughts and analyze their connections a bit more. You don’t want to wait too long, however, because your lead will most likely have met other professionals, and they will also be vying for their attention. A timely connection request with a personable tone will allow you to hold the attention of your lead and ensure that your connection is not lost in a sea of other candidates.
Don’t be too eager however
You may be excited about a lead, and you might want to dive into work with this prospect very early on. However, you can come across as too eager, and missteps in this early part of your networking relationship can sour the relationship and end a good dynamic before it even had the chance to thrive. This is especially true when it comes to calling your lead.
Video services have made voice and video calls much more accessible, so inviting a lead to a voice or video chat may seem like a simple ask. But your lead will be handling their own variety of tasks and requesting more and more of their attention and time so early on can be a red flag for potential leads. An email and connection request is a great way to keep your lead’s attention while giving them the space they need early on.
Don’t be afraid of a further follow up
It may be that your LinkedIn connection request is not responded to in the time you are expecting it. This isn’t necessarily a negative sign, it may just be that your lead is indeed overloaded with other requests and responsibilities, and simply needs more time to get back to your request. That being said, you don’t want to be too passive or wait too long if you have found a great potential lead. In this case, consider sending a further follow-up email to reiterate your presence to your lead.
Try to make your email personal and stand out from the rest of the many emails your lead is likely to be getting. Make use of subject lines that reference your specific meeting or circumstances, whatever will make it easier for your lead to identify you.
Make use of LinkedIn and Email
Now, even with one further follow-up email, you may still not receive the contact you desire. This is still not too much of a reason to worry, as reports show that many people will respond to your follow-up after several attempts. So, persistence is key, just don’t act too frequently or be too aggressive.
You can continue reaching out through both LinkedIn and Email in this case. After your first connection request, and your first email, you may alternate platforms or determine what the best approach is for you. Now on an individual level, this may not be too much of an ask. But if you are an exhaustive networker who generates many new leads and attends a lot of events, then completing this process tens if not 100s of times over can be quite taxing. In that case, you should consider an automated service to assist your follow-up process.
Automate your follow-up (and even your invites!) with LinCredible
LinCredible is a service that empowers your follow-up process with automation, handling the tedious task of responding to all your new leads, and allowing you the freedom to focus on finding more new leads or responding to your currently interested ones.
With LinCredible, you can even automate your invites for a LinkedIn event. This service is truly aimed at making the most of LinkedIn for business users, so that they may maximize their opportunities for success. Networking is already intricate enough, remove some of this pressure with the power of a service like LinCredible.
