Six Tips For a Successful Follow Up

Are conferences and other networking events not getting you the results you’re looking for? Don’t give up yet! More often than not, the reason why many Realtors don’t gain the solid connections they want is because they skip the most important part – the follow up. You’re not going to be able to build relationships and establish the network you want if you don’t follow up and in this post we’ll share some of our tried and tested tips on how to get it done as effectively as possible:

• Don’t wait too long. If you don’t start following up within two to three days after the event, then odds are you’ll forget about it. It doesn’t have to be complicated – a short email conveying your delight at making a new acquaintance will do as a first step. Ask them if they want to be included in your mailing list, but only if you think they’ll actually be interested in whatever you’ll be mailing out.
• Maximize business cards – when you ask for one, don’t just tuck it away. Use the back to write down a note or two about your new contact such as why you’d want to build a relationship with them or what the most interesting point of your conversation was.
• Make sure your website is in good working order and that your social media profiles are up-to-date. People are going to be looking you up online and you’ll want your website to reflect your professionalism and your social media profiles to be current.
• Connect through social media. This is one of the easiest ways to follow up on those new contacts you want to cultivate a relationship with. If you have photos, create an album and share it with them.
• Nothing beats the personal touch – especially with those that you really want to nurture a connection with. Send a card through snail mail or make good on something you may have promised to send (a recipe, restaurant recommendations in your area, etc.).
• Are you a bit late in following up? While you may still remember the interesting conversation you had with a contact, there’s no guarantee that they’ll have as sharp a recollection of it. Refresh their memory and give details about what you talked about (your business card notes will really come in handy here).

Keep these tips in mind when attending your next event and start building that network today!