Following up after you meet someone is important for preserving and developing a relationship. It paves the way to subsequent meetings and the chance of synergies and new opportunities. 

In the words of the award-winning author and corporate trainer, Paul Axwell, “Persistence is a key influence skill. If you want anything to happen you must follow up, follow up and follow up”.

So what is the best way to follow up with new contacts?

Step 1: Follow up with the people who matter

According to a recent infographic, we are expected to meet 80,000 people in our lifetime. Although our brain has the biological capacity of storing 2.5 petabytes of data, we won’t remember everyone, and we are not supposed to. 

You will only remember a handful of people who made an impression and that you probably decided to stay in touch with. So choose carefully. Stay in touch with people who have a mindset, skills, or network that can help you develop.

Step 2: Make a memorable exit through mnemonic devices

According to Dr. Charan Ranganath, Director of the Memory and Plasticity Program at the University of California, Davis, our brain has to put in a lot of work to remember someone. It has to match the name with a face, then store that name in an already crowded memory where myriads of other names exist, and recall it when necessary. 

For this reason, you need to create mnemonic devices. Don’t just hand over a business card and leave. Share a story, a thought, or even a hobby that you will be remembered for. 

In this manner, when you pick up the phone or send an email to follow up, your contact will automatically recall who you are, by the mnemonic device you provided them with.

Step 3: Set a reminder and prepare

As a Chinese proverb says “The palest ink is better than the best memory”. Don’t just say you will follow up, put it in your agenda. Ink it. 

Schedule a follow-up meeting at the end of your introduction, or set a reminder with a note – For example: “Call Jane in 2 days to discuss the marketing executive position opportunity”.

Before you follow up, be prepared. Recap any notes you may have made on that person, on their interests, line of work, family status, and any news that may be relevant to them. 

“Note: George has a Labradoodle that just gave birth. Make sure to ask how the puppies are.” 

Anything that can help you start a conversation and warm up the follow-up call or email, is to your advantage.

Covve suggests: When adding a new relationship make sure you add a note with some key elements of their story to help you remember the person. Set your upcoming reminders and add a note that is relevant to both you and them, i.e. what you connected on, common interests, and ideally what you can help them with. After you speak, set a reminder for a follow-up with the key points discussed and any actions until then (e.g. Introduce her to Don Norman).

What differentiates a successful startup founder from an unsuccessful one? There are a number of obvious reasons. The product, the team, and the track record. What about the network though?

While talent is universal, opportunity is not. No matter how good you are, you will still face limited prospects if you don’t have access to the right networks. Without networking, it will be increasingly difficult to scale your business, access new markets, and attract new capital.

This is what a study from Chicago University’s Booth Business School showcases by outlining that “the network is an entrepreneur’s best asset”.

The study received responses from 350 professionals, in 40 countries. The results indicate that founders reach out to their network for fundraising (29%), talent sourcing (32%), and emotional support (34%). 

The study advises entrepreneurs to diversify their networks. Highlighting that “using the network means reaching out and asking people you don’t know well or have only a weak online link with to help you. Asking for help is one of the most valuable skills an entrepreneur can cultivate.”

Fast Company even visually represents how some star founders of Y Combinator, the world’s premier startup accelerator, network in terms of boosting each other’s products, building social connections, and sharing advice. A testimonial from GiftRocket’s founder, Kapil Kale, goes on to explain how Stripe and WePay had been “really influential” in helping them understand how the payment business worked.

The advantages of networking among startups go well beyond the sharing of advice. Austin Clements, the Managing Partner of On Purpose Ventures, points out that networks can be a true door opener for entrepreneurs in terms of raising funding. He mentions, “VCs have big networks and know a lot of people, they can often open up doors and help founders skip steps in finding new customers and new challenges.” Therefore networking puts you on a fast track.

So where do you start? What is the first step in using your network for the benefit of your startup? 

Clements suggests that you need to identify the right contacts in your network. To find the smartest people and ask who’s doing something innovative. 

Once you do that, start learning from them. Find out more about their work and ways. Connect with them, get to know them better, ask questions. 

Benefit from their network. Are they connected to someone you would like to meet? Such as an investor or an entrepreneur? For certain, a warm introduction from someone they already know gives you better chances to meet them, than cold emailing them.

Last but not least, always make sure to reciprocate. The best networkers are givers. Referring them to a contact of yours, offering advice or insights, or even inviting them for a coffee or lunch just to thank them. Any act of reciprocity could go a long way.

Also, don’t forget to keep the relationship alive. Make sure to touch base once every while, to give them a thumbs up on their work, or even see how they are doing. Preserving your network active only takes a few moments of your time, yet can be of tremendous benefit to your future self and business.

In conclusion, no matter how strongly you believe in your business, make sure to give it a powerful launch or scaling platform through the right channels. These channels can come through your existing and future networks. 

Did you know that: Covve allows you to add tags to each of your contacts. Add tags like “advisors”, “fellow entrepreneurs”, “investors”, to easily find them when you need them. Add auto reminders to remember to keep in touch and news topics on their business and hobbies to have a great excuse to reach out.

Your network stretches well beyond the people you keep in touch with, and that’s okay. You naturally don’t have time to keep in touch with everyone.

Nonetheless, the dormant relationships in your network are neither dead nor useless. They quietly exist there until it is time to activate them. 

According to a study featured in the MIT Sloan Management Review, “reconnecting dormant ties, provides a whole host of benefits, many of them unexpected… Reconnecting with dormant relationships is more than just fun – it can be extremely useful”.

So how do you activate dormant relationships? There’s actually a right way of doing it.

Rebbeca Zucker, a leadership coach, who advises companies the likes of Amazon and Dropbox, recommends a  number of ways to get in touch with the contacts you haven’t talked to in a while. We repurposed her recommendations into a four-step process.

Step 1: Be positive. Prior to getting in touch, make sure to get rid of any negative thoughts. You may be inclined to think that your message is unwanted. That may be boring them, or wasting their time. There’s also a good chance that they may be actually happy to hear from you. The relationship may be dormant, but they may be following you and your work.

Step 2: Be sincere and build rapport. Address the elephant in the room. You haven’t been in touch for some time. That’s fine. If you are contacting them after so long, you are there to ask for something. They already know that too. Therefore, you can avoid the small talk and start working on your preposition. Establish some common ground first. Ask them about their kids, mention their favorite sports team, and make them feel comfortable about having a conversation.

Step 3: Ask for something, in the right way. Don’t be assertive, be understanding. After building rapport, go ahead and ask: “If you have the time, could you please help me out with this request?”. This is certainly better than saying “I need this from you”. If their response is negative, don’t burn any bridges. Be the bigger person, and respect their decision. “If you can’t help out I totally understand, and I hope we catch up soon”. In this manner, you showcase that you are also interested in maintaining the relationship, not just achieving your goal. No matter how true this may be or not, it is always of benefit to keep the door open. They may revert with some help or offer you a synergistic solution in the future.

Step 4: Keep the relationship alive and be appreciative. Whatever the result may be, be sure to thank the other person, and reciprocate. The best networkers are givers. Make yourself available to them for any future assistance that may be needed, and offer to follow up actions such as, “Let’s catch up for coffee soon”. It does not always have to be about work.

Did you know that: Covve allows you to keep notes on each one of your contacts. With the tap of a button, you can now refresh your memory on their interests, dislikes, and favorite things! Including food. Tap on the + icon on your homepage and “Add Note” to get started.

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