How to Write a Successful Follow-Up Email: Examples and Templates for Networking Development

Follow-Up Emails for Networking Building

Networking and attending various business events opens the door to valuable contacts, which is an integral part of a company’s development. By expanding your circle of people in related industries, you open up new horizons of reach and profit.

One of the most effective ways to capitalize on that relationship is to send follow-up emails. In this article, you’ll learn how to write a successful follow-up email to build connections.

Most professionals will agree that the most difficult part of networking is the initial part, that is, meeting people. However, after that comes the no less interesting stage of maintaining these ties. Sending additional emails can help with this problem as they will engage your prospects, strengthen your relationship, and bring the possibility of the end goal closer.

How to Write an Effective Follow-Up Email After Networking?

Follow-up emails act as a gentle reminder of the previous contact with a prospect, to provide them with additional information, ask about their preferences, and offer some options for developing communication. However, it’s very important to write such emails strategically and concisely so they don’t seem intrusive, aggressive, spammy, or overly commercial.

If you are not sure how to write a follow-up email after a networking event, follow these simple tips to create messages that generate responses and conversions:

1. Send follow-ups quickly.

How to send a follow-up email after a networking event – immediately or wait? Experts say that after meeting the right person at an event, it’s best to write to them quickly, perfectly within 24 and a maximum of 48 hours. Time is of the essence, show that you are proactive and that the previous interaction is still relevant. It seems that a delay in responding will likely give the impression that you are not very interested in further communication.

2. Come up with an intriguing Subject Line.

To encourage the recipient to read your email, make the subject line concise and intriguing. This will help the email stand out in their inbox among dozens of other incoming emails. It’s also recommended to include the following elements to keep the recipient interested:

• The name of the recipient
• The name of the event or occasion for which you met
• The place where you got to know each other
• Common interests or goals

3. Open your message with a personalized greeting.

It’s always a good idea to start your email with a personalized appeal in a friendly tone. So, the next time you write an email, start with the greeting “Hi [Name]” instead of jumping right into the request. To sound more formal, you can also start with “Dear [Name]” or simply “Hello [Name]”.

4. Briefly introduce yourself.

State your full name, title, or area of expertise. Also, mention the circumstances under which you met, recalling any of your conversations during the conference or other events. In referring to your previous interaction, briefly recall what you talked about in 1-2 sentences, because not everyone remembers every detail of their interaction at public meetings.

5. Include important details.

Next, it would be helpful to explain what both parties can gain from further communication. Explain in your networking follow-up email to the recipient the purpose for reaching out, the value you provide, how you can help them, and why your relationship can be mutually profitable. For example, you can offer to put them in touch with someone you know or do a collaboration.

6. Schedule a meeting or make another clear CTA.

Arranging a meeting is an effective way to continue the conversation and get results. Offer to continue your talk at the event to learn more about the prospect or partner and their needs. Suggest that your new contact add a convenient date to your calendar for a new business conversation.

This stage is perhaps on top of the most important in a follow-up email. Therefore, clearly state the requested actions or next steps that the prospect should take. Provide them with a clear call to action that aligns with your company’s goal.

7. Say thank you at the end of your email.

Remember, regardless of the purpose of your follow-up contact, you should always express your appreciation for the time your prospect has taken to do so. This simple point goes a long way toward maintaining goodwill.

8. Add a professional signature to your email.

Adding a proper signature in a follow-up email after a networking event is important to convey the necessary contact information to a potential partner. That is, if you suddenly forget to share your business card with them at the meeting, they will see everything they need in your signature. Provide your headshot, full name, title, company name, phone number, and all relevant links to social media or websites that will ensure that you can be contacted.

9. Follow up again.

If you haven’t heard back from them after a few days, this is a perfectly normal situation, consider sending a follow-up email, make it short and polite, and don’t push your ideas too hard. Just say that it was a pleasure to meet them and you look forward to further communication. Even if they don’t respond, you always have the option to contact them in the future and try to make contact again.

10. Make sure to check your follow-up email performance before sending.

Make it a habit to regularly test your email deliverability at the stage of creating your campaign, not after you’ve sent it. This simple step will ensure that more customers see your offer in their inboxes. After all, it’s disappointing when your planned message ends up in the spam folder without you even being aware of it. The accurate and reliable Inbox insight tool will help you quickly find out all the key performance indicators of your email, get 2 free tests via the link below, and improve your results today!

Networking Event Follow-Up Email Examples and Templates

Save these good examples of successful follow-up emails and feel free to use them in your practice.

1. Potential Partnership Opportunities Follow-Up Email After Networking Template:

Subject Line: Let’s Start Cooperating, [Recipient’s Name] – From [Event Name] at [Place]

Dear [Recipient's Name],

I hope this email finds you well. I'm [Your Name], [Your Position] at [Your Company]. It was a pleasure connecting with you at [Event Name] and discussing [topic discussed]. Your ideas have inspired me to explore potential opportunities for cooperation between our companies [briefly mention the idea and benefits of future partnership].

I would like to talk more about this. Can we arrange a meeting at a time that is suitable for you? You can specify a convenient date in the calendar.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

2. Networking Follow-Up Email to Invite to an Online Meeting Sample.

Subject Line: Schedule a Quick Online Meeting, [Recipient’s Name]? Following Up from [Event Name] at [Place]

Dear [Recipient's Name],

I hope you're doing well since we met at [Event Name]. I'm [Your Name], [Your Position] at [Your Company]. It was great connecting with you and discussing [common interests]. I'd like to explore our conversation further and talk about potential collaboration opportunities.

Can we schedule a quick online meeting at your convenience? I think it would be helpful to share ideas together.

Let me know if you are interested. Looking forward to discussing the details.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

3. Follow-Up Invitation Email After a Networking Event Example:

Subject Line: Let’s Continue Our Conversation, [Recipient’s Name] – Following Up from [Event Name] at [Place]

Dear [Recipient's Name],

I hope you're doing well since the meeting at [Event Name]. It is [Your Name], [Your Position] at [Your Company]. I truly enjoyed our discussion about [topic discussed], and I believe we have the potential for further cooperation.

Would you like to talk further next week? I'd love to delve deeper into our conversation and explore ways we can support each other.

Looking forward to your response.

Kind regards,

[Your Name]

Also, check out our article on the role of follow-up emails in email marketing, where you’ll find interesting examples for different situations.