This is the blog transcript of our video “How to Follow Up On a 1 on 1 Meeting”. If you’d like to see more of our videos, you can subscribe to our YouTube channel here.
That was a great meeting – I’m really looking forward to the next one!
You might say it…but do you mean it?
Hey everyone, I’m Ian Campbell, CEO of Mission Suite. Before we jump into today’s video, do me a favor and hit the subscribe button and ring the bell so that you’re notified whenever we post new videos.
1 on 1 meetings are great.
They’re a great way to follow up on networking events, they’re a great way to keep in touch with your referral network, and they’re a great way to find new leads for your business.
The thing is, though, all of that only happens if you actually follow up.
As you start to grow your network, you’ll notice that there are a fair amount of people who are active networkers, but they’re actually pretty lousy at it. They don’t follow through on introductions that they say they’ll make, they never reach back out to get together again, and, even when they do, they talk all about themselves…or worse, they spend the whole time trying to just pitch you on their business.
So how do you avoid becoming another networking blunder that the rest of us talk about behind your back?
Well, it all comes down to your follow up.
Last time, we talked about the fact that the networking event is just step one in your business building process. The 1 on 1 meeting is step two, but there are probably going to be plenty of other steps that you have to take before your business really grows.
So what’s the next step?
Well, let’s dive into that now.
I’ve said it time and time again that the secret to networking is follow up.
And that goes for your 1 on 1 networking meetings as well.
Any time you go to a networking meeting, there should be some sort of a follow up attached to it.
If you don’t have anything to follow up on, how good was that meeting really?
But whether your follow ups are introductions that you need to make, resources that you talked about during your meeting, another event you said you’d forward on, introductions you need to remind them to make, the list can go on and on.
These are things that you talked about doing and said that you would actually do.
So do them.
You’d be surprised at how much that can help you stand out from the other folks that this person is meeting with.
There are tons of people out there who talk a big game, say that they’ll do all sorts of things to follow up with you, but when push comes to shove, they never actually do it.
If you really want to end up getting referrals from this person, you better make sure that you actually do what you say you’ll do and follow through.
There’s no excuse not to.
If I have access to my email during the meeting, I like to create an email draft right then and there while we’re having a conversation. That way, when I’m wondering why I have so many drafts in my draft folder, I’m able to go check it out and finish up the introductions that I said that I’d make (or whatever the follow up action was).
Whatever works best for you, just make sure that you follow through with what you’ve told them you’d do. It’s going to make a huge difference.
Send a Thank You
This is old school, and it’s a well respected follow up method because it really makes you stand out.
And if you want to REALLY stand out, try sending off a hand written thank you note.
I’ve been networking professionally for years and I can count the number of people who have actually followed up with a simple “thank you” after a meeting.
I can count on one hand the number of people who have done so with a hand written note!
If you want to stand out and make sure that people remember you, give it a shot.
It’ll solidify your presence in their mind (at least for a short time), and it gives you another touch point with them.
Handwritten notes seem to have become a lost art. Do you ever write handwritten notes to the people that you’re networking with?
If you do, let us know in the comments and, while you’re there, be sure to give this video a like and subscribe if you haven’t yet!
Try to find one or two introductions you can make for them
Yes, you may have introduced them to one or more people after your meeting, but if you can find another person (or more) to introduce them to in between your first meeting and the next time you talk to them, you’ll look like a rockstar.
Networking is all about finding valuable connections for you in your business, so if you can help that person do that, it’s a simple way to provide big value and let them see just how valuable you can be.
This is where those questions that I talked about in my last video about 1 on 1 meetings comes into play. You need to know who their ideal referral partners are.
Chances are you won’t be able to find a prospective client for them before the next time you see them – it’s possible, but the odds are slim.
That said, if you’re networking, I can almost guarantee you that you’re talking to or connecting with people who fit their ideal referral partner profile.
Make a point to go out and find those ideal referral partners and make those introductions.
People refer to people that they know, like, and trust. What better way to get someone to like you than to start sending them people who could lead to business?
Finally make sure that you decide how frequently you want to meet.
It’s incredibly rare that one meeting will lead to any referrals. Again, people refer business to those that they know, like, and trust.
Most people can’t get to the like and trust point after one meeting.
It’ll happen from time to time, but don’t count on it.
This is where your referral bench will come in really handy. I’ve talked about The Referral Bench many times here on YouTube, and give webinars on the topic regularly.
If you haven’t seen one of the Referral Bench webinars yet, you should absolutely check out the link in the description of this video and register for it.
Building a referral network takes time and attention. And usually takes multiple meetings.
After you meet with someone who you think might be a good person to network with, decide how frequently you want to make sure you’re getting together and make sure you’re reaching out to them to do so.
Personally, I like to start new relationships on a once every three months timeline. That’s often enough to stay in mind, but not so often that it scares away new potential referral relationships.
There are certain folks that I’ve connected with who I know could be great partners and so we get together once every month or so, but typically you have to work up to that kind of frequency.
Whatever you decide, just make sure you’re connecting with those people regularly and consistently. If you want to build the business, you’ve gotta put the work in.
But look at the bright side, you’re just getting coffee or a meal…it’s not like you’re cold calling or anything.
As I mentioned earlier, consistency is key to your referral follow ups. You have to make sure that you’re actually reaching out to people to reconnect on a regular basis if you really expect business to come from it.
Mission Suite has a great automation system built into it to help you make sure that your outreach happens when you want it to and takes the human error out of it.
Check out the description of this video and you’ll see where you can register for a demo of Mission Suite and see how it can help you grow your business!
Hey I hope you got something out of this video. And if you did, go ahead and give it a thumbs up and maybe a share so that others can see it too. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell so that you’re notified whenever we post new videos and while you’re at it, check out these videos too!
We’ll see you next time around!