Importance of Nurturing Connections

Networking isn't just about making initial connections; it's about nurturing and maintaining those connections over time.

Follow-up and follow-through are critical components of effective networking strategies, allowing you to deepen relationships, foster trust, and unlock new opportunities in your project management career.

Think about a time that you met a new person at work, at a conference, or an event. You really enjoyed your conversation with them, and felt an instant genuine connection. They offered some assistance or a potential collaboration. They were excited to continue the relationship and conversation with you. You exchanged contact information and promised to follow-up. Then after the promised time-frame for follow-up and after you attempted to follow-up, you hear nothing from them. They ghosted you. Any trust and relationship currency they built with you is somewhat damaged.

Following up with new contacts after networking events or meetings is essential for several reasons:

Demonstrates Professionalism - Following up promptly demonstrates professionalism and courtesy, showing that you value the connection and are committed to building a meaningful relationship. Don't ghost people.

Strengthens Relationships - Promptly following up allows you to continue the conversation, share additional insights or resources, and deepen the connection with your new contact. It reinforces your initial interaction and lays the groundwork for future collaboration or engagement.

Keeps You Top of Mind - Regular follow-up helps you stay top of mind with your network contacts, ensuring that they remember you and consider you for relevant opportunities or referrals in the future. You've probably heard the saying "out of sight, out of mind". Stay on their mind.

Here are some tips for crafting effective follow-up messages after networking events:

Be Timely - Follow up with new contacts within a few days of your initial interaction while the conversation is still fresh in their minds. Try to do this within the first week of the event that you attended.

Personalize Your Message: Tailor your follow-up message to each person you met, referencing specific topics or insights discussed during your conversation. Personalization demonstrates sincerity and reinforces the connection! It will make it much easier for them to remember you from the large number of people they may have met during an event.

Express Gratitude: Start your follow-up message by expressing gratitude for the opportunity to connect and engage in meaningful conversation. A simple thank-you goes a long way in building a relationship.

Provide Value: Always, always offer something of value in a networking relationship. If you always take and never give back, you will look greedy and selfish. Providing value and assistance to someone else demonstrates you care, your expertise, and reinforces your credibility.

Propose Next Steps: Clearly articulate your intentions or propose next steps for further engagement, such as scheduling a follow-up meeting, exchanging contact information, or exploring potential collaboration opportunities. Think about it as a call-to-action, but craft it as a soft-sell or ask, especially if you are trying to sell them a service or product.

Do you have a list of people that you should follow-up with from networking events you have recently attended? Take this opportunity to create a list of those individuals and reach out. You never know where those connections may lead!

Professional Networking Tool Template

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About the Author

Lori Schoenhard is the Founder and Principal of Athena Project Consulting, LLC.

Lori possess two decades of IT leadership expertise, building and leading Project Management Offices (PMO), managing complex global enterprise programs across cross-functional teams, spearheading change management initiatives, and providing coaching to program and project managers. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies, SaaS companies, digital agencies, and SMBs to deliver impactful results.

Lori holds several project management and industry certifications: PMP, CSM, CSPO, SAFe, ITIL. Lori holds a Masters Degree from Boston University in Computer Information Systems and IT Project Management.