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How to Send a Networking Email That Will Get You a Quick Response

3 minute read

Following up is critical to making a meaningful connection with just about everyone.

Especially when it comes to business.

In her Ultimate Guide to Meeting People at Events, business and publicity strategist Selena Soo writes that it’s on you to connect with your new acquaintance beyond the initial meeting at a conference or event.

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She should know: After discovering the world of online entrepreneurship while working for a nonprofit she knew wasn’t the right fit, she started looking for ways she could help the entrepreneurs and influencers she followed. She turned her talent for helping and connecting people into her own business, which now brings in over $300,000 a year.

“Remember — the person you’ve just met is busy just like you,” she writes. “Keep your follow-up email simple and thoughtful.”

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She provides the following template anyone can use:

Hi [Name],

It was great meeting you at [event name].

[Share something specific you discussed, such as a current project or something in their personal life — like, “I loved hearing about the e-book you’re writing.”]

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[Offer value — share an idea that could be useful to them, or connect them to a person or resource.]

[Wrap the email up. For example: “I look forward to staying in touch!” or “I hope to see you at next month’s networking event.”]

[Sign off — i.e., “Warmly, Miranda”]

[Include your signature, including your website and links to social media.]

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In it, she’s used the three rules of follow-ups she shares in the guide. In her words, those are:

  • “Follow up on things you know the person is interested in based on your conversation with them. (For example, a book you talked about, a video or interview you think they’d find interesting.)”
  • “Don’t ask, ‘How are you doing?’ in the follow-up email. (You don’t want to make a busy person explain what’s happening in her life.)”
  • “Don’t ask for big favors right away. (You’re still developing the relationship.)”
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    For more tips to get more out of any networking event, download the free Ultimate Guide to Meeting People at Events.

    This article originally appeared on BusinessInsider.com

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