How do I Best Make Sure the People with Whom I Networked with at an Event will Return my Calls or Emails?

You can’t control other people’s behaviors; however, you can significantly improve your chances of influencing the outcomes you seek. When it comes to getting people to return your calls/emails it’s more about how you have positioned these relationships. Unfortunately, most people don’t do things unless they benefit from it, so the key is to think of something you can do that can benefit THEM so they WANT to reach out to you.

To improve your chance of them contacting you, steer the conversation toward an action that they say they are going to do, like give you a call. Then, ask a follow up question like “when can I expect your call?” By asking that it will get them to add to their plans that they should contact you, and will reinforce to them that they have to follow through—as there is now a timeline.

Make sure to offer a reasonable actionable request. Be very clear about what the conversation will be about and why they should return your call. As my friend Steve Sims (who I interviewed on my podcast) likes to say, “Be easy to understand and impossible to be misunderstood.” When you are straightforward with people, it’s simple for them to get back to you as they know exactly what you want and what they stand to gain from your relationship.

The NetWorkWise philosophy summarizes it best as we emphasize adding value to relationships by finding out what you can do for other people. This makes them want to have a connection with you and guarantees that they will keep in contact.

Make it a great day and remember to always NetWorkWise