What is the Best Way to Follow Up with Someone after Meeting them at an Event?

As the old saying goes, “The fortune is in the follow up”. And it’s great you’re thinking about this because not many people actually do it or make the effort to learn the appropriate steps to take. Following through actually helps you stand out! And here are a few things to keep in mind for your follow up:

• It’s good practice to reach out to your new connection within 24 hours of meeting—give a call, send an email, text, or private message.
• Whether it’s over the phone or in a note, keep it brief and to the point. Offer a reminder and touch on a topic you discussed and how beneficial you found the discussion. For ex: “It was great meeting you yesterday at the ABC Networking Event. I appreciate your insights regarding the plan I’m working on and walked away even more motivated about my future projects. I’ve already implemented your time management advice and it’s worked wonders!”
• Talk about any next steps and invite them to connect on LinkedIn. Keep in mind it’s all about reciprocity! And focus on the value you can provide to them. For ex: “As I mentioned I’d like to put you in touch with my cousin who is an interior designer and I’m sure can assist with your home remodeling questions. I’ll follow up in a separate email and make an introduction. In the meantime, I’d like to keep in touch and invite you to connect on LinkedIn.” (and include your profile link)
• When you end it, use a closing such as “Sincerely” or my favorite is “Make it a great day!”

Here are a few more factors to consider for your follow up repertoire:

What did you talk about? Write down details about your conversation to help you remember it. Try to do this within a day of your meeting while it’s still fresh in your mind. Keep track of information like, what did you discover about them? Did you talk about goals and ambitions? Or a current work project? Or maybe they just celebrated a birthday and went on a great trip? Keep notes for easy reference.

What’s your goal in connecting with them? Can you put them in touch with the hiring manager at their dream company? Do they have the potential to be your mentor? Or would they make a great addition to your monthly book club? You don’t always necessarily need a specific purpose, but if you have the opportunity to offer value to a situation, it helps to instill trust and credibility with your new connection.

How did you leave it? You had a great conversation that flowed and was really insightful. What did you say in the end? Hopefully you talked about any next steps. For instance, did you tell them you will facilitate an introduction to that hiring manager? Or will you set up a date to grab coffee and discuss a possible mentorship? Of course, it’s fine if you just shook hands and went your own way; this gives you an opportunity to address next steps in your follow up, as we just discussed. But no matter what, ALWAYS follow through on your promises.

I highly recommend our online training course Conference/Event Playbook: Maximize a Networking Event Like a Pro. You’ll be provided with resources, templates, and a roadmap to take a lot of the guesswork out of how to follow up successfully while learning the right strategies for making the best use of your time at an event or social gathering.

Make it a great day and remember to always NetWorkWise.

This article originally appeared on Quora.