After the Event

So we attended an event of tables or booths with other business people telling us about whatever they were representing. What do we do after that event to follow up with whomever we had a conversation? What do the people who had tables or booths do after the event? We all spent considerable time, effort, and money either attending or having a table at the event. We should get some justification for our expense.

Unless we just want to be seen at an event, we need to get something back for our presence at any event. There is no prize for the person who brings home the most business cards from any event. The prize goes to the person who does the best follow up. We went to the event to either add to our prospects, customers, or networking partners. How do we accomplish that?

If we have a table or booth at an event, we collect business cards or other information from people who visit us there. To gain this information we offer a prize to the person whose name will be drawn. Everyone likes to wins stuff, but what do we do with the information later? How do we follow up?

What about those of us who attend an event and visit tables or booths hosted by various businesses? What about those of us who chat with other people walking the aisles of the event, exchanging business cards or other information? What should we do after the event?

I recently attended an event with various businesses and other organizations represented with tables of information. I had a very pleasant time chatting with the representatives at the tables and with other people in the aisles. I already knew some of the people, and I met several for the first time. I took away lots of information, either of the verbal type or in written form. As a consumer, some of the business interested me.

I have attempted to follow up with all of those with whom I spoke, especially the ones who have not been present at other mutually attended events since that evening. I have written and called every table representative that I met that evening, leaving multiple voicemail messages. To date only one has called me back, and one, on my second call, told me she was not interested in chatting with me and abruptly hung up.

I don’t propose that speaking with me would be the greatest happening in someone’s life. However, it is not who you meet but what happens in the follow up conversations that matters. What do we represent, who do we know, and how can we help each other is what matters. We all represent something that we would like to market, even if it is ourselves. What if we desire to become a customer of a business?

If we want to attract other people to be our networking partners, we must let others know who we are and what we are marketing. We may meet new prospects, customers, or just referral partners, all of who may help us be successful. If we don’t want what someone is marketing, maybe we know someone who will.

Don’t let the time, effort, and money we spend at an event go to waste. Follow up after the event and see if we can realize some positive results. After all why were we there? A successful business person works for positive return for their event investment. Please leave me your comments here, or email me at Jim@SOC4Now.com, or call me at 360-314-8691 to let me have your thoughts.