Even (and especially) if you have hosted a near-perfect event, your work doesn't stop after the last guests leave. Success is all about the follow-up.
To understand the most effective ways to get your guests talking, we asked 10 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question.
Q. What is the best way to follow up with attendees after I host a business event?
1. Include Contact Info From Attendees
When I host small-scale, intimate business mixers, I always send an email to every one of the attendees the next day. In the email I include a picture of the guests' business cards as well as their preferred mode of contact. It takes a little bit of time to put together, but everyone is always grateful and impressed. It's an awesome way to make the following-up process easier for your guests! – Joe Apfelbaum, Ajax Union
2. Be Proactive
Event attendance is really just an introduction; it’s still up to you to build that relationship. I believe the best way to continue the conversation is to connect on LinkedIn and follow up with a personal email. – Basha Rubin, Priori Legal
3. Have a Purpose
After hosting a business event, the best way to follow up is by having a clear purpose. Whether via email, hand-written thank you card, or phone call, have a goal in mind when you follow up. This could be making a direct ask, it could be making an introduction to someone else, or by providing them with a small gift. The key is to add value. – Antonio Neves, THINQACTION
4. Ask for Quotes
A great way to engage attendees after an event is to write an in-depth recap of the event. This recap can include lessons learned and experiences shared. Ask 5 to 10 of the attendees for quotes and include those in the article. Once you've completed the article and published it, send an email out to the attendees with a link to the article. – Kelsey Meyer, Influence & Co.
5. Offer to Connect Them to Each other
One of the best ways I've seen hosts of business events follow up is by offering to connect their attendees. Hosts who make intros after events take pressure off of attendees to swap cards and contact details. Of course, hosts should have attendees opt-in before making intros, but this kind of follow-up not only creates a personal touch, it also shows the event's value long after leaving the venue. – Doreen Bloch, Poshly Inc.
6. Follow Up That Night
I am the guy that emails you a personal message the night I get home from a business event (especially the people I really want to connect with). Be that guy. There are some who might find that annoying, but I typically always get what I want. I also have stronger connections with people, as they always remember me. A week later nobody remembers who you are. – John Rampton, Host
7. Send Emails to Most and Paper Notes to a Few
Follow up via email to most of your attendees: the ones you met for the first time and the ones you don't know very well. Then, to keep your ties to your network strong and to show you really care, write handwritten notes to your VIPs. It's the extra mile like this that pushes you ahead. – Rob Fulton, Exponential Black
8. Connect on Social Media
A multi-channel approach to networking is critical in today's day and age where inbox zero is consistently a moving target. Most businesspeople are now active on social networks and might be more responsive there, where you can skip formalities and get straight to the point, or simply joke around. – Firas Kittaneh, Amerisleep
9. Pick Up the Phone
It's too easy for an email to get lost in the shuffle. It's far superior to personally call each attendee in order to firm up the relationship. – Josh Weiss, Bluegala
10. Stay Organized That Night
If you have a lot of people at your event, people can start to blend together and you might not remember each and every person. The more organized you are with the information you collect before and during the event, the easier it will be to follow up in a personal way afterwards. – Sean Ogle, Location 180, LLC
RELATED: 15 Tips for Introverts Who Struggle at Networking Events
