The Creative Freelancer Conference is 21 days away! Imagine yourself at the CFC, you are well-stocked with business cards and taking notes on the ones you collect. Here comes the juicy part, and it’s all in the wrist: FOLLOW UP and FOLLOW THROUGH!
Here are my 3 tips for taking your connection to the next level:
- Set a doable date to follow through. Pick a date and schedule it! Send e-mails or call the folks you connected with within a week or two of the conference. There is also no better sign that you are sincere, committed to your business and interested in other solopreneurs’ growing their businesses.
- Thank them when you reach out. Tell them what was useful to you from your conversation with them. Did they inspire you or share a resource? Remember to remind them who you are and how you connected in the first place. Refer to the notes on your card. Take a moment, before you follow through, to look at their website and refresh your memory about who they are and why they are a good connection for you.
- Show&Share. A CFC blog reader made an excellent suggestion to ask folks to add them to your newsletter mailing list. Great idea! When you follow through, consider sending a post-conference update with what you learned. Send your favorite CFC photo or offer a tip. Make a point to ask them how their project(s) is going or what their latest accomplishment is.
So. . .how do you follow through? Do you have any tips for how to make the post-conference connect meaningful for you? Do you have a story of a great collaboration that came from a conference?
image by spitzgogo. Used under a Creative Commons license.
