What do you do after a networking meeting?

Most of my networking is done online, so aside from a mad dash to the loo and grabbing a cup of tea, I like to make the most of my networking meetings by doing these things straight after....

1. Email Intros. - During a meeting, other networkers often say who they are looking for to help in their business. I usually do a quick check and decide if I have anyone in my contacts list who might be able to help each other. I create a quick email introducing the two and leave it up to them to book in a chat or a 121.

2. 121's. When I first started networking I honestly thought 121's were a waste of my time... What was I going to get from a long chat with someone? (other than having a nice time) How wrong I was! Networking is all about building up relationships with people. So after each meeting I usually send out a couple of requests for 121's with new connections or people I haven't seen for ages.

3. Contact info - I've usually met several new faces during a meeting and if I rely on memory alone I never know where or when I met them. I like to keep all of my contacts organised in a CRM system so I know who they are, what they do, and where and when I met them. It doesn't matter how you do this - some people like to use excel or a special notebook.

I highly recommend going to a Networking Meeting - either online or in person. It's a great way to grow your business, connections and contacts. There are lots of different groups out there, so persevere and find the right one for you. Do come and find me on linkedin and I'll invite you along to one of the groups I attend online.