From Business Cards to Business Relationships: Personal Branding and Profitable Networking Made Easy, 2nd Edition

The majority of your follow-ups will include a traditional e-mail or phone call. From there, depending on the mini-bond and your philosophy for online networking, you would want to connect online as well.

General Contacts and Follow-up

Any communication with this group is about strengthening the connection in hopes of eventually moving them to the connector or target-market category.

A common error that occurs is people follow up with casual general contacts with the same gusto as if they were connector or target-market contacts—for example, trying to send a sales or referral e-mail rather than a “look forward to seeing you again” e-mail. Here's an example of a follow-up e-mail modeled after this detrimental, albeit far-too-common, approach:

“It was great to meet you last night. I am attaching my marketing materials. If you happen to know anyone who needs my services, I would appreciate any referrals you could send my way. Likewise, if I hear of anyone looking for an (insert profession here) I will be happy to send them to you.”

Really? Why would you be happy to do this? On what grounds are you basing the single greatest business compliment ever—the act of sending someone a referral?

Those who send and receive referrals know it happens naturally once a certain level of comfort and trust is established in relationships. Most importantly, on what grounds do you feel you have the right to ask this new acquaintance to refer you to others?

This technique reminds me of the relationship ...