The connections and networking that takes place during your meetings are very important. Whether the meeting is thirty minutes or two hours, it will always be in your best interest to follow up after a meeting, making the connection you created stronger. The easiest and best way to do this is by sending a follow-up email.
Why an email and not a phone call? Emails are the best option due to how fast, cheap, and easily accessible they are. You can easily attach documents, files, photos, spreadsheets, etc. to an email and send them to multiple people.
Now, I’m sure you’re wondering, what all needs to go in your follow up email? You’re also probably wondering, when do I send the email? The best time to send the email is within 24 hours post-meeting. Immediacy is very important here. Following up faster than 24 hours is even better. At that time, you will typically be fresh on their mind.
What are you trying to do?
First and foremost, your email is going to need a clear goal or objective. You want to have a general idea of what you’re going to say. Are you going to agree to the terms you discussed? Are you asking what the next steps are? Are you declining an offer? These are just a few examples of possible goals or objectives. Having an objective prior to writing will help you form the email smoothly. Think of it as an outline for your old college papers or business start-up plan.
More often than not, the following steps have probably been assigned. This list can include, but is not limited to, sending documents, making changes, etc. If you’ve done a good job of taking notes, you should know how to plan accordingly for what’s being asked of you. You also should include a brief recap for absent stakeholders in-case the email is forwarded.
Don’t waste time
Secondly, you want to keep the email brief but informative. Be mindful of the reader’s time. All you need is a proper greeting to open up your email. Sure, the details of the meeting matters, but be sure to keep it light and informative.
State the facts
Thirdly, be sure to list the benefits of working with you and or your team. People don’t care about what you’ve done if there is no productivity and positive results behind it. A few examples of this would be, “Your clients will love our product, and it will boost your sales by 25 percent.” “I was able to help my old company increase sales ten percent higher than their yearly average.”
These are the three key components for writing an effective follow-up email after a meeting. Take them, use them, and succeed.
