No follow up=No Results! Start as you mean to go on

Did you know that a staggering 95% of jobseekers are estimated to fail in following up on their networking activities? After joining professional and trade clubs and associations, attending events and meetings at networking clubs, adding countless new contacts on business and social networking sites and collecting numerous business cards, they simply do…nothing.

I have been dwelling on the possible reasons for this, and there are only two reasonable explanations that I can come up with. The first is that they completely misunderstand the entire concept of networking and so expect their new contacts to ‘come up with the goods’ on their very first acquaintance. The second is that maybe they simply do not know how to follow up, or even who with. Perhaps the prospect of calling or dropping a note to someone they have just met feels in some way presumptuous or impertinent.

Okay, first myth first. To be quite blunt about it, anyone who expects a complete stranger to trust them sufficiently to refer them for a job on their first meeting is kidding themselves. Relationships born of networking require time to develop and should always come from the perspective of giving, never of taking. Follow-up is essential in that process of building trust and mutual respect and relationships with contacts should never be neglected until such time as you need them.

In terms of not knowing how to follow up, or who with, we will come to this in just a second, but not before clearing up the second myth. There is absolutely nothing rude or inappropriate about following up with someone who has willingly offered you his business card in a networking situation. The whole reason he gave it to you, was precisely so that you could contact him, and on the basis that 95% of people do not follow up in any way, if you do not communicate further with him, the relationship is simply going to shudder to a premature halt. Now there is a wasted opportunity if ever there was one!

Perhaps what scares some people off is that they imagine their follow-up has to involve some grand gesture, when in fact, after a first meeting, all it takes is a quick note, call or e-mail to say ‘Hi’, to express how nice it was to meet the individual and to invite him to contact you if he needs any help. You could also offer some specific help if this is appropriate. Remember to include the name of the event where you met, along with a mention of something that you discussed, so that your contact will be better able to place you.

Thereafter, there are a number of things that you can do, none of which are either onerous or time-consuming, to maintain communication and show your contacts that you are genuinely interested in their career goals and needs. Here are a few suggestions:

* Send them an article which will be of interest to them – send it through the post and include a handwritten note to make it seem extra special and have more impact

* Point them in the direction of a helpful website or a specific article or news story on the Internet

* Research other networking or industry events which might be relevant to your contacts and let them know when and where they are due to take place

* Write or talk about something that you have in common – this could be a professional topic or a personal one. Remember, the aim is to build the relationship

* Provide them with the contact details of someone who could be useful to them

* Personally introduce them, or refer them, to someone in your network

Another way to stay in touch is by providing a personal update on your job search activities and status. This is especially effective and important if they have done something which has helped you to achieve a positive result. Of course, under these circumstances, you would not only wish to update them, but to thank them. Your thanks are something that you should never be frugal with, and even if nothing comes of a piece of information, an introduction or a referral provided by a member of your network, it is important to show your appreciation anyway. A short, preferably handwritten, note is all it takes.

As to who to follow up with, the answer is, in the first instance, everybody. It does not matter whether you met the individual at a formal networking event or whether he was someone you got talking to about careers on a long bus journey, you cannot tell at such an early stage where the relationship might lead and so should always play it safe.

As there is no way to accurately assess a contact’s potential based on a single meeting, it is also important to try not to pass judgement too soon. The guy who spends the evening bragging about the extent of his network and the opportunities that he could put your way, may simply be full of hot air. The shy wallflower, however, could turn out to be both an excellent networker and an excellent contact who is far more open to building a solid and long-lasting relationship.

The other issue which many people who are new to networking, or just not very good at it, seem to have difficulty with, is knowing how often to communicate with their contacts. To some degree, this depends on how highly you rank them - whether you consider them to be highly credible professionals who have great potential for supporting your career aims, or whether they are somewhere lower down the scale. Generally speaking, however, you should aim to contact the higher ranking individuals at least one per month, and the rest at least once a quarter.

By following up your contacts, maintaining regular contact with them, and being a ‘giver’, your relationships will grow to be genuine, mutually beneficial and personally rewarding. Make sure that you are one of the 5%!

I am committed to providing people quick access to job search and career information. Over 20 years of experience in the HR and Career Coaching field has given me a vast amount of information and resources to share with you.