Nirel Matsil
You’re standing in the center of one of the biggest and busiest business conferences. You know that if you meet the right people and say the right words, then big things can happen for you and your company, and each one of those precious people circling around you is a walking breathing connector; Each person has the potential to help you get where you want to be, so you better put on your ‘A Game’ and show them what you’ve got!
There’s only one problem with this logic; it’s wrong! Nobody actually wants to see what you’ve got… As Maya Angelou famously stated, ”People don’t remember what you said, but they absolutely remember how you made them feel.”
And to do that, you have to be more than charismatic, you have to learn about this individual and make them feel just a little bit more special than a stranger. And afterwards, you must send a killer follow up!
And this Killer Follow Up is VIDEO!
Think about it, networking isn’t about making rounds and racking up piles of business cards, phone numbers and Linkedin connections, only to reach out to your new buddies for favors. It’s about forging mutually beneficial relationships. It’s about establishing a line of communication.
Video puts you face to face again.
And in case you didn’t make that amazing first impression (you forgot to shake hands or ask a question or hold eye contact for 5 seconds…) this is your chance to make it up!
IMPRESS THEM IN THE FOLLOW UP with a VIDEO! (Sample Video Template Below)
VIDEOS work – They are personal, they are engaging and most importantly, they have been proven effective.
- People love watching videos! 6 Billion hours of online video are watched each month
- It is the newest way to communicate Face-to-Face, 17.8% of customer testimonials are now in video form!
- The use of video in email marketing has increased click-through rates by 55%
So, How Do I Create this Quick and Easy video Response?
1. Make a 15-60 second video message with your mobile phone.
This will absolutely blow their mind. Why because NOBODY does this , other than Gary Vaynerchuck, and a few other master marketers…
Start it off by saying, “It was great meeting you at [insert event] How are you!? I thought I’d send a quick thank you in person because you really made an impression on me…”
2. Get Personal!
When re-connecting, always reference a funny or personal part of your conversation ….Did your new contacts leave early to go to their son’s baseball game? Did they mention that they were allergic to shellfish? Did they arrive from Miami?
The next Sentence could be something like…
“ Did you hear about the upcoming [Name of industry conference/event], it would be great to meet up again! I hope you get an aisle seat on your next flight from Miami! Or I remember you were running to your son’s baseball game, so how’d he do?”
Memory trick: always add a nickname or personal fact about the contact immediately after meeting them so the follow up is easy, breezy and you don’t have to rely on vague memory.
3. DO NOT ask for anything.
Jeez, you just met! Don’t ask for a favor at this point;Instead offer something valuable. This can be as easy as giving feedback about the conference you attended (adding a cool, helpful fact you learned), telling them about an upcoming conference/event, or even talk about Appreciation, “I come across a lot of marketers and meeting you was way fun, and refreshing, so I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate these rare encounters!”
4. End it with a simple goodbye or quip
“I expect a video back! just kidding,” Smile and it’s over.
How should I send the video?
There are many ways to post a video. Send the video as an mp4 or post it to Youtube as unlisted or private. You can also add a static video image (screenshot) that links to a video hosting platform such as Wistia!
But I feel Awkward sending a Video!? What Else can I do?
Vlogs, and video rule Facebook Twitter Instagram and Email, so sending a video is not so much awkward as it is cool. But, if you still feel awkward you can create something so awesome and unique, your contact’s Jaw will drop ;Create an animated video, where the character (or a ‘Mini-Me’ cartoon version of yourself) talks directly to your contact.
Here is an example of an animated email vide using our ‘Resume Template’ and it took me less than 10 minutes to make:
How awesome would that be to meet a random guy or gal at the conference and get a 30 second follow up video- directly made for you!? That is exactly how to become a top networker using only one Simple Trick.I would love to hear how this trick worked out for you! If you have any other Follow Up hacks, let us know in the the comments below!
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