Networking can accelerate your career, land you lucrative business deals, and help secure that dream job. However, only 50% of your work is done at networking events. Most of the heavyweight is taken up for the follow-up thank you email after networking events. This is where you further introduce yourself and establish a connection.
What is a thank you email after networking? When is it required?
A thank you email after networking is a document you write after a networking event to follow up with the contact. The ideal time to send this email is soon after the event. Maintaining this timeline will help you connect better with your acquaintance while you are still fresh in their minds.
Writing an effective email is important as you need to make them remember you out of all the people that attended the event. Therefore, it needs to be engaging, memorable, and above all, actionable. This article will help you write such a thank-you letter with tips and samples.
Tips to write an effective email
Writing an email can be tricky as it is. However, when it comes to writing a thank you email after networking, the need to get it right is heightened. Here are some tips to help you.
1. Focus on the subject line
The recipient of your email is most likely a busy professional. This means they have tons of emails to comb through. Thus, your email and its subject line should stand out and entice them. Moreover, it should definitely match the content of the email to avoid dismay and displeasure (click baits are to be avoided).
2. Keep it short and concise
With a busy schedule, people seldom have time for long emails. Therefore, do a favor on your email recipient and keep the body short and concise. Choose to be direct about your content rather than beating around the bush. Doing so gives the email a professional tone and can impress your recipient.
3. Keep it professional
The person you are writing to may be your close friend or colleague. However, you are writing a professional document. Hence, it is always better to keep the content and its tone professional and formal. It is advisable to avoid any casual references or usages in your thank you email after networking.
4. Be specific
Specificity is appreciated in any thank you email. Don’t litter the email with endless thank-yous without explaining what you are grateful for. It is good practice to mention exactly what the recipient said or did that helped you. This shows that you are sincere and are not brownnosing.
5. Continue to the contact
While it is not advisable to be pushy about meeting after a networking event, do leave an actionable line in your email. This can be any action that leads to continuing the connection; be it social media (LinkedIn) or a quick phone call or meeting.
6. Personalize it
Most professionals who attend networking events probably get tons of such thank you emails in their inboxes. Therefore, they can spot it when you have directly copied a template. Do yourself a favor by personalizing the letter and better yet, writing it from scratch. Doing so shows that you are serious about the connection request.
7. Be timely
Like most things in life, the right time matters when writing a thank you letter too. As mentioned earlier, the ideal time to write this letter is soon after a networking event. Delaying sending the email will likely result in them forgetting all about you.
8. Proofread
Finally, when you are done writing the email, make sure to proofread what you wrote. Professionals would never appreciate an erroneous email. Therefore, make sure to use the Grammarly plug-in or any other grammar checking software to ensure correctness. Some of these tools also analyze the tone of your email content and suggest changes to get the right tone.
The basic format for thank you email after networking
Here is a basic format to follow for your thank you email after networking.
Subject: Have you tried [tool name] for [enter the problem]
Hi [First Name],
Hope you are doing well. It was wonderful to meet you at [event name]. I’m grateful for the insight you gave me into the [name of field] field. I hadn’t realized that [professionals in the field] faced this issue. I researched more about what you said, and I think I figured out a solution for your problem. Have you tried [your recommendation] for your team?
I use the tool for other purposes in my company, and it has given me wonderful results. I think it can help solve your problem by
[state your reasons in points]
Would you like to discuss this over a meeting or a call? I could explain how [tool name] works and how you can leverage that for your team. We can set this meeting if you are interested or I can refer you to my contact who is well-versed with [tool name].
Once again, it was a pleasure meeting you at [event name]. I hope to see you again and share more such industry insights.
Signature
Samples for thank you email after networking
1. Thank you email after networking
Subject: I have more questions. Can you answer them?
Hi [First Name],
Hope this email finds you well. It was wonderful to connect with you at [event name]. I was looking for someone within the [name of the industry] industry to explain how [name of the job] works and what work the position entails. Thank you for patiently answering my questions and explaining them to me.
I read more about the [name of the job] and realized I wanted to pursue a career as a [professional in the job- ex: editor, engineer, etc]. Post my research, I seem to have more questions about how to get started in the field. I would like to discuss them with you through a call or a meeting. Is that something you would be comfortable with? Let me know.
If you can connect me with a contact that can help in my journey, that would be great too. Once again, I’m grateful for the insights you shared at [event name]. I hope to see you again.
Signature
2. Thank you email for an introduction
Subject: Can you introduce me?
Hi [First Name],
Hope you are doing well. I am glad to have connected with you at the [event name]. I would like to sincerely thank you for talking to me yesterday. Because of you, I was able to learn more about [field name] and my options within the industry. I now know I want to pursue a career in [field name].
As suggested by you, I am working on updating my resume and upskilling myself to be more suitable for [name of the job] roles. In addition, I am also looking at talking to more people in the field to know more about the role and its qualifications. Considering how you are a [field name] professional, I was wondering if you could introduce me to a hiring manager or a fellow [professional in the job- ex: editor, engineer, etc].
I understand you have a busy schedule. Please let me know what I can do to make the introduction process easier. Once again, I’m glad we connected at [event name]. I hope to hear from you soon.
Signature
3. Thank you email for feedback
Subject: Would appreciate your feedback on [project name]
Hi [First Name],
It was wonderful meeting you at [event name]. I am glad we were able to connect and share insights. I think your experience and influence in the industry is in alignment with a project I have been working on. Would you like to look at [project name] and share your thoughts?
I realize that you must have other engagements and commitments. But could you take some time to review [project name]? I would really appreciate your inputs on this project. In particular, I would like your feedback on the following areas:
[List the areas in bullet points]
Since you have a busy schedule, perhaps we can discuss this real quick over a meeting or a call. Is this something you would like to do? Please let me know.
Once again, I’m grateful for your great insights at [event name]. Thanks in advance for your time and input.
Signature
4. Thank you email for setting up a meeting
Subject: Free for lunch/coffee?
Hi [First Name],
Hope you are doing well. I enjoyed connecting with you at [event name]. It was wonderful to learn more about your company and what it does. Being a [your role], your work really interests me. I would really like to know more, as I have some questions that I wasn’t able to ask during the event.
I realize you have a busy schedule as you mentioned during our conversation. However, I thought I would try my luck and ask you for a meeting to continue our discussion. I believe this discussion can help both of us learn more about our respective professions and the work we do. At least, personally, it would really help cater to clients from your field better. So, would you be free for a coffee or lunch on Thursday at [time]?
Once again, I am glad we connected during the [event name]. I hope to hear from you soon and meet you again.
Signature
5. Thank you email with a promotion
Subject: I believe [company name] can help boost your sales
Hi [First Name],
Hope you are doing well. It was wonderful connecting with you at [event name] and knowing more about your company. I went back and checked your website and profile and I found a hole in your marketing strategies. It is a small thing but something that can and I believe is already affecting your sales. I think your website could use more creative content and my team at [company name] can help with that.
We are a creative content agency and offer bespoke services to our clients. I think our tailored services can help your company solve the sales problem it is facing currently. I believe you were looking for a solution for this problem and here’s why I think we can help:
1. We offer specific services for each client; we will conduct thorough research about you and your competitors before offering solutions that work.
2. Our services have shown to increase sales and conversion by [enter the metric]% for our clientele, which includes [enter one or two client names].
I understand you have a busy schedule and I wouldn’t want to take too much of your time with a long email. Instead, can we connect over a call to discuss exactly how [company name] can help your business?
Signature
6. Thank you email after a referral
Subject: Thank you for a great referral
Hi [First Name],
Hope you are doing well! I am glad we were able to connect during [event name]. It was great to know more about the HR world and how it works. I would really like to thank you for your referral during our conversation. I went back and looked at [name of the candidate]’s resume and profile and I believe he will be a great fit for our team.
I would like to let you know that we have set up an interview with him/her to know more about his / her experience and skills. I’m grateful for this reference. I was wondering if you would have more such referrals? I am currently looking for more candidates in the following roles:
[List the roles in bullet points]
I was impressed by your initial reference and would love to see if you have more such candidates for me. If this is an independent service you would like to do for my company, that is possible, as well. I really would like to discuss this more over a call or an in-person meeting. I understand you have a busy schedule, but could you take out a few minutes to further discuss this?
Once again, I’m glad we could connect at [event name]. I hope to hear from you soon.
Signature
