These are the essential elements for creating an effective follow-up letter:
ΓÇó Send the follow-up letter within two to three days of meeting a new contact. People usually respond very well to immediate follow-up. Your letter will give your contact a good sense that your interest was genuine.
ΓÇó Use an informal and friendly tone, but keep it the tone of a peer. Use elements of your original meeting conversation to break the ice. This will help keep the relationship on the same footing on which it started.
ΓÇó Let your new contact know that your meeting was a real pleasure (in the first paragraph), making sure to mention the place and circumstances. This will jog the contact's memories and reinforce the meeting in his or her mind.
ΓÇó Mention (in the second paragraph) the ideas that arose during your meeting and that you are interesting in pursuing with the contact. This will show him or her that you are doing more than paying lip service with your letter. You will show the contact that you are continuing to think seriously about the ideas discussed. This is especially important if you are coming up with ideas to help the contact, perhaps via an invention or doing consulting work on a problem.
ΓÇó Also, in the second paragraph, indicate why you are interested in pursuing those ideas. Mention work you have done or are doing, which may have a bearing on the topic. Give
a little background on your developments may entice the contact into deepening the relationship or possibly giving you information on how both of you can work together on a future project.
ΓÇó In the third paragraph, suggest a possible follow-up meeting, letter or phone call. If you propose a meeting, call within seven days to schedule it.
ΓÇó Enclose materials for your contact to review, if the person was receptive to seeing your invention or business proposal. If they were stand-offish about business when you met them, they may be wanting to wait until they know you better. Don't send them a lot of heavy business proposals or invention paperwork until they are ready for it.
