Haveo · Networking guides

How to follow up after meeting someone at a networking event

Send it within 48 hours, keep it to three sentences, and name one specific thing you talked about. Something like: "Hi Sam — good to meet you at the design meetup. Still thinking about what you said about hiring juniors. Would be good to stay in touch." That is the whole job.

Send it within 48 hours

The specific detail that makes a follow-up land is the one you forget first. Two days out you still remember the conversation; a week out you are sending a generic note, and generic notes read as transactional — which is exactly the reason most people never send one at all.

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The three-sentence shape

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What makes a follow-up feel impersonal

Templates that could have been sent to anyone, an ask in the first message, and flattery with no detail behind it. If your note would still make sense addressed to a different person, it is not a follow-up — it is a mass email.

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Write the note before you forget

Capture the detail while you are still there — a line in your phone as you leave. Haveo has this built in: save who you met, keep the one thing you talked about, and set your own reminder to send the message.

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Rehearse it before you walk in.

Haveo builds your intro, lets you practice out loud with an AI coach, and keeps your notes one tap away in the room. Free on iPhone and iPad.

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Common questions

Should I connect on LinkedIn or send an email?
Either, but always add a note. A bare connection request is the same as no follow-up. If you have their email and the conversation was substantial, email carries more weight.
What if I don't have a reason to follow up?
"Good to meet you, would be good to stay in touch" is a complete and sufficient reason. Not every message needs a purpose attached.
What if they don't reply?
Very often nothing is wrong — people are busy and inboxes are full. One follow-up is generous; a second, weeks later with something genuinely useful attached, is fine. Beyond that, let it go.
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