Haveo · How to follow up after meeting someone at a networking event
What to do with the business cards
Before you sleep, photograph each card and write one line under it: where you met and one thing they said. A card on its own is a name and a job title, which is not enough to write a follow-up from — and that is why the pile never gets used.
The card is not the contact
Everyone keeps the cards and almost nobody writes the follow-up, and the reason is the same: by Tuesday the card means nothing.
The detail is the asset. The card is just where to send it.
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Do it the same night
In the taxi, on the train, standing outside. Photograph the card, add a line: "Leeds meetup, runs ops at the bakery, looking for a supplier."
Ten seconds each. It is the difference between eight contacts and eight pieces of card.
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Write on the card itself as you go
If you are the kind of person who will actually do it, one word on the back in the moment beats any system. It is also completely normal behavior at an event.
If writing on cards in front of people feels wrong, step away and use your phone.
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Then act on them within two days
Sort into two piles: worth a message, and not. Send the messages. Put the rest in your contacts and let them go.
A card you will not act on is not a contact, it is a reason to feel guilty in a month.
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If you have no cards of your own
It matters much less than it used to. Ask for theirs and follow up first — that puts you in control of whether anything happens, which is the better half of the exchange anyway.
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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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