Haveo · How to follow up after meeting someone at a networking event
What to say in a coffee chat
You asked for it, so you run it. Open by saying what you are hoping to get out of it, ask three prepared questions, watch the clock yourself, and end on time even if it is going well. Ending early is what gets you a second one.
Open by naming the purpose
"Thanks for the time — I'm trying to work out whether to move into X, and you have done it, so mostly I want to hear how it actually went."
Thirty seconds. It stops them guessing what you want, which is the thing that makes these conversations drift.
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Bring three questions, not ten
"What does the work actually look like day to day?" "What did you not know before you made the move?" "What would make someone with my background a credible candidate?"
Three real questions fill twenty minutes easily, because good answers generate their own follow-ups.
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Do not ask them for a job
It converts a generous twenty minutes into an obligation, and it is the reason many people stop agreeing to these.
If you want them to think of you, the line at the end is: "if anything crosses your desk I'd appreciate a heads up." Once, no pressure.
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End it yourself, on time
At minute eighteen: "I said twenty minutes and I want to respect that — this was really useful." Then stop.
Nothing makes a second conversation more likely than visibly protecting their time in the first one.
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Send the thank-you the same day
Three lines. One specific thing you are going to do because of what they said. That last part is what makes them glad they did it.
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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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