A networking follow-up is a short message sent within 24 to 48 hours of a conversation that reminds the person who you are, what you talked about, and proposes one specific next step. Most contacts from events fade not because they were weak, but because nobody wrote first. Below you will find the rules and seven templates you can copy.
If you host events, you can solve half the problem before it starts. In the SpeedNetworking app, every attendee can see after the event who they liked and who liked them, and mutual matches go out by email to people who agreed to receive them. The first step is done for your attendees, and you only need to send the message that starts the conversation.
Why the follow-up decides the value of the event
Five or seven minutes of conversation tells you whether someone is worth knowing. It does not build a relationship. A relationship starts when someone comes back to the topic. After a few days the details fade: the name, the company, the question that came up halfway through. That is why speed matters more than polished wording.
A good follow-up does three things: it restores context, offers something useful, and proposes one action. A bad one asks for "coffee and a chat about synergies" with no date, no goal, and no reason for the other person to reply.
Rules that work with every template
- Write fast. Same day or next day is ideal. After a week you start with an apology instead of content.
- One goal per message. One question or one proposal. Do not offer three options at once.
- Reference something specific. One sentence from the conversation ("you mentioned rolling out a CRM for your sales team") beats five polite phrases.
- Give something first. A link, an introduction, a short article, or an answer to a question that came up.
- Suggest a time. "Does Tuesday or Thursday after 2 pm work for 20 minutes?" is easier to accept than "let me know when you are free."
- Keep the subject line short. The event name plus the topic of your conversation is enough.
7 networking follow-up message templates
1. The same-day note (short)
Hi Anna, it's Michael from today's speed networking. We talked about automating proposals. Thanks for the sharp questions. I'll send you the tool I mentioned tomorrow. Enjoy your evening!
When to use it: the conversation was good but you do not yet know the next step. It keeps the connection warm and announces a more useful message to come.
2. The follow-up that brings value (article, link, introduction)
Hi Tom, coming back to our chat about hiring engineers. I found the roundup I mentioned: [link]. If it helps, tell me which part fits your situation best and I'll share what worked for us.
When to use it: you promised something during the conversation. Keeping a promise is the simplest way to earn trust.
3. The short call proposal
Hi Kate, I enjoyed your point about working with distributors. How about 20 minutes online next week to see if our companies have something in common? Does Tuesday or Thursday after 2 pm suit you?
When to use it: you see a concrete reason to work together. State the length of the call and offer two time slots.
4. The introduction request
Hi Peter, you mentioned you know the head of logistics at Company X. Would you be open to connecting us? I'll prepare a two-sentence blurb that is easy to forward.
When to use it: the conversation showed that the other person knows people you want to reach. Make it easy by supplying a ready-to-forward description.
5. The re-engagement note after a few weeks
Hi Martha, it has been a while since the event where we talked about B2B marketing. I'm reaching out because [reason: new project, article, change at your company]. Is this a good moment to pick the topic back up?
When to use it: you did not write fast enough. Admit that time has passed and give a fresh reason for getting in touch.
6. The LinkedIn connection note
Hi Jacob, great meeting you at yesterday's speed networking. I'm adding you because sales training is a topic worth continuing. Let me know if you'd like to swap materials.
When to use it: you exchanged profiles rather than email addresses. The invitation note has a character limit, so keep one sentence of context and one invitation.
7. The reply to a mutual match
Hi Eva, I saw that we both marked interest in continuing after the event. Great news. How about a short call this week? Which day works for you?
When to use it: both sides expressed interest. This is the easiest follow-up because nobody has to guess whether the other person wants to hear from them.
How to do it with SpeedNetworking
These are the steps for an organizer who wants attendees to actually stay in touch after the event.
- Turn on pre-event swipe (Growth and Business plans). Before the event, attendees mark Like, Maybe, or Pass on other people's profiles. Details are in the pre-event swipe help page.
- Ask for consent to be contacted. Mutual matches are emailed only to attendees who agreed to it.
- Keep AI icebreakers on. The AI generates questions for each pair based on both profiles, so every conversation has a concrete topic you can return to in a follow-up.
- Send a reminder after the event. Encourage attendees to check their mutual matches and send one of the templates above within 48 hours.
- Download the CSV export. You get a list of attendees and mutual matches to move into your own tools.
Manual follow-up vs. follow-up in SpeedNetworking
| What | Video call + spreadsheet + stopwatch | SpeedNetworking |
|---|---|---|
| Rounds and pair rotation | Manual, run by the organizer | Automatic (auto-pilot) |
| Knowing who wants contact | Attendees' own notes | Mutual matches visible after the event |
| Email with matches | You prepare it yourself | Email to attendees who gave consent |
| Conversation topic | Attendee has to invent one | AI questions tailored to the pair |
| Data for the organizer | Collected by hand | CSV export (attendees, matches) |
| Video without installation | Depends on the tool | 1:1 conversations in the browser |
| Format flexibility | Anything goes, no tool limits | Format built on 1:1 rounds |
The last row is the honest one: if you need a completely free-form script, manual tools give you more freedom. If you want regular 1:1 conversations and a trail they leave behind, automation saves hours of work. See the pricing page for plans.
What to avoid in a follow-up
- Templates with no specific detail. A message you could send to anyone works on no one.
- Selling in the first message. Start with context and value, then make an offer.
- Long blocks of text. Four to five sentences is the maximum.
- Adding people to a newsletter without consent. It damages trust and creates a data protection problem.
- Giving up after one try. One gentle nudge after 5 to 7 days is fine. A third message is not.
When to send what
- Within 24 hours: a short thank-you with one detail from the conversation (template 1 or 6).
- Within 48 hours: a message with value or a call proposal (templates 2, 3, 4, or 7).
- After 5 to 7 days: one gentle reminder if there is no reply. One sentence and the same time proposal.
- After 4 to 6 weeks: a re-engagement note with a new reason (template 5), only for people you really want to work with.
You do not have to write to everyone. After seven or eight conversations, pick the two or three people where a real reason for collaboration appeared and put your effort into those messages. The rest get a short thank-you or a LinkedIn invitation.
How to write when the conversation was short
In a 1:1 conversation that lasts a few minutes you usually have one thread and one fact about the other person. That is enough. Say who you are, where you met, what stayed with you, and what you propose. Do not pretend to a deeper acquaintance. Honesty ("we only spoke briefly, but what you said about onboarding stayed with me") builds more trust than forced familiarity.
Jot down one keyword right after each round. After eight conversations in a row it is easy to mix up who said what, and that detail turns a template into a real message. For more on preparing what to say, read our guides on elevator pitches for networking and networking icebreakers.
Try it at your next event
Pick one template and send it within a day of your next meeting. If you run events yourself, create a free account and test the whole flow in a free trial event (up to 10 participants): rounds, matches, and the post-event email, before you invite a bigger group.