From Business Cards to Business Growth: AI’s Role in Post-Conference Networking

Networking at conferences is a common activity for sales professionals, offering a prime opportunity to establish meaningful connections. However, the real challenge often begins post-conference: how do you maintain the momentum and capitalize on those new relationships? Generative AI can streamline this follow-up process, ensuring that you not only remember to reach out but do so in a way that is both personalized and effective.

The Challenge of Post-Conference Follow-Up

After a conference, sales professionals are typically left with a stack of business cards and a head full of conversations. The task of reaching out to each contact can be daunting and is often delayed due to the manual effort involved. If not acted upon swiftly, the connection cools and the opportunity may be lost, undermining the networking efforts.

The Role of Generative AI in Streamlining Follow-Up

Generative AI transforms the follow-up process by automating the creation of personalized, engaging emails that capture the essence of the interaction. This technology ensures timely and relevant communication, helping to cement relationships formed at conferences.

Implementing Generative AI for Effective Outreach

The framework involves a simple input-prompt-output model tailored to follow-up communications:

• Inputs: Gather data such as notes taken during the conversation, the prospect’s business card details, and any LinkedIn information.

• Prompts: Design prompts to guide the AI in crafting messages that are not only personal but also align with the conversational tone and content remembered from the interaction.

• Outputs: Receive drafts that can be quickly reviewed and sent out, ensuring no momentum is lost.

Practical Application

Imagine you’ve just returned from a conference where you met Jordan, a prospect interested in leveraging Nubara’s sales technology. Here’s how you could set up the AI to help with your follow-up:

• Input Example: Jordan’s business card, your notes on his interests, and his LinkedIn activities.

• Prompt Example:

You are a business development representative who attended a conference yesterday. 

You will write a follow-up message to a prospect I met, mentioning personal details of our interaction to build rapport. The call to action will be for further conversation and {insert your goal here}. 

Here is the prospect: 

{insert personal details you remember or noted about prospect}

{paste data from prospect’s LinkedIn, such as job title, about, and recent post activity}

Important: 

- Write in the style of {your preferred style, or insert a baseline email template}.

- Output 2 variations so I can review and brainstorm further with you. 

Email Template

Hi {Prospect’s First Name}, it was a pleasure meeting you at the conference. I enjoyed learning about {detail captured at conference}.

I'd love to follow-up on your feedback and questions regarding Nubara. Got 10 min. next week for a quick screen share? 

Meanwhile, my network is open to you. I suspect you're looking to meet {infer prospect’s intent and identify job titles or industries they might want to meet}. LMK and I’ll identify a few potential introductions for you. 

-Rodrigo 

• Output Example:

Hi Jordan,

It was a pleasure meeting you last night. I’m truly impressed by your mastery in leveraging ChatGPT for enhancing sales productivity—it’s inspiring to see someone so adept in applying AI tools in practical, impactful ways.

I’m keen to get your thoughts on our approach at Nubara, particularly how we use AI to enhance referral-led sales. Could we schedule a quick screen share sometime next week?

In the meantime, I’d be happy to connect you with my network. Looks like you’re trying to meet the VP of Sales and Founders at Series B+ companies. LMK and I’ll identify a few potential introductions for you. 

-Rodrigo

Speed & Personalization For The Win

Generative AI does more than just automate emails—it ensures each message is tailored to the individual, reflecting specifics of the prior interaction that make the follow-up feel thoughtful and personal. This personalized approach significantly increases the likelihood of a positive response, turning brief conference encounters into lasting professional relationships.

Conclusion

Effective follow-up is crucial to capitalizing on conference connections. By integrating generative AI into your post-conference outreach strategy, you can ensure that each follow-up is timely, personalized, and effective, helping you turn those quick conversations into valuable professional relationships.