How to Write a Follow-Up Email After a Meeting

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Sending a follow-up email is a good way to maintain contact with someone you’ve just met, whether networking, job hunting, thanking a mentor or engaging in any kind of career development. An effective follow-up message should have a few distinct components depending on the type of meeting you have attended. This article explains how to write a simple and professional follow-up email that can help you make a positive impact on the people you meet.

Why you should send a follow-up email after a meeting

Writing an email is a simple way to stay at the forefront of a new contact’s mind after a meeting or event. For career development and job searching, writing an email is even more important. If you are looking for a new job, it’s helpful to make connections with as many people as possible. This can help you network with someone who might help you get your next job. 

When to send a follow-up email after a meeting

There are many different scenarios in which you should send an email after a meeting. Examples include after an interview, a networking event or a meeting with a mentor. You don’t have to send the email immediately, but the ideal time frame is usually within 24 hours of the meeting. Writing the draft ahead of time and keeping it readily available is a good way to ensure you remember to send the email.

One good way to do this is to write a skeleton draft of the email before the meeting. In that draft, you can thank the person for their time. If you already know who the recipient will be, you can even address it to them and sign it ahead of time.

How to write a follow-up email

Follow these steps to write a follow-up email after meeting with a professional contact:

1. First, thank the recipient

The first step in writing a follow-up email after a meeting is to thank the person for their time. Sincerely thanking the person for the time they spent talking to you is a key aspect of the note that shows your courtesy and appreciation.

2. Second, keep your message brief

You should keep the email short and to the point. After thanking them, recap main points of the meeting. This could involve reminding the recipient about the next steps you discussed. Maybe you discussed meeting for coffee to talk about future career opportunities at their company. 

3. Third, reference a shared interest

Reference something that you both connected on during the meeting. For instance, maybe you went to the same undergraduate college, or perhaps you had a mutual contact in the same professional network. Whatever it is, use the opportunity to make this shared interest into a point of connection. To make sure you remember good connections to reference in your email, you can take notes during your meeting.

4. Fourth, invite the recipient to contact you

Include a call-to-action for your recipient. It could be as simple as, ‘I look forward to meeting with you again.’ Alternatively, if this is someone you’ve met before and have made a genuine connection with, maybe you can offer to meet up for coffee or make a phone call. 

Be sure to include your contact information. You can make your contact info easily visible by adding a professional email signature that includes your phone number.

Tips for sending a follow-up email

Follow these tips when sending follow-up emails for different types of meetings:

Informational interviews 

  • Ask if they would be willing to refer you to anyone else in the company who might know more about the subject you discussed. Make sure it’s in an area you haven’t already covered in depth. Many people are happy to help out and share their connections.
  • While an informational interview primarily serves as an opportunity for you to learn more about a company or a specific job, you may end up applying for a job there in the future. Treat this type of interview as professionally as you would any other type of interview.

Networking for jobs

  • Make sure to thank the person you interviewed with for their time. 
  • In this type of email, it’s vital to be timely. You should ideally send your message by the next day. The company might be interviewing several people in a single day, so it’s helpful to make a good impression immediately. 
  • Reference a specific aspect about the company. Read through the email and make sure it mentions something the company does that stands out to you.
  • Keep your email brief. This will help your recipient understand the full purpose of your message quickly and easily.
  • Read your email thoroughly for any potential spelling or grammar issues. 

Career development

  • Remind the person of where you met. It can just be as simple as saying, ‘It was great meeting you at the professional lawyer mixer.’ 
  • Mention something you discussed, both as a way to remind them of who you are and as a way to start an engaging conversation.

Keeping in touch with your mentor 

  • If you have a mentor, keep up with them regularly. You don’t have to send them a message every week, but set a calendar alert on your phone that reminds you to email them at least once a month. Not only will this help you maintain a good relationship with them, but it will also help them keep you in mind when they hear of a professional opportunity.
  • Reference something you talked about in your last phone call and ask if they can recommend someone who can tell you more about that subject. Ask if they could help you set up an informational interview with that person.

Follow-up email example

Here’s an example of a follow-up email that someone might send an informational interview:

Dear Ms. Lark, 

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. It was a pleasure speaking with you. Our meeting today regarding my potential internship with your firm was truly enjoyable. It was great to discuss our shared interest in making digital marketing a more human experience both for the customer and the provider. 

I would love to speak with you again about this opportunity. If you’re available to meet next week, I can most easily be reached at (555) 555-5555. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely, 
Martin Smith