Today marks a week since Grace Hopper began. Have you followed up on the connections you made? I’ll be the first to admit I have no problem meeting new pals, I sometimes have issues following up with them. Please don’t let those good ole times spent bonding over waiting to get your caricature drawn or stalking the snack areas go to waste!
I have their business card..
I recognize it may be a little weird making the first move but people do it all the time. Deep breath and send that email!
Things to include:
- A reintroduction
- How you guys met
- What you’d like to do with your new found personal/professional friendship.
This:
Dear Miss Piggy,
I certainly hope you got home safely and you enjoyed the remainder of your time at Grace Hopper. I had a lovely time meeting you and discussing your thoughts on the future of wearable technologies while we waited for the panel to start. I wanted to take the time and connect with you via email in hopes we could continue exchanging ideas about where fashion and tech could collide next. Warmly, Vanessa
Not this:
Dear Kermit,
I’m Vanessa and we met at Grace Hopper. I wanted to follow up with you in hopes you’d send me some recently published articles about how I can catch flies better. Thanks again, Vanessa
I forgot how/where we met…
In a crowd of 8000 people there’s a countless number of possible interactions. It’s perfectly normal to not recall how or where you met exactly. I’ve found touching base on a higher level is normally the best option.
This:
Dear Miss Piggy,
Can you believe it’s been a week since Grace Hopper began? It most certainly feels like yesterday to me, I can hardly contain myself. I wanted to touch base and see how your flight home was. I’d also like to connect with you via Linkedin/Twitter/email. As a recent grad, I’ve learned one of the best things I can do is surround myself with successful women and I’d love to have you in my network. Kindest Regards, Vanessa
People to follow.
This year may have been my 4th year attending Grace Hopper but boy did it leave a lasting impression on me. This by no means is a complete list but I managed to track down a few people on Twitter. Feel free to follow them.
Michelle Six
Below are some communities you’d want to follow if you’d like to be more involved or stay up to date with the happenings of Grace Hopper.
We can’t wait to see you in Houston!