Written by Julia Stier
You did it! You went out and networked. You smiled, chatted, listened, handed out business cards, and actually connected with a few people that you would want to follow up with.
So… now what?
When I attended Connect and Collab – a networking event hosted by LA Stage Alliance and Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of America – I had the chance to connect with so many directors, playwrights, dramaturgs and literary managers. Every person I met was full of ideas, and many expressed a desire to continue the conversation. Business cards were passed around, as were promises to reconnect in the future.
One of the people I met was actress and director Monica Fleetwood. While sharing with her an idea I had for a future project, she seemed genuinely interested in being a part of the process. We exchanged contact info, and I hoped I would hear from her again.
While email is by far the easiest way to reach out to somebody, it can still be hard to know
what to write. I was so impressed by Monica’s warm, yet professional email, that I asked
her if I could use it as a template for how to follow up after a networking event.
Here is what she wrote, and why it works.
I was very interested in getting to know her as a future collaborator; however, I didn’t have a project right at that moment that I could work on with her. But, by saying that she was interested in building a community, that was all the reason we needed to get together.
Sure enough, we planned to meet up for coffee, and after many emails back and forth (as
we sorted through our busy schedules), we finally had a chance to meet and further our
discussion about acting, creating, and the entertainment business.
Monica’s post-networking email worked because it was personal, specific, and proposed an action item – scheduling a coffee meeting.
We are currently planning a phone meeting to discuss LA theatre. I now have a new friend and potential future colleague, all because of one solid follow-up email.
