How many times have you attended a conference, came home with a wad of business cards, felt great about the connections you made, were excited about the possibilities they presented… and then never did anything with those cards?

You’re not alone. In fact, you’re probably in the majority!!

10% of the people are getting 80% of the business. Yep, that’s right…only 10%. Why? Is it because they’re real go-getters, outgoing, have all the time in the world and are not afraid of rejection? No! There’s a simple reason… It’s because they are following up!

80% of sales close after the FIFTH — yes, fifth — contact!! But only 10% of people make that leap.

Last week I was at InfusionCon and met a ton of amazing people. Some of them are good prospects for both my Infusionsoft training that I offer and the Virtual Assistant services my team provides.

Here are my five tips for staying on the radar:

• Stop and think about the event. Before you attend your next networking event, why are you going? What kind of people will be there? Who are you hoping to meet? What is your goal? What do you really hope to accomplish?
• Make notes. While you’re talking to people (or immediately afterward), be sure to make notes on their card about what you talked about. You may think you’ll remember, but after three days of networking, it’s easy to forget even the most important bits of information!
• Have a plan. Before going to the event, what will your follow up plan be? Will you send an email, make a phone call, or send a card? And don’t just do one thing and stop; consider doing all three. Remember, 80% of the people buy after the fifth contact!!
• Schedule the time on your calendar NOW to implement your plan. Maybe the day after you get back from the event, you’ll follow up with an email. Then a week later, make a phone call. Whatever your follow up sequence looks like, put it on your calendar!
• Connect with the people on social media. Make sure to like their fan page, send them a friend request, follow them on Twitter, and connect on LinkedIn. This is a great way to stay connected! Then respond to posts and tweets and offer suggestions to their questions.

Be authentic in connecting with them and learn what’s important to them and their business.

You’ve heard the saying, “It’s the little things that count.” Remember in your follow up, it is the little things that count. Be real and authentic and make each communication personal. Make your new connections feel important and that you really care about them!!

What do you do as part of your follow up?