From Handshakes to Sales: How to Turn Event Connections Into Revenue

You attended the event. You shook the hands, grabbed the business cards, and snagged the IG follows…WIN!

But that’s only Step 1.

The ROI from that time, money, and energy you invested in attending the event comes by following these steps after the event to turn those new connections into future revenue.

Event Networking Follow-Up Starts After the Handshake

Just like in baseball, it’s not the swing—it’s the follow-through.

Meeting someone at a networking event or landing a list of leads from your event sponsorship is like buying an empty plot of farmland. That space has potential, but it won’t feed you unless you:

→ Plant the seeds for the food you want to eat
→ Water them regularly
→ Tend to the soil
→ Give it time to grow

Nothing of value sprouts overnight and neither do business relationships.

You’ve planted the seed with a hello. Now let’s talk about how to water and tend it so it actually grows into something fruitful.

Instagram Engagement Strategies to Nurture Event Connections

If you did a mutual follow on Instagram—fantastic!

Now, be a human, not a brand.

Send a DM telling them how much you enjoyed talking about [whatever you said on-site].

Only after they respond, do you want to suggest a meeting/call to “learn more about their business.” Remember: this should be about THEM, not about “I want to sell you something”.

This is not the time to pitch. This is the time to be memorable.

No reply yet? Go through their IG daily and see what they post then make thoughtful comments, not just likes.

At the same time, don’t get too crazy liking or commenting on 10 things at once. You don’t want to give Fatal Attraction vibes after all. 😵 Exercising patience and restraint is the name of the game, no matter how excited you are to have connected with them.

Writing Effective Email Follow-Ups After the Networking Event

Did you exchange business cards? Great. Now use it.

Send a quick email within 48 hours that continues the conversation you started on-site.

Something as simple as:

“So great meeting you at [EVENT NAME]!

I really enjoyed chatting about [TOPIC]. I’d love to continue the conversation and learn more about your business.

Do you have time for a call [INSERT 3 OPTIONS HERE]? ”

The key here is to personalize the message, which may make it longer than 3 lines, and suggest a call to learn about, not sell, them.

When it comes to those times, make sure they cover at least 1.5 weeks. They just spent days out of office at the event, they need time to catch up with their business before they even consider more time to network.

Your chance of booking the meeting increases with more time between the suggestion and the actual meeting.

The ONLY exception to this is if the on-site conversation includes “We need to talk about working together” or “I may want to bring you in on this project” in which case they have given you the go-ahead for a faster timeline and you should strike while the iron is hot!

In that case, a same-week followup meeting is fair game.

Sponsored the Event? Segment That Attendee List Like a Pro

If you walked away with an attendee list you are a keen negotiator to which I commend your efforts. Most companies don’t even think to ask for this so you’re already ahead of the game. But don’t blast one email to everyone on it.

Start by segmenting:

→ People who actually attended
→ People you personally met
→ No-shows

Each group should get a slightly different message, because their level of connection to you is different.

→ Attendees you didn’t meet? Introduce yourself and give them a reason to care about hearing from you.
→ No-shows? Offer a recap and give them a second chance to connect.
→ People you did meet? Pick up the convo where you left off.

Then track open rates and resend:

→ Try a new subject line for those who didn’t open.
→ Reword your CTA or hook for the people who didn’t click.

After that? Stop automating. Start going one-by-one.

Yes, it takes time. Yes, it’s worth it.

Long-Term Relationship Building Drives Event Sales

The event industry is built on relationships. Always has been, always will be.

And like any relationship, the professional ones take effort to maintain. Follow the plan above and you won’t just make connections—you’ll build:

→ Clients
→ Referral partners
→ Brand evangelists
→ Raving fans

That’s how you connect on-site marketing (via networking) to actual sales.

That’s how you make your marketing work. Boom 💥

Want help building a follow-up plan that actually converts? Let’s talk.