We attend conferences to learn, grow and meet new people. And if you come across someone interesting who can advance your business, it’s important to send a message when you’re back at your desk to keep the dialogue going.

Here’s how:

Subject line: Great to meet you at [name of event/conference; for instance, “BizCon 2000”]

Hi [person’s first name],

I’m [your first and last name] with [name of company].

It was nice to meet you at [name of event/conference]. I enjoyed learning more about [what you gleaned from the other person; for instance, “the work you do at Acme Corporation related to finance and accounting. Plus, I needed someone to joke with during that boring keynote address”].

Let’s keep the discussion going. [Then, the next step; for instance, “As I mentioned, our company is looking for a new accounting firm and yours may be a good fit. I will connect you with our CFO in a separate email so you two can meet.”]

Thanks again,

– Leader’s first name

Email signature

Deeper Insight

Put the name of the event/conference where you met in the subject line (ex: BizCon 2000). The proper noun makes your email more recognizable in a crowded inbox. Also, make sure to explain the next step “looking for a new accounting firm”). The person may not want to follow up if he/she doesn’t know the “why.”

For some of our clients, all they ask for is a logo design. For others it’s a video production, a story in the local newspaper or a suggestion of a non-profit partner.

Well for Plasser American, which manufacturers complex machines to repair and maintain railroad tracks across the country, we are doing all that and then some.

The Austrian-based company, with operations on every continent, has its North American headquarters and assembly plant in Chesapeake. Frankly we had never heard of Plasser when they called looking for a firm to handle marketing and public relations for their 60th anniversary in the United States. So first we had to get educated on tampers, stabilizers and the other equipment they construct as well as the services they provide to Amtrak, CSX and a host of other railroads, both passenger and freight. (more…)

Often leaders need to explain intricate or weighty subjects in a clear, understandable way. In those moments, strong writing skills are paramount.You don’t want to confuse people when you try to break down a difficult topic. On the flip side, employees will appreciate how you simplified the issue and, in doing so, valued their time and attention.

Here’s an example.

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Want to strengthen your interoffice communication skills? Check out the checklist below.

• Start sentences with capital letters and capitalize proper nouns until the co-worker on the other end proves he/she prefers lowercase words at all times. For example: “Do you have the report for the Nicholson account yet?”
  • Once the other person shows a preference for lowercase words, you may choose to go with, “do you have the report for the nicholson account yet?”
  • If you type with the case the other person prefers, you are always in the right.
• ​In the same vein, stay away from emojis until the other person drops one first.
• Even though the chatter through instant messages can be rapid fire, watch every word you type. Many communication tools act as archives so anyone with access can find past conversations in the program.
  • Plus, a two or three-person dialogue can, the next day, include several more people. Maybe one of the new people wasn’t supposed to read a message that appeared a day before? Uh oh.
• ​When the message thread includes clients, my opinion is to maintain proper rules of capitalization at all times — even if the other person is into lowercase writing and abbreviations.
  • The client pays you for a service, and you should maintain a high level of professionalism.