After a great first meeting: take notes, prioritize them, thank them, deliver what you promised, thank them again later, and set a reminder.
The idea
Two people hit it off at a dinner, swap emails, and never speak again. Nobody was malicious. One of them just didn't know what to do next: would coffee be weird, is it too soon for LinkedIn, what would I even write? A simple sequence removes the guesswork.
How to do it
Record notes while they're fresh: business, hobbies, family, what you have in common, special interests.
Prioritize them in whatever you use to track people, so they get more of your time.
Send a quick thank-you. It sounds obvious. A surprising number of people don't.
Follow through on anything you said you'd do. Follow them on social if you both use it.
Thank them again later for something specific they gave you. You can thank someone over and over, years later.
Set a reminder to re-engage, monthly, quarterly or yearly. Every touch doesn't need to be an essay.
Example
In my post, Jenn met Elizabeth at a mastermind dinner, and they bonded over Peru, breathwork and raising kids while growing a business. Her later thank-you is about the book Elizabeth recommended. When the one-year reminder comes up, she can send a photo of where they met.
Script
(adapted) "Hey Elizabeth, thank you again for your book recommendation of Breath. I just finished it last week and loved the story. Thank you again for sharing this book with me!!"
"I can't believe we met a year ago at [event]. Time flies!! Hope you're well."
Relatable: The notes and the "check in next quarter" reminder fit right on the contact in a personal CRM like Relatable, or even in your phone's contacts. How-to: Set and manage reminders, Manage a contact's profile.
The 48 Hours After: Block half a day within 48 hours of getting home from a conference, list everyone you met with notes and next steps, and send the follow-ups.
End With an Open Loop: Before goodbye, name one specific thing in their life with a rough timeline that you'll check back on, write it down, and follow through.
Delayed Gratitude: Thank someone months or years later for an intro or referral, say what it led to, and attach no ask.