Thursday, 11 December 2014 06:23

Event Recap: Following Up Do's & Don'ts after an IdOMUSIC® Event

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If you've attended an IdOMUSIC® event in the past, then you know it's an excellent opportunity to network with industry professionals. But if you have yet to attend, you may be thinking there are tons of networking events throughout the city, what makes this one unique? Simply put, IdOMUSIC® brings a centralized network to you ranging from indie artists, entertainment attorneys, publicists to grammy nominated engineers. Not to mention the host encourages you to converse with these people in the room all night long and that weeds out the pretentiousness that you usually encounter at networking events. Experiencing IdOMUSIC® you're investing in a targeted networking event that could help you further your career—but once you've schmoozed and gathered these people's contact info, what are you doing with said information? The most important part of IdOMUSIC® doesn't happen at the actual event. The true werk is in the follow up.

Last week we filled up the Music Room. We listened to Treja's production and watched him perform; we were introduced to Figz, local film director; and we were serenaded by DangerFeel Newbies whose music is licensed on Being Mary Jane. The aforementioned professionals all spoke to the room, announced where to to be found and invited all who were listening to spark a convo. By the end of the night, attendees left with at least five connections made.

 

It's exciting to leave the Music Room with a stack full of promising business cards and contacts that you collected throughout the night. But if you fail to follow up, you've defeated your hard work networking. Here are some DO's and DON'Ts to maximize your networking efforts at the next IdOMUSIC® event!

 

DO Review Your Contacts
Connect with your strongest contact first. Rank your contacts by evaluating who will be the most beneficial for your goal-set.

 

DON'T Wait Too Long To Follow Up
Typically you want to follow up while the event is still fresh. We recommend following up within 48 hours, but if you waited longer than that—there is no real expiration date on a connection.

 

DO Set a Goal
You're a producer and you met a songwriter. You're an artist and you met an engineer. Whomever you've met and whatever transpired in your conversation, how can this connection bring valuable werk?

 

DON'T Confuse A Shameless Plug with a Forceful Sell 
You don't want to come off strong, desperate or obnoxious. It's one thing to shamelessly plug, but it's another to flood your new contact's timeline with your music and pleads to purchase your album. It can be a definite relationship killer. Instead, take it slow. They'll support you once they've gotten to know you over coffee or at a show [or they won't] but don't scare them away.

 

DO Connect with them on social media.
Have your phone fully charged and signed into twitter accounts because every person in the building should have their name and social media handle written on a name tag. Six degrees of separation is now reduced to two degrees because you have access to your connections' connections. Not enough artists utilize social media, so allow the flood of social media handles at an IdOMUSIC® event motivate you to dust off your twitter timeline.

 

DON'T Use an unprofessional email.
It takes less than 5 minutes to create an email account. If you want to be taken seriously, ditch the hottiethottie233 email address and settle for one that represents your professionalism.

 

DO Organize Your Contacts
Grab a composition notebook and jot down the date and networking event location, and list all the people you've met. You could glue down the business cards you collected or you could organize them in baseball card holder pages and a binder. Regardless of what system you choose, be sure to include notes that will remind you how this person can be professionally beneficial and where you met them—if it's not clear. Lastly,  keep in touch with them periodically; send them a note on their birthday or congratulate them on a new achievement. You never know when you may need them or they may need you.

 

What are your networking techniques?

 

Read 19507 times Last modified on Thursday, 11 December 2014 06:45

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