14 Jun Post C-Suite Meeting Follow Up Do’s and Don’ts

Most account managers, strategic executives and marketing heads work incessantly to accomplish one task – successfully securing a meeting with a C-level executive for lead acquisition. C-suite execs are in a position where they set the stakes high by making effective business decisions. Moreover, 64% of top-managerial professionals make the final decision in a B2B interaction or proposal, which is why you need to have successful c-level communication. 

 You’re required to use the right platform to begin the interaction, plan a marketing strategy to grab their attention, do in-depth research, work on your communication skills and get over your meeting anxiety to ensure a successful lead nurturing. 

But what really makes a difference in the whole process is how you sustain this newly built relationship through post executive-level meetings. There are some dos and don’ts that you should keep in mind for positive lead nurturing. Curious, what are they? Read below to find out.  

Why are post-meeting follow-ups important? 

When you follow up on an executive meeting with top-level professionals such as a chief executive officer (CEO) or chief financial officer (CFO), it allows you to remain in their minds. It is also the perfect way to refresh them with your business ideas, sales plan, and product or services. 

Meeting notes make the perfect way for post-meeting follow-ups as they inform other professionals who weren’t there in the meeting about what happened. Moreover, they remind the attendees of ideas both the parties agreed upon and the following steps to be taken. It is recommended to send meeting notes within 24 hours of the meeting to create a lasting impression. 

Follow-ups also offer an opportunity to gather the information you missed during the meeting. It prepares you for the following C-level communication, where you can lead your target audience towards your business or lead acquisition plan.

What are some do’s and don’ts of meeting follow-ups? 

Do’s

1. Asking about a preferred follow-up channel

Before you finish a meeting, always ask about the preferred method or channel for follow-ups. This could include phone calls, instant messages and Emails. You can also use the multi-channel approach without being too aggressive. Send meeting notes within 24 hours of the meeting and then follow up via a phone call after three or four days. 

2. Follow up on your commitments

Whether it’s a monthly planner production insight, marketing strategy or any other information, provide all the additional documents and updates you promised to provide post an executive meeting. It shows your commitment and reliability, helping you in positive lead nurturing. 

3. Request feedback

Asking for feedback is perfect for engaging c-level execs to understand their expectations of you. This primarily helps you work on improvement areas for future meetings or C-level communication. 

4. Collect data and reports

Finding missing information or data that can help you move ahead in lead acquisition shows your reliability and commitment to a project or business plan. Gathering information and sharing it with top-managerial executives help build long-standing relationships.

Don’ts  

1. Avoid forcing a conversation 

Follow-ups should be gentle, short and crisp. Avoid blindsiding the C-suite executives with more ideas and plans in a meeting follow-up. Just give them a summary of what ideas you proposed, things both parties agreed upon, and areas you promise to work on. 

2. Don’t be pushy or too aggressive 

It’s understandable that securing a c-level executive’s interest in your business is a big deal, but you don’t want to overwhelm it with frequent follow-ups and requests to schedule another meeting. Be patient, give everything its sweet time, and do things step-by-step to attain success. 

3. Avoid talking negatively about your company and job 

Remember that every time you interact with another C-suite executive, you’re representing the interest of a company and its employees. In any case, you’re allowed to talk negatively about your role and the company you work in. It is unethical and unprofessional, specifically when aiming at positive lead nurturing. 

4. Don’t overcommit anything 

Don’t make promises to amend any changes in the existing marketing strategy or business plan just because it helps in successful lead acquisition. Talk to your team, measure the pros and cons, schedule another meeting, and discuss alternatives. 

Things to remember while sending a follow-up email

Email outreach is commonly used for sending out executive meeting follow-ups. It helps you get in front of occupied executives by reaching into their inboxes. C-level executives may not be available to take your call or address your message, but they strive to check their emails daily or at least weekly. This makes emails the ideal option to refresh their minds about your meeting with them. 

Below are a few things that you must keep on the top of your mind while sending a post-meeting follow-up to a C-level executive:

• use a clear and concise subject of your email that reflects upon the executive meeting;
• use a professional/formal tone with proper email formatting;
• avoid using jargon and slang;
• use a bulleted list to mention things that both parties discussed in the meeting, as this makes the email easy to skim and more direct;
• don’t mention things that are irrelevant to the C-level exec;
• discuss all summary points with your team to make sure you haven’t missed anything in your follow-up email;
• double-check the email address, name, spellings, designation and other essential things because as much as they sound fundamental to everyone, they play a significant role in determining your professionalism and attentiveness;
• don’t forget to sign off the email and;
• do mention the correct email address, phone number, company name and information of the contact person. 

Visit Linked Strategies to learn more helpful ways for successful lead nurturing. We are committed to delivering a comprehensive customer experience through our impeccable services. Top organizations, including IBM, Nasdaq, EQIS, and Audioeye, are our clients that have managed to earn over $500 million by using our platform and successful methodologies.