Linkedin Follow Up

Deals rarely close in the first conversation. They close later, when you send what you said you'd send and remember what the other person told you.

LinkedIn released two features that help with that part if you sell B2B. You can now keep private notes on your connections, and you can carry a digital business card in your phone's wallet. Here's how each one works, what mine look like, and how I'd roll them out to a team.

500characters in each private note, visible only to you

$0for a digital business card, no Premium needed

48hmy window to send every follow-up I promise

The money is in the follow-up. LinkedIn finally gets it.

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Private notes on your connections

Who gets itEligible Premium Business and Premium All-in-One

WhereProfile of any first-degree connection

LengthUp to 500 characters

Who sees itOnly you

I used to write where I met someone on the back of their business card. Now I write it on their profile, which is where I am anyway when I message them. I use the same four lines every time so I can read a note in a few seconds before I reach out.

DR

Daniel R.
CFO · 1st-degree connection

🔒 Only visible to you

Where we met

CFO roundtable, Toronto, Oct 22

Talked about

Hiring a VP Finance before Q2

I promised

Intro to Maya Chen and my board-prep checklist

Next step

Nov 12, ask how the search is going

197 / 500 · Example note

I keep notes to business details. Anything personal or sensitive stays out, since it's stored on LinkedIn.

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Your LinkedIn business card, in your phone's wallet

KJP

Katheline Jean-Pierre Founder, The Top 5% Method®

Apple WalletGoogle Wallet

Illustration. Your card uses your own photo, role and a scannable QR code.

CostFree for all members

On the cardYour photo, role and a QR code

Save toApple Wallet or Google Wallet

RolloutGlobally, over the next few months

When someone scans your code, they can connect with you on LinkedIn right away. You can choose between a few layouts, and because the card pulls from your profile, it changes when your role or company does. No new cards to print.

And no more spelling your last name 17 times at a networking event. Trust me. Jean-Pierre. Hyphen. Capital P.

Why I want your whole team on LinkedIn

This is why I'm so bullish on companies getting their whole team on LinkedIn, and not only the founder. Your sales team, your engineers and your executives all meet people your company should stay in touch with. If each of them has a card on their phone and notes on their key connections, a lot more of those meetings turn into a second conversation.

Here's how I'd roll it out to a team this month:

Before the next event

Get everyone ready

Update photo, headline and current role, since that's what the card shows. Save the card to your phone's wallet. Leave the paper cards at the office.

After every meeting

Same day, then 48 hours

Add a four-line note to each new connection the same day, if you're on an eligible plan. Send whatever you promised within 48 hours.

From hello to second meeting

My follow-up, step by step

This is the order I follow after I meet someone I want to work with. The messages are examples of what I'd send, so change them to sound like you.

1. At the event

   Let them scan your card. You're connected before the conversation ends, and you don't have to find them later.

2. Same day

   Write the note, then send a short message with one detail from the conversation, so they know you were listening.

   Example message

   So good to meet you at the CFO roundtable today. I'm still thinking about what you said about hiring ahead of Q2. I'll send over the checklist I mentioned this week.
3. Within 48 hours

   Send what you promised. The intro, the article, the checklist. Sending it fast tells them you keep your word.

4. The date in your note

   Open the note, then check in about the thing they cared about, not about your offer.

   Example message

   How's the VP Finance search going? I came across a piece on board-ready finance leaders and thought of you. Happy to compare notes over coffee if it's useful.

For your team

Before your next event

Share this list with your team and have everyone tick it off. It takes about 15 minutes per person.

• Profile photo is current and looks like you today
• Headline says what you do and who you help
• Current role and company are up to date (the card pulls from these)
• Business card saved to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, once it reaches your account
• On Premium Business or All-in-One? Check that you can add notes to a connection
• Calendar reminder set for 48 hours after the event to send every follow-up

Want to build this with me, one on one?

LinkedIn Elevate Executive+ is my 1:1 program. We work together directly on your LinkedIn presence, your content and your relationships, based on your voice and where you want your career to go.

Book a call with me

C'est ça la vraie vie 🌸