How do you follow up and maintain communication with your audience after a presentation?

1 Send a thank-you note

A simple but effective way to show your appreciation and professionalism is to send a thank-you note to your audience within 24 hours of your presentation. You can use email, social media, or a handwritten card, depending on the context and the size of your audience. In your note, you should express your gratitude for their time and attention, summarize the main points of your presentation, and invite them to contact you if they have any questions or feedback.

2 Share your slides or materials

Another way to follow up and maintain communication with your audience is to share your slides or any other materials that you used in your presentation. This will help them review and remember your key messages, as well as access any links, references, or resources that you mentioned. You can use platforms like SlideShare, Dropbox, or Google Drive to upload and share your files, or attach them to your thank-you note. Make sure you have permission to share any copyrighted or confidential information before you do so.

3 Solicit feedback and suggestions

Feedback is essential for improving your presentation skills and understanding your audience's needs and expectations. You can solicit feedback and suggestions from your audience by using surveys, polls, or forms. You can use tools like SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, or Typeform to create and distribute your feedback forms, or use the built-in features of some presentation software like PowerPoint or Prezi. You should ask specific and relevant questions that will help you evaluate your performance, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and gather ideas for future topics or improvements.

4 Provide additional value and resources

One way to keep your audience engaged and interested in your topic is to provide additional value and resources that will help them learn more or apply your message. You can do this by sending them follow-up emails, newsletters, blogs, podcasts, videos, webinars, or e-books that are related to your presentation. You can also create a landing page, a social media group, or a community forum where you can share and discuss your content with your audience. You should aim to provide useful and relevant information that will add value to your audience, not spam them with sales pitches or promotions.

5 Establish a long-term relationship

The ultimate goal of following up and maintaining communication with your audience is to establish a long-term relationship with them. This will help you build trust, credibility, and loyalty, as well as create opportunities for future collaboration, referrals, or business. You can establish a long-term relationship with your audience by staying in touch regularly, updating them on your progress or achievements, asking them for their opinions or input, offering them support or assistance, and acknowledging their contributions or feedback. You should also keep track of your contacts and interactions with your audience using tools like CRM software, spreadsheets, or calendars.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?