Waiting too long is the most common way networking conversations are lost. Waiting can feel polite, but the other person met many people that day too, and by next week your conversation has blurred into the rest. Speed matters more than polish.
Short answer
Follow up within 24 hours of meeting someone, while they still remember the conversation. If there is no reply, send one more short message after 7 to 10 days, then wait for a real reason before reaching out again.
The day after an event, the other person can still picture your face and the conversation. A message then is easy to place and easy to answer. After a few days you need more words just to remind them who you are, and your message competes with everything else in their inbox.
Wait until the next business morning if you met at a Friday evening or weekend event. At a multi-day conference, follow up with your most important contacts within two days of the closing session. Across time zones, send the message so it arrives during their working morning.
Two messages is a reasonable limit for a new contact: the first follow-up and one gentle nudge a week or so later that adds something useful. If there is still no reply, stop and wait until you have a genuine reason to reach out, such as an article, an introduction, or the next event you will both attend.
Before you leave the event, note who you met and one detail from each conversation. That detail is what makes a fast follow-up possible.
Mention where you met, the detail you noted, and one easy next step.
If there is no reply by then, send one short nudge that adds value instead of asking "did you see my email?".
After two messages, wait for a natural reason to reach out again, and keep the relationship warm without pushing.
Checklist
Write down one detail per person before you leave
First follow-up within 24 hours
One nudge after 7 to 10 days if there is no reply
Stop after two messages until there is a real reason
Adjust for weekends, conferences, and time zones
Common questions
No. Following up the same evening or the next morning is ideal; it shows interest and lands while the conversation is fresh.
It is not too late, but you need to remind the person who you are. Open with the event name and the detail you discussed.
Follow up with recruiters the same day or the next morning. They often review candidates from a fair within a day or two.
Still follow up within a day, but keep the message short and the ask small. A senior person is more likely to answer a three-line note than a long request.
Set a reminder when you save the contact. In Genify you can add a dated task to each new contact and get a draft that references your conversation.
Use the guide as your playbook, then bring the workflow into Genify so the system keeps moving after the first action.