The problem: You come home from a workshop, expo, or trade show with a stack of business cards and sign-ups. By the time you follow up, people have forgotten who you are.
What you end up with: Personal follow-up messages for every contact within a day or two, sorted by how warm they are, with notes from your conversations, all drafted for you to check and send.
What you'll need
Your contact list from the event (sign-up sheet, scanned cards, or app export) and quick notes on who you talked to.
Getting set up
Met great people at an event and want to follow up before they forget you? Let's walk through it, using what each tool's official docs say it does. First, pick a tool. Google says Gemini in Gmail can draft professional emails. Microsoft says Copilot in Outlook drafts emails. xAI says Grok Bot uses your apps and websites just like you would, and that email a Bot sends from its own address waits for your approval on a draft card. Next, type your contacts and notes into one sheet. Then, mark each contact hot, warm, or general. And last, the AI drafts. You approve and send every message.
Step by step
- Within a day, put all contacts and notes in one sheet.
- Mark each one hot, warm, or general.
- Have the AI draft a personal message for each hot and warm contact, using your notes.
- Have it draft one friendly general message for everyone else.
- Add a clear next step, like booking a call or a link to your offer.
- Check names, companies, and details.
- Send them yourself, and set a reminder for a second follow-up.
A prompt to start with
Here's a starter prompt. Change the details to fit your business. "Here are contacts from [event] with my notes: [list]. For each hot or warm contact, draft a short, personal follow-up email that mentions what we talked about and suggests one next step: [next step]. Then write one friendly general follow-up for the rest. Keep each under 120 words. Only use my notes, and mark unclear details with [CHECK]."
What you'll get
Personal follow-ups for warm contacts, a general follow-up, and a reminder plan.
If something goes wrong
If messages feel generic, add one specific detail per contact to your notes. If names are wrong, check scanned cards by hand. If the list is long, start with hot contacts.
Keep in mind
Only email people who gave you their details and would expect to hear from you, and include an easy way to opt out. Follow email marketing rules where you operate.
Sources
- Google Workspace — AI tools for business
- Microsoft Copilot for small business — product page and FAQ
- Grok Bot — official product page (xAI)
Where each fact came from
- Recommended tools · checked Oct 28, 2026 · rechecked regularly — Google Workspace — AI tools for business
- Getting set up · checked Oct 28, 2026 · rechecked regularly — Grok Bot — official product page (xAI)
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