Follow-up or fail

There’s no point of going to the effort to meet someone if you’re only going to drop the ball after you’ve made a good first impression. It’s hard to believe in a world so competitive that someone would not follow-up and help cement a relationship with a new contact. However it’s generally argued that about 95 percent of all new business meetings are not followed up on. Make sure you’re one of the ones who do and stand out from the crowd.

An initial goal with follow-up is to make sure your new contact retains your name and you should set this in motion fairly quickly. Take between 12 and 24 hours and cite something in particular that was discussed – a shared hobby, business interest or whatever struck a chord between you at the meeting. This is a good way for the person to make a mental reminder of who you are. This can also be an opportunity to look toward the future. Keep the focus on what you can do for them – reach out to people through your generosity – remember there is potentially so much you can do for people without too much effort.

Today, most follow-up is done by email, it’s fast and convenient but something written adds a personal touch and is more memorable in a fast paced world. Don’t forget, follow-up also includes thanking the person that introduced you to the contact in the first place if that’s how your meeting occurred. Tell them you really appreciated the introduction and that the conversation went well.

Make follow-up a habbit!