We constantly meet new people in and around our daily lives and exchange contact details for future meet ups. The problem that a lot of us run into is that we never here from these people again. We fired off the conversation and had so much to talk about regarding startups, investments and business, however time was short and one of us had to get back to life and work. There was a formal good-bye and a “I will talk to you about “A” tomorrow or “B” next week.” Now its been a month and you haven’t heard anything from the person.
Perhaps this person lost my number or email address, why isn’t he calling to schedule that meeting we discussed?
Maybe this person you met is just like you? BAD AT COMMUNICATING!
Ever thought of that? Huh?
#1 – Don’t have them call you, you do the work.
Don’t ask people to call or email you. You want to engage with them, so you do the dirty work of calling them or emailing them. Follow up and tell them that it was nice to meet them and sorry that you had to leave in such a rush or whatever the reason was for ejecting.
Tell them why you found their conversation interesting, “I enjoyed hearing about your NGO, we should have lunch sometime. I would love to hear more and maybe get involved.” OR “Your approach to that problem was incredible, mind sitting down some time and explaining the system to me?”
This will assure them that you were paying attention and that you aren’t just a big talker, you actually build relationships with people you meet at conferences or in the street. (If they are of interest, of course.)
#2 – Following up will leave a lasting impression.
First time impressions are great, but leaving a lasting impression with someone is even better. The reason why I’m saying that you will create a lasting impression is because you instill value into this persons life by connecting with them. They realize that even though you are a very busy guy, you still take time out of your schedule to call them and connect.
#3 – It could open up doors for you.
Maybe this guy is well connected or know people higher up than you do. Obviously you aren’t building a relationship with him to get to his contacts, but if he sees value in whatever you do or vice-versa he could end up introducing you to some great people you would have never met otherwise. Don’t judge a book by its cover. The contents could be remarkable.
#4 – Keep it sweet and short
If you are relatively busy, you know that it takes time to get in touch with someone and time is valuable. What I suggest is interlinking your follow ups with activities. Make use of your lunch hour, your walk to the cafeteria, your drive home, bathroom breaks(Don’t call whilst in the loo rather email or text. haha), keep your conversations short and to the point. Just check in and see how they are doing etc. You don’t have to type out essays, keep it simple, stupid.
Conclusion
Following up is important and can open a lot of doors for you in future. Take it seriously and dedicate some time to it after an event or daily. Just keep those people reminded that you aren’t dead and that you haven’t forgotten about them. It will show them a totally different side of you that they might not know about.
Follow Up, it’s the right thing to do.
