This has to be the most ridiculous yet necessary follow up tip we’ve ever given. It’s so simple yet very few people ever accomplish it. It will set you apart and make you look like a rock star no matter your industry. People will be in awe of you and will begin turning to you first because of this one simple tip. Want to know this big secret? Are you ready for this earth shattering advice? Are you sure? Ok…here we go.
When you say you’re going to do something, do it. There it is, the best follow up advice we will ever give. It’s so simple that I’m almost embarrassed to type this post and yet it is so necessary because very few people do it. There are books after books written on how we’ve become self absorbed and how we’ve lost focus on keeping our word. I’m not going to dig in to the whys of it but rather remind you this is what it takes to set yourself apart.
Because doing what you say you’re going to do is so rare in business today, the moment you keep your word you set yourself apart from every other candidate applying for the job, bidding for the promotion, or attempting to win the business. This applies to even the smallest things. If you say you’re going to meet someone, don’t just meet them, be on time and arrive prepared. If you say you’re going to provide follow up information, don’t just provide it, provide it before the deadline and in a format that best benefits the person you’re sending it to. If you say you’re going to make an introduction to someone for a colleague, don’t just give them the contact information, send an email making the introduction and explain why this is a good fit.
If you can’t take the necessary steps to follow up immediately, set an appointment in your calendar to remind you to get it done and always allow yourself enough time to do it and do it right (we’ll discuss managing deadlines in a later post). Following up is the simplest and most effective way to be top of mind and build a reputation of dependability. Try it. You won’t be sorry.
