Follow Up

One of the main areas I see people trip up in business is with their follow up, yet it is a simple concept of good manners and service delivery. I have lost count of the times people have expressed a major frustration they have with other business people when they tell us they have left a message or an email with someone and they haven’t had their call or email returned.

Often when asked “what is your point of difference that separates you from your competitors?” people tell me “it’s my service delivery”! However, how often does that service delivery extend to following up?

This is a major concern if you want to portray a positive image of your business and there are no processes in place to make sure every call and email is returned. In most cases, business owners spend thousands of dollars on branding and marketing yet a simple act of follow up can undo all that good work and money.

In a situation like ours where referrals and recommendations are a large part of what we do, this is an area we take a lot of care in. In fact we suggest our members take advantage of this 3rd party referral system. When I hear of instances where someone has contacted another business person and there has been no response this it’s a matter of concern particularly if it was someone I have personally referred. This is what most people express to us too.

When someone does not follow up they are not only letting themselves down, they are also letting the person who referred them and the person wanting to connect with them. Because referrals and word of mouth marketing is so powerful, following up needs to have a lot of emphasis placed on it.

Personally, I liken follow up with simple good manners. Firstly it shows others that you are serious about giving a positive perception, and it exudes trust and reliability. This is fundamental in relationship marketing. In many cases you may never know the reason behind the call or email and if this could lead to an opportunity or prospective business you certainly don’t want to miss out.

On the flip side, if you are the person making the contact, and you haven’t heard from the person you want to connect within a reasonable time frame, I would not dismiss them right away. You never know what may be impacting in their lives, whether they are so snowed under and need to meet a particular deadline or they genuinely need to address other urgent work.

My rule of thumb is to give a second chance and try again in a day or so. I do however let the person who has referred them to me know so they are aware that I have indeed followed up. If there has been a consistent pattern of ignoring my email or phone call, it’s at that point I will no longer refer them or will continue to follow them up, it’s too risky. It’s at that point their competitor gets the business.

In saying this, if you have been contacted and you are swamped with work, I would suggest a simple act of courteousy by sending a short email, thanking them and acknowledging that you have received their call or email and have not forgotten them, explain you have to get through some rather urgent or pressing work and will attend to you at the first opportunity and follow them up further. I would also suggest a time frame as well, whether later that day, in 2 days or by the end of the week so they know you are serious about good service. An important point is here to make sure whatever you say, you do.

Don’t say you will get back to them tomorrow if you know you can’t, set up a reminder to alert you to getting back to them. Don’t damage your credibility with someone as a good name is one to keep. Remember following up tells more about your service then your marketing message!