Inside Small Business | Small Business & Home Business Marketing

Why we fail at following up

Monte Resnick, Founder Ambition Partners International

We’re all guilty of it. Perhaps it was a phone call you were to return last week (or worse – last month…) Maybe it was an important question you promised to respond to through e-mail. Or possibly, it’s the service review meeting you keep promising your client you will schedule with them – but it never seems to happen. Sadly, most fail miserably in the execution phase of following up. If I were to list all of the possible excuses we tell ourselves (not to mention the excuses we tell the other party) as to why we did not follow through on our intentions, this would be a book rather than an article. There are however 5 common factors that affect our ability to follow up. By recognizing these little monsters, we can move forward with anecdotes to eliminating them and enjoy more rewarding and profitable lives.

1. Organizationally Challenged: That’s how one of my favorite assistants used to refer to me many years ago. At first I thought it was humorous – then I realized what a detriment my lack of organization was to my professional and personal life. There is no dearth of technologically advanced tools to help us stay organized these days, yet we seem more at risk than ever of overlooking calls and tasks we committed to getting done. It has been noted that some of the most accomplished business leaders still resort to making simple lists with pen and paper. Don’t overanalyze your organizational challenge. Simply decide what system for tasks and reminders works best for you and USE IT CONSISTENTLY!

2. Fear of Rejection: Contrary to the belief that public speaking ranks number one on the “fear list” at its core the real fear behind public speaking is the fear of rejection. With our unconscious mind to the rescue, we justify not following up as a defense to mitigate the chance of rejection. There is a simple three-step remedy to overcome this paralyzing mindset: First, decide with clarity what type of follow up you are committing to. Second, determine what likely outcomes will result from your follow up activity. Finally, do it immediately! Procrastination is a cousin to the fear of rejection. Consciously push yourself to follow up immediately. This is not your college term paper due in three months (which we’ve all tried to pull off the night before the due date). This is about the perception others will have about you. Do it now!

3. Too Time Consuming: Busy, Busy, Busy. Too busy to increase your business? Studies suggest we sleep an average of 6-7 hours a night. That leaves 17-18 hours for productive activity. How productive are your waking hours? Try this exercise to determine the “time thief’s” in your daily routine: For the next fourteen days (weekends included), keep a log of your daily activities and the actual amount of time allocated to each. Once completed, compare the time you allocate to each activity, with your professional / personal goals and objectives. You will no doubt find some inconsistencies. It’s time to readjust your schedule. Don’t overlook activities you can delegate to others to make room for your top priorities. The activity log is a simple exercise that really works! People who have been serious about losing weight have used the same approach with incredible results for years.

4. Lack of Focus: With all the technology we “report” to, we all suffer from some degree of attention deficit disorder. With the ability to get e-mail on the fly, many of your relationships expect a response as quickly as if they were speaking with you live. Discipline yourself to take action on every e-mail and voice mail you receive from your important relationships. Plan out and stick to a routine of checking messages. If you’re going to be in meetings for the next two days, there are simple ways to identify this on your communication platforms, so others trying to reach you have an expectation of when you will respond. Finally, take great notes! I can not overemphasize the importance of organizing yourself and having a central system for prioritizing your tasks and activities.

5. It’s In The Bag! Not necessary to follow up? Hopefully you won’t break this rule more than once to learn your lesson! There’s no such thing as a “done deal” until the deal is done. Additionally, this mindset may be exuded in your attitude. Be confident, be humble – but leave the arrogance to someone else.

Final Thoughts:

Some of your greatest accomplishments will occur as a result of simply following up. Woody Allen is famous for espousing the philosophy that 90% of success in life is just showing up. If you want to make a lasting impression and increase your business at the same time, differentiate yourself from your competition with timely follow up. Stay tuned for my next article on the most effective ways to follow up with your relationships.

To Your Success!

About Monte Resnick:

Monte Resnick is Founder and Chief Relationship Officer of Ambition Partners International, Inc. Ambition Partners is a highly specialized professional development and strategic consulting enterprise. The firm’s core focus involves transforming interpersonal relationships. Our greater mission is to teach clients the mindset, skill set and applications necessary to develop and expand their social capital. The net result is a measurable increase in revenues, relationships and productivity. Connecting with people is a timeless skill that has become even more critical to master in the age of information and technology.

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