The Problem of Inconsistent Follow-Up

The other day, one of my clients, Steven, a consultant who connects companies with financing for major projects and improvements, admitted that he has been lax about following up with his partners. His partners tend to be the companies that provide the improvement services—contractors, construction companies, appliance companies, and the like. He said to me, “I think I should send out an e-mail or a flyer or something.”

“Steven,” I said, “what is the first thing that you think when you receive a piece of marketing from a company you haven’t heard from in a long time?”

“That they’re hard up for business.”

“Exactly.”

What he needed to do was not to send out an e-mail when his business slowed down, but instead to create a keep-in-touch strategy and system. When you don’t have a regular keep-in-touch system in place, you will look like you need or want something when you do keep in touch. And it will probably be true. You’ll think to follow up only when you need business. Then when you follow up, it may come across negatively, as in Steven’s example. Or you won’t do it for fear of coming across negatively. Or you’ll do it but you won’t feel good about it and won’t get the results you want.

In contrast, when people are used to regularly receiving high-quality content and information from you, three important things happen:

• You build trust and further your relationship with them.

• They see your keep-in-touch as providing value rather than as trying to sell something.

• They don’t mind when you occasionally do try to sell something.

We need to, therefore, create a strategy and a plan for staying in touch with your prospective and current partners and clients on a regular basis.