True story: I recently spent about two weeks with ten companies on a ship, traveling from Morocco to Spain whilst working with these companies on their businesses. Four weeks after the voyage only one of the entrepreneurs we worked with has followed up. And with follow up I don’t even mean “follow up in some elaborate way” but sent a simple one-line email. One. Out of ten companies and about 25 entrepreneurs. Meanwhile all the other mentors and staff have followed up.
This is a surefire way to piss people off.
I feel I start to sound like a broken record. So here it is in all clarity:
Always follow up. If someone does something, anything, for you, you follow up. If you meet some, you follow up. Always. Without any exception. And if it’s only a one liner — you follow up.
Trust me — this will be the most powerful thing you will do for your business and career. Ever.
Here’s my challenge for you today: Follow up with someone whom you recently met, someone who did something for you, someone who helped you, someone who made an intro for you. Do it within the next 5 minutes. No excuse.
And don’t send me an email — that’s cheating.