There’s one very simple thing you can do that will exponentially increase your chances of success. 

It works no matter what you do for a living, no matter who your clients are, and no matter what service or product you offer.

Follow up.

That’s it.  Just follow up.

It’s simple, it’s extraordinarily effective, and yet it’s seldom done consistently, well, or even at all.

Why?  Because it tends to bring up feelings of insecurity and fear.  And insecurity and fear lead to procrastination and avoidance.

So instead of following up with people you’ve already met and customers you’ve already done business with, you exhaust yourself searching for new leads, tracking down new sources of referrals, hunting for new places to meet potential customers. 

After all, the people you’ve already met and done business with know where to find you.  If they need you, they’ll be in touch.  Right?  (Hint:  probably not!)

Sound familiar?

Some people go so far as to overlook direct requests to follow up.

A colleague of mine gave his business card to someone at a networking event. “Call me,” he said.  “I want to hire you for a project.” 

It was a guarantee of business – but he never heard a word.

Looking for a photographer to take photos for my website, I emailed three or four different people.  Only one responded.  Guess who got the business – and who I continue to refer more business to?

These scenarios may sound outlandish, yet I’ll bet you could describe more examples from your own experience.

How can you get better at following up?  Here are a few ways to make it easier – and to make it part of your routine.

Pay attention to your feelings

Unhelpful, self-sabotaging behavior arises out of some sort of fear.  In this case, it’s probably a fear of being rejected or being too pushy – or both.

When something feels threatening or fearful, most people turn away from it, trying to talk themselves out of it or trying to transcend it.

In the long run, that doesn’t work very well, as you’ve probably noticed. 

So if you find yourself avoiding follow-up tasks, stop and check in with yourself.

Feelings arise from thought.  Allow yourself to feel whatever you’re feeling – and then see if you can hear the thought underneath.  Don’t try to change anything.  Just notice.  That’s often all that’s needed to start change happening.

Allow yourself to not know

Experiencing the feeling and seeing the thoughts that create it may be enough to help dissolve your reluctance to take action.

But if you continue procrastinating on your follow-up tasks, you may be feeling as if you need to know what will happen before you write that email or pick up the telephone.

Of course, the truth is you don’t know.  There’s no way to know how someone will respond.

What’s the worst that could happen?  Pick up a pen and grab a piece of paper and write it all down.  All the dreadful things that might happen – from never getting an answer to your email, to having someone yell at you on the phone.

Bringing these thoughts into the light of day is so important to free yourself from them! 

Be compassionate

Those thoughts and the uncomfortable feelings they create often appear illogical and even silly when you really look at them. 

Don’t downplay your experience.  The discomfort and anxiety is real, and deserves to be seen and acknowledged.

Whether it’s a small child’s memories of rejection or an adult’s reluctance to be pushy, allow yourself to experience whatever it is you’re feeling.

And offer yourself compassion and comfort, just as you would to a friend.

Be practical

Networking events go on your calendar – there they are, scheduled, and there you are, dutifully attending.

But somehow, even when you’ve had great conversations with interesting people, the business cards you collected … just collect dust.  And unless you schedule time for follow-up, this can continue happening even after you’ve looked at the thoughts and feelings that create internal resistance and delays.

Schedule time the day after an event to follow up.  And schedule regular time during the week or month to follow up and re-engage with past customers and other people you haven’t talked with in a while.

It really is a simple process, and it can make such a huge difference to your success!

“When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another – and ourselves.”  Jack Kornfield, 1945-, American psychologist and Theravada Buddhist teacher