Are You a Follow-up Failure?

True story: A well-connected coach and career development expert volunteered her services at a large career fair. During the event, she worked with 26 job seekers individually and talked to maybe seven more.

Each person she met took her card, and many scribbled notes on the back. The expert also offered several an introduction to someone who could further their job search – if they'd just email her to get the ball rolling.

You probably see where this story is going. Five days later, only two people had followed up. Even more painful – a friend in the expert's network had an opening perfect for one of the seekers. But the seeker had no card and hadn't followed up. Opportunity missed. Ouch.

Why do we fail to follow-up, especially when it's in our best interest? In an informal survey of friends and clients, here are the top excuses I heard:

1. "I didn't have time."
Sure, we're all busy (or at least appear to be – see my article Breaking the Busy Bias). But if you're investing your time, energy and money in a professional event like a conference, business meeting, or career fair, why wouldn't you make sure that investment pays off by following up on connections you've made?

Here's a tip to make sure you have time. When you mark a meeting or event on your calendar, also block out another 5-10 minutes the day after for follow-up. Or, keep a running list of follow-ups (or a dedicated pocket for business cards/slips of paper reminders) and schedule time to handle all of them at once.

Short emails can take minutes. Phone calls usually pop to voicemail, which, when most effective, are brief, too. Even a written thank-you takes ten minutes max, especially if you keep notecards and stamps on hand. So you've got the time – now just use it.

2. "I wasn't sure what to do/write/say."
Every business card represents a real live person. Would you be so clueless if you were still standing face-to-face with them? Probably not.

Start with the basics. "It was great to meet you" is certainly appropriate."Thanks for your time" works for all, as does "I hope you enjoyed the [place-we-met]." "I'd like to stay in touch" is good – especially if you do!!

(Remember that a great stay-in-touch mechanism is LinkedIn! But rather than sending its pre-populated message "I'd like to invite . . .." take a second to customize your request: "Great to meet you Tuesday at the Hoo-Ya Conference! I'd like to invite . . . ")

Most importantly, if there was an action or opportunity you really want to keep alive, remind them of it. Unless you're incredibly memorable, don't assume they can recall everything they've said to everyone (for example, the expert above met over 30 people in one day.) A reminder is not a criticism. Then make it easy to move forward by suggesting a specific next step – a call or a coffee are safe bets.

3. "I don't want to seem pushy/desperate/needy."
Why do you care? Seriously, we tend to guess how people are going to judge us before we actually give them the chance to!

In a world increasingly longing to connect, many people are more than willing to help when asked, to introduce others to their colleagues, and to turn a new acquaintance into a friend.

In fact, the expert described above, like many professionals today, is committed to supporting and connecting others, especially in our tough economic environment. So while you might think your request is pushy, your connection, like this expert, might value the opportunity to serve.

4. "No one followed up with me – why should I?"
Yes, even if you are a follow-up rockstar, it's the sad truth that others are not. (Duh – that's why this article is here!) Don't dumb-down your strength based on what others do. Follow-up efforts make you stand out – and others sit up and take notice.

The story above has a happy ending for one job seeker who did follow-up. The expert (okay, it was me) immediately connected the seeker to a colleague in her industry who was happy to share insights and leads. For the cost of the seeker's short, 50-word email ($0, three minutes max), she created a fresh connection to new possibilities. Now that's a return on investment!!