One of the biggest complaints I hear from my network and audiences I speak to is the ability, mainly finding time, to stay connected. I totally get it, I struggle with this myself. Yes, I admit that I struggle with the very thing my clients and the people I network with struggle with. Imagine that!
Have you ever found that you can give great advice, but sometimes you stop following what works best for yourself? You know it works, but for some reason, whether you get busy, distracted, become lazy (yes, I said lazy), or just plain bored with doing the same old thing, you stop using the systems you’ve set in place to help you stay focused on what’s important.
Systems are great for a reason, they work. Systems help us keep our businesses manageable and they also help us grow. When it’s time to hire help having systems makes it a lot easier to train someone to step in and take the functions over that you no longer have time for.
I have a system that worked beautifully before my virtual administrator quit and went back to school. After she quit I was able to keep up with it myself because I had a system, then somewhere along the line (Busy or bored? Not sure.) I stopped using it. Maybe it was to prove something to myself…follow up is a must, my business suffers when I don’t.
The follow up system I have is simple enough to follow and it really does work. I am able to keep in touch with people I’ve connected with, follow up with people who want to connect again later, and deepen relationships with those in my network because my system helps me to share relevant information with the people I know.
My business truly did suffer when I stopped using my follow up system and in all honesty so did my emotional well-being. I am a people person and I enjoy connecting people and being connected. When I stopped being intentional about my follow up, my network started to wonder what happened to me.
“Follow up = opportunity.”
I may have even lost business. Missing out on connections because of my lack of follow up may have cost me a few speaking opportunities, one for a corporate event and another for a national association looking for someone to fill in for a speaker who had to cancel last minute. Because I had not followed up regularly, I was no longer top of mind when these opportunities came up.
So, back to my system I go. I am working with my system once again. Restoring old relationships and building new ones. Keeping in touch is key, even with a newsletter or quick social media message. Taking a few minutes each day to reconnect is on my list. I also block out time on my calendar after networking meetings for follow up. This has been a huge help because I no longer have to find time. As soon as I put an event on my calendar I schedule the follow up too.
If you want a system for staying connected and building better relationships with your network, download “Your Follow Up System to Success” for free. It’s the system I use to stay successfully connected to amazing people like you.
Wishing you much success,
Laura
