Your Fortune Is In Your Follow-Up

“The fortune is in the follow-up.” If you are in sales or have studied sales at all, you may have heard that phrase, and it is true. In networking, as in sales, follow-up is crucial because it is a key to remaining top-of-mind with those in your network. Who you follow-up with, how you do this, and when to follow-up are important things to consider in your networking process because as your network grows, you can become overwhelmed by the options. Certain modes and methods are better suited to particular groups of people in your network, and thinking about how you will continue to engage with those specific groups will help you create systems to efficiently cultivate your network.

Even if you know that you should follow-up with your network, you may not know of the different types of follow-up, and you may not have considered different techniques of follow-up. In all of these cases, the primary reasons for the networking follow-up are the same: to grow your relationship and to remain of value to your network partner. This is different from sales follow-up where the primary purpose is to move a prospective buyer to the next step in a sales process, and this difference is important! If you mix the messages, you can confuse (or possibly offend) your networking partner.

Here I am going to suggest several different types of networking follow-up communications. And while this list is not exhaustive, it will help clarify your thoughts on connecting with your network. In a later note I’ll suggest various methods to implement these types.

The Check-In Follow-Up

The most basic follow-up is what I’m calling the “check-in”, as in “I’ve not heard from you in a while, I’m just checking-in to see how you are doing.” This is done to show you were thinking of someone, or perhaps another person asked you if you’d talked to this person recently. It may be that the partner offers a product or service you need now, and it’s been a while since you’d learned about it so you don’t even know if they are still in that business. The check-in is usually not expected by the partner, but you will find that most people enjoy receiving them.

The Check-Up Follow-Up

This is the post-interaction touch-base contact. It could be post-sale follow-up, but it also could be testing to make sure an email you sent was read or useful, or to see if the results of a suggestion you offered were as helpful as you hoped. Usually you have an additional goal with this follow-up: you want to get some feedback on their experience to correct your service, process, or product. If you prepare the partner for this check-up you are more likely to get the information you desire, so set the expectation of this follow-up during the prior interaction. Ask something like “is it okay if I follow-up with you next week about this?”

The Check-Back Follow-Up

In some ways, the check-back is the reverse of the check-up. Post-interaction, you contact the person who helped you to keep them apprised of the situation. Letting them know that your search continues, or that you solved the problem, or that you reached the person they suggested you call completes a task in the partner’s mind. They are more likely to give you more help in the future when they know the results of the help they gave you. This sort of follow-up requires diligence on your part. For most of us, once advice or help is received, we forget to give feedback to the giver. This is a mistake.

The Check-Out Follow-Up

One of the most powerful ways to build and maintain relationships is to continually offer items of value to the partner. The check-out follow-up is the process of sharing items of interest - “here, check this out...” or “I saw this and thought you’d like to know…” It reinforces the fact that you care (you took the time to send the follow-up), you pay attention (you found something you believe would add value to your partner), and that you value the relationship (you did this unprompted and not expecting anything in return). As you explore the world with “networking eyes and ears” you will learn of the interests, hobbies, and needs of others. You will also encounter resources that while they have little or no value to you could offer great value to others in your network. Share that information in a proper check-out follow-up and see what happens.

The Check-Off Follow-Up

People’s lives change. Perhaps they are no longer in a position to have the bandwidth to communicate the way you want them to. The check-off is the simple and kind way to respect the relationship and keep it available but on-hold for now. Just ask something like “I’ve not heard from you in a while, I respect you and I don’t want to be a pest… if you want me to stop trying to contact you, please let me know and I’ll stop.” The door is always open to continue the conversation, but now is not the time. Alternatively, the check-off could request a possible future date to continue the additional follow-up (something like “I’ll check back in 6 months to see how you are doing…).

The Thank You Follow Up

Staying top of mind with your network by appreciating them is the best form of follow-up. I highly recommend a short book on this topic: Appreciation Marketing by Tommy Wyatt and Curtis Lewsey. Properly appreciating your network partners is the surest way to encourage them to generate more of the referrals you want. The key here is “properly” - proper appreciation is sincere, specific, timely, appropriately personal, and positive. It says “thank you” for something & ONLY EXPRESSES APPRECIATION. How many times have you received a form letter thanking you for your business? How many times have you received a note of thanks that ends with a plea for a sale or another referral? All the good feelings the sender intended are reduced by the mixed message.

 And now, thank YOU for reading!

-Jeff Hexter

How Candidates With Disabilities Can Develop a Political Campaign

Patrick Young writes blog posts for The Job Search Center about special topics in career development for professionals. His insights come from his experience as an educator and activist for persons with disabilities. You can find out more about him and his work at https://ableusa.info/.

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Orchestrating a political campaign is a big job. From creating a team to support your political goals to getting to and from events, you’ll need to be creative when running for office if you have a disability. But thanks to trailblazing politicians and community resources, you can make it happen. Check out these insights.

Develop Your Team

You likely have tons of great ideas about your political campaign and how you’ll spend your time in office. But before you can get there, you’ll need the support of a cohesive and dynamic team, simply because nobody has the time and energy to do it all. Even if your social network is small, there are ways you can grow your campaign team.

For example, you can hire someone to handle tasks like speech writing, social media posts, and more. If you’re new to politics in general, research will also be a significant part of your pre-campaign prep work. In that case, hiring a highly skilled freelance researcher to learn more about the opposition and research policy initiatives could prove invaluable.

If you lack manpower or funds for all the help you need, there is, as they say, an app for that. Software can fill in other holes; Tatango helps send texts for timely messaging to your constituency, and TrailBlazer can act as a digital campaign manager. When push comes to shove, electronics can help.  

Know Your Platform

Like many other individuals with disabilities, you have plenty of unique knowledge about the challenges people in your community face. Though Quartz notes voters with disabilities are an often-overlooked demographic, your campaign should go beyond inclusion. Use your unique perspective to create a platform that speaks to all people, including diverse communities and populations.

As an example, you might advocate for stronger accessibility on the web and talk about your own experiences. If you feel uncomfortable discussing the issue, taking some classes in information technology can boost your confidence and knowledge base. Plus it will impress voters with your dedication to the cause.

Be Sure to Network

Once you develop your team and start your campaign, the need for networking doesn’t end. After all, you can’t expect voters to recognize you or vote in your favor if they’ve never heard of you. Here are some networking methods:

Via social media pages specific to people with disabilities. Make sure to make your messages about connecting—not just about getting support for your campaign. Think of ways you can help others before contacting them and take time to get to know them, too.

By canvassing door-to-door. Many political campaigns rely on grassroots campaigning, Thoughtworks explains, which involves starting in your local community and working your way up. This type of campaigning often means walking around a neighborhood, speaking with voters, and handing out fliers.

Through professional connections. Talking politics with your co-workers isn’t always fun. But when you’re passionate about a cause, spreading the word can garner support for your campaign.

Follow in the Footsteps of Politicians with Disabilities

While politicians with disabilities are a minority—only one in every 10 politicians—they do exist. Looking at how these politicians handled their campaigns and advertised their platforms can help you develop a political plan, too.

Past politicians have had disabilities such as epilepsy, blindness, combat injuries, and a long list of other conditions. One noteworthy example is Senator Tammy Duckworth, who sustained injuries in the Iraq War and is now a double-amputee and wheelchair user. Senator Duckworth has helped impact change in the form of policies to support veterans, families, and more.

Like Senator Duckworth, you can use personal experiences to inspire your platform and campaign. 

Spearheading a political campaign is challenging no matter who you are—or whether you have a disability. You’ll need the support of your team, your community, and donors to organize and implement a strong campaign. But with hard work and determination, there’s no reason you can’t go on to become a successful politician.

The Job Search Center is dedicated to helping you prosper; connect today for more tips and information that can help pave the way for your success!

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