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Public relations practice centers on building relationships and on building, establishing and maintaining a strong, positive reputation. The simplest and best thing that you can do for your business and organization in terms of your reputation and relationships is to show up and to follow up. This may seem like a no brainer, but I have found in my own business dealings and in conversations with colleagues and contacts that this seems to be an area in which we often seem to disappoint.
Follow up is a critical element to both establishing and maintaining any relationship. A great conversation with someone at a networking event isn’t likely to turn into business if you do not make contact to follow up within a reasonable time frame. Different people have different levels of patience. However, you should reach out and follow up while you are still fresh in the mind, which means – at most – within a few days when it comes to a networking event if not much sooner, especially if the conversation seemed likely to lead to business.
Follow up is important not only with new contacts but also with existing relationships. Your clients should be able to expect to hear back from you within a reasonable time frame. If you are extremely busy and know that it takes you some time to get back to them, you should set that parameter with your clients, potential clients and other contacts up front so that they are not disappointed or frustrated when they do not hear from you right away. Your clients are placing their trust in you and you need to be sure to deliver on that trust in order to maintain a strong relationship. You never know who is a potential client or source of a future referral so the best policy is to find a way to make sure you follow up on any opportunity, no matter how small the interaction may have seemed.
Showing up and being on time for a meeting may seem like common sense but, in practice, I have often waited on the person I am about to meet with and, unfortunately, I’ve had several meetings just recently where the other party simply didn’t show up, either because they forgot or they scheduled it wrong. If you know you aren’t the best about scheduling, make sure to set yourself reminders and confirm your meetings for the day in the morning. There is no easier way to lose a potential client or to tarnish your reputation than to not come to a first meeting.
Even if you are reading this and thinking, I’m not one of “those people,” you are probably thinking about the experiences that you have had with one of “those people.” We all get busy and juggle a lot of balls at the same time. Even if you think you are not one of “those people” it probably doesn’t hurt to assess how you follow up to be sure to stay on top of the game – building rather than breaking relationships.