Don’t Ghost This Halloween (or Anytime)
We’ve all known this frustration—you meet someone new, have a wonderful conversation, then never hear from them again. Making new contacts is all well and good, but you need to follow up in order for those connections to stick.
So, how do you it? I used to think that people had a natural ability to remember to follow-up and keep in contact. I thought that they had it all in their brain! I thought that having a system was disingenuous. At the beginning of my career, the term “ghosting” didn’t exist—but the act did. In those days, I probably did ghost people, mostly unintentionally.
Creating systems will keep you on track. Here are some tips that you can implement so that you are not known as a ghoster:
Process of elimination: Unless you have specifically promised to follow-up with someone, you don’t have to.
For those you do want to follow up with, bend a corner of their business card, and stick it in your pocket or bag. This will help you prioritize who you need to follow up with. (I spied this trick when I noticed a colleague doing this as he put a card in his pocket during a networking function.)
Use the Notes function on your phone to jot down talking points or questions right after chatting with someone. I do this a lot. It helps me remember the why, or what I promised to follow-up with.
Create your own database. Even President Lincoln had a system. I recall seeing a portfolio he used that had the months broken down where he put notes to remind him to reach out.
It may sound like a lot, however if you take the time to create a tracking system, it will save time on the other end. Many times I have to scour my pile of cards, LinkedIn, and/or email to find that person later on. And I curse myself for not doing it in the beginning!
Have a follow up tip? Let me know at jankostner@gmail.com and I’ll share in a future blog.
