It’s a good question. I come across different opinions all the time. Some folks say it isn’t important, while others say it is. Personally, I like to look at any activity or task from the perspective of what beneficial impact it will have on maintaining and nurturing one’s relationships. Because your relationships are very personal and hold different meanings, depending on who you are and what you do, the answer to the question of importance can only differ from person to person. I will share some thoughts and then ultimately let you decide for yourself what is most appropriate for your relationships.
I have fewer arguments about the value of sending follow-up emails than about the challenges of getting them sent. So let’s take a look at this rather intriguing problem.
Have you ever come to the conclusion that it would be great for your business if you wrote a follow-up email for every meeting you attended or led? Yes? You start by making a commitment and launch into it right away. The first few days go really well. You are even getting great feedback for your effort. Then less than 2 weeks into it, fires break out that require your full attention. You put out those fires but you also successfully put out the “fire” for writing and sending your follow-up activities to meetings. You probably do not even notice until weeks later. Sound familiar? It’s the old story of the failed attempts of creating new habits.
The best follow-up emails are those that simply get written and sent.
Here is what helps to keep sending these follow-up emails:
Ok, let’s assume you solved the issue of getting the emails out, but what content makes a follow-up email great?
The best follow-up emails are written with gratitude, are personal, show that you are competent and 100% genuine.
It’s best to strip an email down to its components.
Let’s get pragmatic and take a look at best practice through some examples :
EXAMPLE 1
“COPY/PASTE and Twitter Length Follow-up”
Better than nothing, but not a winner
“Hi Sachin,
Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. I enjoyed it very much and I look forward to meeting you again.
Cheers, Patrick”
—————–
The “Thank You” Component
Saying thank you is a given, most people do it in a follow-up email. So, why even mention it? Because there are two ways of saying thank you; one is just saying it and the other is meaning it. More importantly, you want to make it feel real. One is a standard phrase, the other is a little more thoughtful.
Think of it as the difference between “What’s up” and “How are you doing today? You seem to be quite happy.”
Using sentences like “I really appreciated the time you spent with me today. I hope it was time well spent for you too.” or “Let me start by saying thank you for your time today” are a good place to start. If you can fortify these statements by adding reasons why you are thankful, it’s even better. “I learned a lot today from your suggestions” or “I feel I will be able to act upon the advice you offered” are good examples. The key is to make sure your recipient perceives that you are genuine.
EXAMPLE 2
“Short And Sweet”
A brief message that connects on a personal level
“Hi Sachin,
Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. I enjoyed it very much, and was particularly intrigued by your passion for tea. As you know, I love tea as well, and it’s not every day that I run into someone who appreciates a great cup of tea. I look forward to meeting you again.
Cheers, Patrick”
—————-
The Common Ground Reference Component
Add a sentence about what you enjoyed most during the meeting. This has several benefits:
EXAMPLE 3
“Best Practice Follow-up”
“Hi Sachin,
Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. I enjoyed it very much, and was particularly intrigued by your passion for tea. As you know, I love tea as well, and it’s not every day that I run into someone who appreciates a great cup of tea.
Besides the getting to know you a lot better, there are the key take-aways from our meeting:
If I left out any important aspects of our conversation, please let me know.
I look forward to meeting you again.
Cheers, Patrick”
—————-
The Key Take-aways Component
This is your opportunity to show that you are doing your homework and that you are committed to investing into this relationship by going the extra mile to capture the results. The results summed up will underscore that it was a productive meeting and give confidence that there will be follow through on your part. Besides these benefits, you also get an informal agreement to which you can refer to in the future and which will allow you to follow-up if the next steps get stuck.
My final advice: focus on the components of a great follow-up email – not just the examples listed here. They might not be right for you. The most important rule in NRM (Network Relationship Management) is that you are genuinely yourself. If you are inclined to say: “I would never write this”, than simply think about how you would express gratitude, point out common ground, and sum up your key takeaways. We all have our own style and this is an opportunity to find yours.
Article Written by Patrick Ewers
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