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August 18, 2015 at 06:13 AM
You met someone at a party who is in a position to use your services. You had the “What do you do?” conversation, and you exchanged business cards.
If they are interested in learning more about how you might help them, you can just assume they’ll call you, right? I mean, if you contact them to try and learn more about their situation and tell them more about your work, they’ll think you’re needy or pushy, or that you have some ulterior motive, won’t they?
So, you don’t try to approach them and, although you’d hoped they were impressed and interested, they don’t call.
We give ourselves many reasons for not following up with the people we meet. We tell ourselves:
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If they’re interested, they’ll contact me.
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If I contact them, I’ll be seen as pushy.
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If I contact them, they’ll think I’m desperate for business.
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I have more immediate and more important things to do.
But all of these “reasons” are the work of the “but monster” – they’re simply excuses you make because you’re afraid of being rejected.
Let’s look at these excuses more closely:
1. If they’re interested, they’ll contact me.
On occasion, this does happen…but maybe they’ve misplaced your card and forgotten your last name, or maybe they just got too busy with their own work – especially if they could use the help! If they really seemed interested when you met, shouldn’t you contact them now before you’re sure that they aren’t?
2. If I contact them, I’ll be seen as pushy.
If you’re pushy, you’ll be seen as pushy. Contacting them is just a way of asking if they’d like to continue the dialogue you started with them.
3. If I contact them, they’ll think I’m desperate for business.
Most people view a follow-up contact as an expected business practice. They may or may not be receptive to it, but they will not see it as needy unless you make it appear that way.
