3 Things To Do To Rock The Follow Through

Not to sound ambiguous, but here's a question: Do you find yourself spending so much time focused on an event, day, phone call, interview, etc. that a week goes by and you realize that nothing has happened after that event?

I am finding myself getting close to this being a routine with work, and in life; that I spend time working with teams for planning a big event, twitter chat, live hangout, and more, and the only focus is on "the thing."

What happens once "the thing" is done and over? People go home, they get back into their daily lives, you fall back on routine, and the influence of the interactions during "the thing" fades away quickly.

So I did some thinking of what could I do, that are practical steps, to make sure that I'm not forgotten after "the thing" and the momentum of it doesn't die too quickly. So here's a list of three things that I have started implementing to stand out, and not be too quickly forgotten:

1. Thank You

After a twitter chat, I make sure to thank everyone who re-tweeted my tweets, or mentioned me and interacted with me. I set my time limit to do so within 12 hours of the twitter chat. The same goes for interactions with meeting new people, or attending an event. Bonus: write a thank you card. It's such a rare occurrence now, that the time involved shows how much the interaction meant to you.

2. The Takeaway

A big thing for events that I help plan and work on is (creating this before the event) a takeaway. An epub to re-emphasize what was learned in the event, a business card that is unique with a meeting, just something tangible that you can pass along keeps the conversation going, and showcases your commitment.

3. Something Free

This is like a takeaway, but not necessarily needing to happen right away. Give away something free to people you meet, or who planned an event you attended. Free swag, a small gift (something that your intended recipient would actually use, no more flash drives please) shows thoughtfulness and that can mean a lot to people.

We're very dismissive and very busy in all of our lives, and any little thing to show your not just going through the motions really enhances the experience of meeting you.

Let me know what you think, and share your follow ups!