If we could train lawyers on one thing, it would be the importance of following up (and being unashamed about it).
It’s so often overlooked in favour of the next opportunity, usually before the lawyer has capitalised on the first opportunity, and if left unchecked, it will result in BD burnout (and not a lot of work).
An example:
You meet an interesting person at an industry event. You hit it off and agree to follow up in due course about some of the things you discussed – they had a specific issue that falls right in your wheelhouse.
You mark the event as a success – it generated at least one opportunity.
A few days later, you send a tailored email referencing some of the things you discussed and suggesting a call to work out how you might be able to help.
You don’t hear back.
You feel uncomfortable and wonder whether you had your wires crossed; maybe they weren’t really interested in your services? Maybe they looked you up and weren’t impressed by your website profile? Maybe they no longer have an issue and don’t need your support.
You leave it, thinking, ‘If they’re interested, they’ll get in touch’.
The chances are they won’t get back in touch.
Because they’re busy, not because they’re not interested, don’t need your services or weren’t impressed by you.
Think of how many times you’ve forgotten to respond to a loved one or a close friend – the most important people in your world. It’s only natural that potential clients are equally as busy and distracted.
A wise person once said to me: ‘we are shepherds of the whole process’.
Follow-up is a bit like a muscle that needs to be worked before it becomes accustomed to certain exercises – the more you do it, the more natural it will feel.
It will likely feel uncomfortable at first, as if you are bothering the other person, but trust me when I say this is how business is done.
How to nail your BD follow-up:
The easiest solution is to book in the next interaction before the first one is finished. Agree on when you’ll speak next and send the appointment straight afterwards. If not:
- Add the contact on LinkedIn if you haven’t already with a personal message
- Diarise to get back in touch after your first contact, a maximum of 7 days later
- Set aside a couple of hours – email, send a message on LinkedIn or pick up the phone
- If you’re feeling particularly uncomfortable, spend some of that time researching the contact’s industry and come up with something in your armoury e.g. a useful report
(I particularly like to use LinkedIn for this – using it to source something to reference such as ‘I saw you were at [x] last week, I couldn’t make it’ etc) - Do this at least one or two more times, leaving more time in between each follow-up
- I usually recommend three follow-ups, more if one was sent during half term/summer/Christmas
It’s as simple as that.
Instead of focusing on your own narrative or limiting beliefs, send that follow-up – you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
We often tell the partners and associates we work with that we’d rather them do one thing well with strategic follow-up than five things without any follow-up; it’s where the magic happens.
