Mini-Course Day 4: Follow Up

Two years ago, I went searching for a dog at the local pound. Little did I know that in adopting that black lab puppy, I would be adopting one of the best salesmen I have ever encountered. From the moment our pairs of eyes met, I knew he was the dog for me. Even though there were 5 or 6 other black labs who looked just like him in that glass-wall room, there was something different about Knight. He seemed like a loyal, friendly, and trustworthy companion.  I couldn’t put my finger on it at the time, but in any event, he had me sold.

One of the most important principles in sales and marketing is persistence and follow-up. I recently went looking for a photographer online for my upcoming wedding. I searched for a photographer in Detroit, and came up with about 100 different photographers. I narrowed it down to 15 by going through some websites. I then sent out an email to all 15 to fill out a questionnaire I had prepared – 8 replied via email, 4 of which followed up with phone calls as well. Right off the bat, from 15 photographers I was down to only 4 for the simple reason that those were the four who put the effort into winning my business. After a week or so, I continued to get phone calls from one photographer to make sure I didn’t need any other information. He built a personal relationship with me, a feeling of trust, and credibility through that follow up. The same goes for the job search.

Trust

When you follow up with someone, you get to know the person and therefore develop a feeling of trust. Although trust is subjective, there are things you can do to develop trust in your potential clients (recruiters). When you go to a store, and you have that commissioned salesman who is nagging you about the sale – you just feel annoyed because you know that the salesperson is just looking to make a buck. What you are looking for, are signs of an honest person you can trust.

For example, my dog has these big, expressive eyes. When I’m eating at the dinner table, he will walk up, sit down next to me, put his head down on my lap and just look up at me with his big brown eyes. Although I know that he is looking for some table scraps, he doesn’t make it obvious that he is begging. He just sits there, and makes his presence known. When I do give him some food, he is very appreciative. The visual cues he gives me develop a sense of trust. To learn more about these visual cues, read up in my system.

Credibility

When you follow up with someone, via telephone, a letter, or even an email, you create a sense of credibility with your customer (recruiter) - it allows the recruiter to put a face to your name. When you follow up, you reveal to the recruiter things that you probably would not think about. Even if you never speak to them during your follow up in person and you just leave a voice message, think about everything you accomplish: you show them that you are not afraid to pick up the phone and call someone you don’t know; that shows confidence and maturity and maybe even leadership; it shows that you are determined to get the job, and you are willing to put a lot of effort into getting it even with the knowledge that you might not get it in the end; it also shows that you really want this job, and you feel like this job is worth the effort.

And if you do happen to catch the person, talk about some personal things so they remember you. The photographer who got my business talked to me about his son and family, other people he photographed, his career, places he’s lived, and this was all in a single 5-7 minute initial conversation with him. I’m not even sure if he even mentioned photography in the first phone conversation. And yet, he still developed a sense of credibility and dependability in speaking to me.

Relationship

Make sure that you develop a relationship with your customer before you try to make the “sale” – this is business 101. You need to work towards developing a relationship to learn something or to network with people in the business.

Who knows how long you will have your current job, or whether you will need to find a new one somewhere else. Even if you don’t get this job, you still have a relationship with someone in the business. Maybe this person will be able to teach you something about your future career, or even refer you to a friend he knows is looking for someone like you! If another job ever comes up with that person, you might be getting an unexpected phone call, especially if you keep following up with them.

I bought my diamond engagement ring for my fiancé from a husband and wife my parents knew through their business. Since then, they have sent me Christmas cards, followed up with phone calls, and have asked my fiancé and me to dinner at their house. They don’t have to do this, but they want to maintain the relationship. Also, since then, I have referred 3 friends who were also looking to buy engagement rings because we had a good relationship. Needless to say, I will also be buying my wedding bands from them, and any future jewelry I ever need.

It’s all about networking!

Just remember, that getting a job is not just a simple equation of knowing how to write a resume, answer questions, or send the right cover letters like most traditionalists will tell you. There is this whole “soft side” to getting a job that can really distinguish you from the next guy. Remember, anyone can follow instructions on how to write a resume… not everyone knows how to interact with your recruiters in the most influential ways.

So remember to create a feeling of trust, credibility, and maintain the relationship with everyone.