Are You Letting Relationships Slip?

By Diana Long 

Relationship Check-Up Time! How are you doing in this department? Do you know that relationships are key to your personal and professional success?

Here's an example of what I mean: A few days ago I placed a call to inquire about a service I was interested in purchasing. It's been 3 days and I haven't gotten a call-back! I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt by calling back after the weekend to ensure that my original message was indeed received.

I hope that they will dazzle me on Monday by being super responsive or I will be taking my business elsewhere. How responsive are you? Do you have systems in place so that you are following up and following through with the many types of relationships that you have?

We have the best of intentions, don't we? To follow through with new people we meet, stay in touch with our colleagues and far away friends.

We want to enjoy close relationships with our important family members and friends. Yet, somehow, time slips by and so do our good intentions!

Yikes, what to do?

To live the good life, one that is rich both personally and professionally, it is crucial that we pay attention to our relationships, whether it's a brand new prospect or our marriage partner. Relationships need a regular dose of attention! Here are 3 Tips to Improve Your Follow Up. Add these to your life and you'll stop letting opportunity and satisfaction slip by!

3 Tips To Improve Your Follow Up

1.  Thank You Cards - Have a stack of thank you cards, stamped and ready to go for timely notes of appreciation. The handwritten note is vastly underrated and underused. Think about how excited you get when you receive a handwritten note in the mail. It stands out from all the other mail doesn't it? (A new service I'm using is www.SendOutCards.com)

2.  Have a system for capturing your new business contacts that you meet at networking events, biz trips and conferences. Jot a note on the back of each card as a reminder of what was discussed. Create and save a "Follow-Up Email Template" that you can adjust accordingly. Easy.

3. Designate a time every day to return phone calls and return emails. Periodically review your rolodex and surprise someone with a quick phone call, an interesting article, or flowers for a loved one. They'll feel great you remembered them and you will too!

My wise grandma once told me, "What you put into something, is what you will get out of it." It's really that simple. Enrich your life by having systems in place to feed and nurture all the important relationships in your life. Your quality of life and your bank account will flourish!