Here's your NoSpin Debunker for July 14, 2003

Follow-up and Follow-through as Primo Business Skills

Two of the best qualities of any businessperson are his/her follow-up and follow-through. If you're evaluating employees, vendors, prospects, partners, etc I highly advise that you find out how well those candidates follow-up and follow-through. And if you want to differentiate yourself in the workforce, improving your follow-up and follow-through is a way to set yourself apart from the pack-because so few sales, marketing, and other business people do either very well. These are skills that are key at every level from CEO to VP of Marketing or Sales to administrative staff.

People who follow-up and follow-through are invaluable folks who "fill gaps." Almost magically, they seem to accomplish a lot more than others around them. But it's really not magic: it's discipline and hard work. They figure out creative ways to do things, they pay attention, they know what's important and what's not, and they communicate. They probably have their own faults but are still worth their weight in gold because they get things done: they follow-up and follow-through.

Definitions

Webster's defines follow-through as "the continuing of a process, activity, etc to completion."

...and follow-up as
designating or of anything that follows something else as a review, addition, etc.
(A related term, "follow-on," is defined as designating or of anything that follows something else as a consequence or natural development.)

"Follow-up"is probably a subset of "follow-through," but I'm not going to get into a semantics argument. That's not the point of this Debunker. I am going to modify Webster's definitions a bit:

Follow-up is 1) checking back to make sure that that the next step(s) happens that leads to getting the job (or process, activity) done and 2) monitoring and reporting on the next step(s) toward that objective(s).

Follow-through is actively taking the next step(s) yourself to get the job (or process, activity) done.

In the past I've used both terms interchangeably. They do go hand-in-hand and are related-but are not exactly the same. Both are critical business skills.

Follow-up

First, the excuses why it doesn't happen:

  • Why should I bother?
  • It's a waste of time-that I don't have.
  • I shouldn't have to baby-sit other adults.
  • It's not my responsibility.
  • If I did, I'd never get anything else done.
Wrong on all counts Here's a more constructive approach to your everyday work: assume that nothing will happen in your business unless you (in the context of your purview) regularly check on it, monitor it closely, and make it visible to others. Most people do not innately follow-up. That's just the way it is. If you're lucky, you've got one or two or maybe even a handful of employees/colleagues that NEVER need to be checked and who always know what needs to be done next. But they are the exceptions. Same with prospects, clients, vendors, partners-and others. Assume that follow-up is YOUR responsibility-not someone else's.

Follow-up is a two-way street. For example, if you're buying services from a vendor, you'd better check in regularly and monitor how your money is being spent. On the flip side, it's a bad idea to assume that a client is going to do something just because they are paying you. It's in your court to check in with them as often as it takes to keep your work moving--and that they know what they have to do and by when. Sometimes, you'll be perceived as a pain-in-the-butt. But what's really important? Getting the job done well or winning a popularity contest?

We're not talking about checking, monitoring and reporting for its own sake or just to fill time with busywork or act as Big Brother--but rather take the initiative to regularly let others know (and know that you know) what the story is on a project or other work activity. Follow-up done well:

o Keeps work on track and on schedule until the job is done
o Reminds the right people what is going on and what they need to do next
o Tells people exactly what you're doing
o Highlights what has been accomplished
o Facilitates follow-through

There are lots of good tools to help in the process of follow-up, but it still comes down to individual people and individual initiative.

Follow-through

Follow-through is actively taking the next step(s) yourself to get the job (or process, activity) done.

An alternative definition is "Doing what you say you're going to do-or what is supposed to be done in the agreed timeframe-and if you can't, following-up to indicate why as well as the next steps and timeframe." Few projects, processes, or other work activities come off without a hitch. Rather, the point in following-through is to keep moving forward, take corrective action when necessary, communicate, and actively work to get the job done-on time.

Excuses for NOT following-through parallel those for not following-up: too busy, not enough time, not my responsibility, not my problem, etc. Most of these excuses are born out of laziness, arrogance and incompetence. Not following-through is a cardinal business sin. Here is a sampling of examples of NOT following-through, and there are hundreds more:

o A company starts getting a host of new website leads, but the sales people either do not follow-up (or don't follow-up for several days) on the majority or make one call or email-and then assume there is no interest.

o A group discusses the same topic for developing a new service line four months later. Everyone said it was a great idea for a new revenue opportunity four months ago and again now, yet nothing happened then or now.

o An employee comes to a meeting and does not address what he was asked, takes too much time presenting, and is puzzled why tasks that he was assigned a couple weeks earlier are still not done.

o A top manager fails to show up for a key meeting with a prospect that has flown in from out of town-and neglected to notify anyone of her absence until it was too late to tell the prospect.

o A prospect shows a lot of interest in your product/service and then never bothers to return a phone call or email re: the proposal that you've sent.

o A client invests a lot of money in a brand new website but does not deliver any of the content components that were agreed on. What is provided is not only late, but basically junk. Then the client complains the project is off target and costs too much.

o A client puts up a new website, refuses to follow even the first basic recommendation on how to build traffic, and then wonders why site gets no visitors.

o Another client signs off on a marketing plan, does not return phone calls or emails regarding implementation, and then complains that they are not getting their money's worth.

o A customer follows protocol in trying to get an immediate answer from a help desk and hears nothing for more than 24 hours--and then is put on hold.

o A vendor not only makes a mistake overcharging for a printing job but then does not deliver proofs that he swears would be on time (for the 3rd time)-and does not bother to return phone calls about the delay.

These are just a few things I've personally seen happen, but there have been hundreds more failures in follow-through that I've been a witness to over my 25+ years in business. And I'm sure that you've seen your fair share as well. Some of you are probably saying that these are problems with systems, and that can be part of the story. But the main problem is lack of follow-through on the part of individuals. Always bad business.

Set An Example

Nothing chaps my you-know-what more than business people not following-up and following-through: co-workers (above and below), prospects, clients, partners, and vendors. In my NoSpin Marketing business I'm trying to avoid those types, but it is an ongoing challenge. The best you can do is to set a personal example and hope that it rubs off on a few others-and try to spot, early on, as many of those people as possible that don't follow-up and don't follow-through. Cut 'em loose, and your workweek will be a bit easier, more enjoyable, and more successful.

A final observation: Almost every business is a vendor, a client, and a partner. People who don't do a good job of follow-through and follow-up with their vendors typically don't follow-up and follow-through with their clients or partners either. Avoid them like the plague.

This summer if you need a dose of reality in your marketing approach, a new website that brings in real prospects, or an outsourced marketing department please email or contact me at 615.383.7157.