Following Through Puts You Ahead of Your Competition

As a self-employed professional, you should always be looking for ways to meaningfully differentiate yourself from your competition. This can be an arduous task, but the benefits make doing so very worthwhile. The great thing is that being different and standing out does not necessarily require a radical change in your business or services. It can be as easy as simply following through and staying in contact.

In all-too-many cases, people do not follow through. I can't comprehend this. Taking the time to drop a note in the mail, send a link by e-mail, or make a quick phone call can make all the difference in the way one is perceived by prospects, clients, and associates. Yet most professionals do not do these consistently.

Think about the impression made when you send a note that acknowledges having met someone. What would your clients think when they receive cards celebrating their birthdays? Conversely, how do you think they feel when you tell them that you will send a link to a web page and you don't?

Yeah, I know ... all this takes time. So does everything else that is worthwhile. You make time to deposit checks, right? You make time to send out invoices, don't you? It would be fool hearty not to make time to do a relatively simple, quick task that differentiates you from your competitors. And that's another point. Since follow-through does take time, your competitors aren't likely to do it ... not consistently anyway. And that's where you have an advantage.

Follow through whenever ... however you can. You'll soon see the results from your efforts.