Following up: your number one marketing resolution for 2011

To create real, actionable marketing resolutions for 2011, you need to do two things.

• First, you will need to review 2010 and figure out what worked and what didn’t work.
• Second, you should ask yourself what are you going to do differently this year to achieve your marketing goals?

If there is one thing most people could do differently is to follow up.  Few people go the extra mile. Recently, I have been looking for contractors for a couple of jobs in my house. Out of five contractors, three followed up. The two who didn’t follow up don’t have  snowball’s chance in Hawaii to do business with me. If they don’t even want to know whether I got their estimates or if I have any questions, clearly my business is just not that important to them.

To follow up  means doing your due diligence with a contact–any type of  contact. If you met someone at an event, follow up and make a second contact. If you left a voice mail or sent an email, and didn’t hear back, call again and make sure to speak to someone in person. If you sent a proposal or met with a lead, make sure to contact the lead soon after your initial interaction.

Not following up means that you don’t care enough to make the effort. Following up shows you care, that you are interested.

Again, marketing is not all about the great looking ad or the slick brochure. It is about personal interaction with the people who you want to buy your product or service.

So how about it, will you join me in resolving to make following up a marketing resolution in 2011?