Many people say “thank you” when you send them a referral, a job lead or connect them with someone they want to meet. However, just as many forget to keep you in the loop as the lead matures and, especially, when they get the sale or the job. It’s as if they think once was enough.
My friend Joann’s experience is a good example. Several years ago, she passed on a solid, lucrative job lead to her friend who was in transition. She got the perfunctory “thank you.” Imagine Joann’s surprise when she picked up a business newspaper and saw her friend’s picture prominently displayed with a blurb about her new position. Never another thank-you or handwritten note, flowers … much less an offer of breakfast or lunch. Nothing, that is, until last month when her friend, who again is in transition, called to ask for help in her job search! Joann is not as motivated to help this time.
It’s not that people expect you to spend money to say “thank you.” What they would like is to be treated courteously and respectfully for the time and effort they expended helping you. Simple, occasional updates help show your appreciation.
These guidelines may help with your “thank yous.”
· Immediately follow up with a short e-mail/telephone note of thanks when you receive a job or sales lead or any other referral that eliminates another step in the six degrees of separation.
· After your first interaction or after the first meeting, again send a short e-mail to inform the person who made the referral that you have connected.
· If the process is prolonged, occasionally inform the person making the referral of your progress. That person, by the way, may be just the right one to intervene on your behalf and get the wheels moving again.
· Absolutely, unequivocally inform the person who gave you the lead when the sale is made or the job is offered/accepted! What possible reason that would you keep you mum at this point?
· If you landed employment or the sale is substantial, consider sending a small gift such as flowers, a box of (good) golf balls, a restaurant gift certificate etc. It is vital that the gift match the other person’s interest. Suggest breakfast or lunch if you know the person well enough and think she/he would be comfortable with that offer. Don’t suggest dinner as that can have a questionable connotation, particularly if the person is of the opposite sex.
· Optional: If the referral never pans out, you might after several months notify the person giving it that nothing conclusive happened.
One of the prevalent themes at an IT seminar I attended is that technology people are usually far better at dealing with data than with people. A panelist recalled how in graduate school he was given an assignment that assumed he had been promoted and had to prioritize his new inbox. He recalled being soundly reprimanded for choosing to put three congratulatory notes at the bottom of the list and not responding to them.
I hope you know better!
Author Resource:-
The Chicago Tribune calls her a networking expert and the Association Forum of Chicagoland calls her the business networking authority. Lillian is a speaker, trainer, skills coach & author who helps you build high-value relationships by honing business development, networking and communication skills. She’s author of Breakthrough Networking: Building Relationships That Last, 52 Ways To Break The Ice & Target Your Market, and the Nothing Happens Until We Communicate CD and workbook series. You can learn more about Lillian and her products at http://www.duoforce.com or by calling 630-983-5308
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