RULE #16: IMPLEMENT THE FOLLOW-UP

"CONTINUOUS EFFORT, NOT STRENGTH OR INTELLIGENCE,

IS THE KEY TO UNLOCKING OUR POTENTIAL."
- WINSTON CHURCHILL

Money comes and goes, but true friends always remain. Invest everything you have into your network and the relationship will be reciprocal. We could be one follow-up away from a dramatic life change, yet most of the time we don't follow-up. Why is this? The reasons are all in our head, I assure you. If you think you're too busy, you're not.

You just need to prioritize better. If you think it doesn't matter, you are most likely self-sabotaging due to fear of rejection. If it feels fake, rethink your reasons for doing it and be sincere. If you think you have nothing to talk about, review the notes you took and find something. There are plenty of excuses for not taking this step, but none of them are valid.

There are tons of great ways to follow-up. You can: 1. Send an email. This may be best for the first follow-up.

2. Call them. If you exchanged numbers and you told them you'd call, pick up the phone and start dialing.

3. Send a video via email. This is a much more personal method that works really well if you're trying to build a strong relationship quickly.

4. Send a letter in the mail. This is a personal method of correspondence. If you were unable to give them a letter at the conference, sending them one in the mail is the next best thing.

5. Send them a gift. This works best with potential clients with whom you've established rapport.

Now you can complete the last four parts of the goal sheet.

Remember to personalize your follow-ups and show how you can help the person. When starting a business, getting a new job, or promotion, we usually remember our first supporter. Other reasons to reach out are for holidays, anniversaries, vacations, and birthdays. Be constantly aware of what your network is doing so you can always be the first to support, congratulate, or help whenever there's a chance. If you want to reach out to an influencer but are unsure how you can help, follow them on twitter or their blog. You'll be up to date on everything they're doing and it should be easy to at least come up with a way you could possibly benefit them.

The way in which you follow up with all of the people you meet will directly correlate with how much stronger your network grows. I can't stress this enough: if you fail to follow-up after a conference, it's almost as if you were never there.