Earning Trust with the
24 Hour NEX STEP (Follow-Up)
By Dean Lindsay Author of Cracking the Networking CODE
Copyright 2009 www.DeanLindsay.com
The final step to Cracking the Networking CODE is to Earn Trust. You may not believe
this, but meeting people and making a solid first impression is the easy part. Earning
their trust is hard. Earning their trust takes a series of Progress -based Impressions.
So keep it up. Keep on keeping on being progress. Keep making great impressions.
This is why getting to know people and their interests during the first conversation is so
important. The more you know about them – their lives, their goals – the more ways you
can help them progress and earn their trust.
As Captain D. Michael Abrashoff, former commander of the USS Benfold, relates in his
book, It’s Your Ship, Trust makes money. Trust is the basis for profitable long-term
relationships. Building trust takes time. Trust is fragile and can be weakened by broken
promises and unrealistic expectations. So mean what you say and do what you say you
will do.
The power in building relationships comes from what you know about who you know,
and how you creatively use that knowledge. The more you know about someone in your
network, the more ways you can Be Progress for his or her life.
Find ways to help them progress based on their needs – not on your services. People
want to be in relationships with people who bring progress into their lives. They trust
people who continually bring progress into their lives.
My definition of trust is the Promise of Progress.
People must trust that you care and offer value. There must be benefits gained from
being in a relationship with you, or there will be no relationship. As relationships
blossom, continue to look for ways to establish yourself as a Progress Agent ™ in their
lives.
It is vital to get that second progress-based impression in quick.
Follow up by e -mail, snail mail, or phone within 24 hours. You want to get the second
progress-based impression in quick to build on the momentum of the first. The longer
you wait, the harder it is and the more likelihood that the buzz of meeting you will have
waned. It is vital that you include in your follow-up something specific to the initial
conversation you had with the contact.
www.DEANLINDSAY.com Insights from Cracking the Networking CODE by Dean Lindsay

www.DEANLINDSAY.com Insights from Cracking the Networking CODE by Dean Lindsay
Most people do not follow up because they have nothing to say that builds on the
conversation – because there was no real conversation! They did not learn anything that
they can use to build on. They did not find the next step. A good fast follow-up that
builds on the first conversation and offers progress sets you apart from the rest. It is
strategic communication that begins to solidify your relationship.
Here are the three major follow-up methods for solid progress-based second impressions:
The Follow-up Phone Call
Making follow -up phone calls is good, but you will probably end up in voice mail.
When you do (and you will), start and end your message with your name and phone
number. If you are given the opportunity to listen to your voice message and redo it, take
it.
Say your name and number slowly and distinctly, without “swallowing” any words or
syllables. Assume that the person listening remembers you, enjoyed your time together,
and wants to write your number down and get in contact with you. Include a compliment
or a statement that refers back to the conversation you shared.
The Follow -up E-mail
There is no doubt that e -mail is a powerful, inexpensive, and widely used means of
communication today. I like e -mail. It provides you with access that the phone and
snail mail do not. The same people who ignore phone messages may well respond to e -
mail. The secret is to create e -mails that are personal and focus on the relationship you
have started with them – not on what your company does.
And make sure all your e -mails include the address to your own or your company’s Web
site. Don’t have one? Get one, a good one. People often will check out your Web site
just because you make it easy for them by including it in your correspondence. Most
people are curious and your Web presence can serve as another positive impression that
builds trust.
The Follow-up Note
Sending a follow -up note is a solid way to build a new relationship. Short, upbeat, and
handwritten would be ideal (as long as your writing is legible!). It would also be ideal to
send one to everyone you meet (tough to pull off, but ideal).
Again, begin with a compliment or a statement that refers back to the conversation you
shared. Keep the tone upbeat and end by suggesting that the two of you get together for
breakfast or lunch.
www.DEANLINDSAY.com Insights from Cracking the Networking CODE by Dean Lindsay

www.DEANLINDSAY.com Insights from Cracking the Networking CODE by Dean Lindsay
Many feel that a follow-up written thank-you note is better than a follow -up e-mail. A
real signature in ink on real notepaper may take a couple of days to get to them, but it has
the potential of being much more memorable than an e-mail.
To meet the 24 -hour follow-up timeline, try taking some thank-you stationery or note
cards with stamps to networking events. Write, address, and mail the notes directly
following the event to the people you just met.
Crack the Networking CODE.
Be Progress. Spotlighted as an OUTSTANDING SPEAKER by the International Association of
Speakers Bureaus and
Recognized as a ‘Sales-and-Networking Guru’ by the Dallas Business Journal, Dean Lindsay 's best selling
business book, Cracking the Networking CODE: 4 Steps to Priceless Business Relationships is
Recommended Reading by the United Professional Sales Association and Profit magazine.
\\
For more information on Cracking the Networking CODE,
log onto: www.DeanLindsay.com or call 214-457-5656.
Also available at www.Amazon.com.
Watch Dean on YouTube at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheProgressAgent