What number of alternatives have you ever missed since you didn’t observe up?

Do you ever want to return in time and smack some knowledge into your former self?

There’s one ability I want I had mastered from the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey — the artwork of following up. Now, I do know it doesn’t sound as glamorous as being charismatic or having strategic considering, however let me let you know, it’s the key sauce of entrepreneurial success. Following up is the way you wiggle your method again into somebody’s busy thoughts, seize their consideration, and get shit carried out!

The ability of following up turned crystal clear to me whereas working carefully with the CEO of Medal.television, Pim de Witte. I used to be Medal.television’s COO following the acquisition of my firm Megacool.

Pim was a grasp of relentless follow-ups, utilizing them to take care of momentum and create urgency in fundraising and partnership conversations. We made it a rule to observe up inside 24 hours, even when we didn’t have all of the requested materials. We’d hammer it out and ship it off at lightning pace.

If we didn’t promptly hear again, we’d follow-up. Not simply as soon as. We adopted up many times. Every time, we’d embrace extra related data to maintain the deal transferring ahead. This could possibly be solutions to different investor questions, mentioning if we had been anticipating a time period sheet, dropping some constructive metric development, or asserting an thrilling rent.

And it labored. We raised over $60m whereas working collectively!

In case you have a look at this from the traders’ perspective, they’re on the lookout for founders who will work arduous and good on billion greenback issues. The tenacity of follow-up is a good way to filter out the talkers from the doers.

As an entrepreneur, you might be evaluated from the primary interplay and all the way in which. They continually ask themselves: is this the individual with sufficient grit and perseverance who will make it? And if you happen to don’t observe by way of in your commitments in a well timed method … strike, and also you’re out!

Following up is on the core of any relationship constructing, which is crucial for gross sales. Sure, I mentioned it — gross sales! Even if you happen to cringe on the phrase, as an entrepreneur, you’re at all times promoting. You need to persuade traders to imagine in your organization, inspire potential workers to take a leap of religion in you and entice clients to acknowledge the worth of your product and begin paying for it.

Earlier than transferring to the US to begin Megacool, I assumed I used to be respectable at following up. Little did I understand that my politeness from rising up in Norway was getting in the way in which.

“Oh, they’re most likely too busy,” “Timing might be not proper,” or “They may most likely keep in mind to get again to me sooner or later…”

And I wasn’t alone on this battle. I noticed it in different Nordic entrepreneurs too. We’re burdened by our secret cultural pact of not bothering others unnecessarily.

After surrounding myself with extraordinarily profitable entrepreneurs, I noticed that worthwhile follow-ups aren’t considered as noise. No, my good friend, they’re the gasoline that propels you ahead and will get issues carried out. It was a wake-up name — I had a lot extra to study, and I wanted to put aside my well mannered Nordicness.