Copier Careers^® is the only recruiting firm exclusively dedicated to the Copier and Office Solutions Channel^℠. With over 30 years of experience, Copier Careers connects employers and job seekers, providing valuable insights, career opportunities, and unmatched support in the industry. Whether you’re an employer, employee or job seeker, Copier Careers is here for you!

Why You Should Follow Up

From the interview to your day-to-day work, good follow-up habits are crucial to career success

Most people put “strong communication” in the skills section of their resume. But how strong are your communication skills, really? If you don’t have a consistent habit of following up, then you have significant room for improvement.

Why follow up?

• Sets clear expectations for all parties. Follow-ups give you a chance to summarize the important points, timelines and other expectations of the discussion/meeting. This summary gracefully gives other parties the opportunity to clarify any of your points in their responses. This email conversation also gives everyone a time-stamped record of your communication. Good records can clear up any future misunderstandings.
• Keeps the process moving. Whether you’re interviewing, working on a project or making a sale, it’s important to keep groups of people moving in the right direction. If someone doesn’t do their part by the agreed-upon time, sending a quick follow-up is a polite and professional way to send a reminder. If there is some complication behind the delay, your follow-up keeps everyone in the loop and invites the team to find a resolution. This habit increases the likelihood of a smooth process and successful results.
• Demonstrates your organization, time management, note-taking and professionalism. Never miss an opportunity to show off these highly desirable skills! You’ll also find that a good follow-up habit reinforces those skills. You will take better notes if you plan to summarize the meeting. You will have a stronger sense of the expectations and will be better able to manage your time. Holding the group accountable will help you hold yourself accountable.

When to follow up?

• Immediately after the call, meeting, interview, etc. We’re not saying it has to be instantaneous, but you should do it while the information is fresh and you’re actively thinking about it. If you have a tendency to get distracted and drop the ball, you must be disciplined in starting your follow-up email right away. Ideally you should send your follow-up email within an hour or two. At the very least, get it out before the end of the day.
• Sometimes, before a deadline. If there is a crucial deadline, it might be a good idea to follow up before it’s passed. If you are responsible for that crucial task, absolutely send a follow-up to the group to assure them you will make the deadline or ask for assistance if you won’t. If it is someone else’s responsibility and you are not leading this project, use your best judgement. You might send an email just to that person and ask how it’s going and if there is anything you can do to help. Good follow-ups are not about micromanaging or unprofessional sniping; they are about teamwork and communication. Use your emotional intelligence.
• Always, after a deadline. If a deadline is passed and you haven’t heard anything, you should check in. A good follow-up is a soft reminder to the team and a request for information.
• On a schedule. If you’re working on a long-term project, you might need to have a weekly follow-up schedule. If you’re trying to close a sale, you might follow up after a few days, at the end of the week, before the end of the month, or before the end of a promotional window.
• As needed. You may send follow-ups as updates to the team on your own progress or ask for help. You can use follow-ups to request clarification or suggest an alternate plan if you run into difficulties. If you’re ahead of schedule, you can be a team-player by asking if there is anything you can do to help the others.

How to follow up?

• Thank you. After a big meeting, interview, performance review, etc., thank all parties for their time. Tell them that you enjoyed meeting them or seeing them again and that you’re looking forward to whatever comes next (the next interview, working with them, completing this project). Be brief and professional – don’t lay it on thick with praise or performative excitement. This should be 1-3 sentences, max.
• Initial summary. After the initial meeting, you might send a concise summary of the discussion and upcoming timeline with the thank you message above. You could lay out everyone’s responsibilities or simply your own (don’t overstep your role). If you have the least seniority, you can soften your expectations for other people: “I look forward to hearing from Julie Monday-Tuesday, as we discussed.” vs. “Julie will reach out to me by Tuesday.”
• Offer to help, invite feedback, etc. If you have room on your plate, you may choose to offer help to other teams. Asking if they need anything is also a soft way to ask about their own progress. If you’ve submitted your part of a project, you may invite feedback to make sure you’re meeting expectations (better to find out now while you can improve). If you’ve sent a sales quote, you might ask what they think or if they have any questions.
• Questions. You may have your own questions you need clarified. Don’t wait for someone to read your mind – ask!
• Non-communication. If you haven’t had a response to your previous communications, that doesn’t mean you should stop. First, try a different method and ask if they received your previous emails. Always assume that there is just something not going through rather than accusing them of ignoring you. Even if they are ignoring you, pretend that they aren’t. If you aren’t in a position of power, getting mad doesn’t get you anything. Giving them the benefit of the doubt gives them the opening to start communications again.
• Wrap-up. Don’t forget to thank the team when the process or project is concluded! Again, don’t be obsequious. But this is a chance to express your appreciation for the team, satisfaction for a job well done, and excitement for future partnerships.

If you’re looking for more info or templates, Hardin-Simmons University has a very useful resource page.