Seizing the Window of Opportunity in Business

When you return from say a business event there is a window of opportunity within which to follow up on anything of interest that transpires from that event. It could be chasing up an organisation, establishing a working relationship with a contact or convincing yourself to take a certain line or adopt a new strategy.

This window is, however, small. For this reason it is essential that time is put aside after an event specifically for the follow up. This can be anything from one hour to a day or more depending on the nature of the follow up. This is an example of a task which is not urgent but is extremely important.

If no action is taken immediately after the event the window closes and the opportunities that came with it lost.

An example of this is where a contact at a networking event expresses an interest in your product or service and hands you their card. When you return home/to your office, it is incumbent on you to eg send them a 'nice to meet you' email to show your enthusiasm and to keep them 'warm'. Ideally, the email should be professional and sent within 24-48 hours. The onus is then on them to respond to you or take up your offer.

If more than say a week or two passes the contact becomes a littler 'cooler' and any correspondence initiated by you at this stage risks being met by only a lukewarm response.

Business, as with many areas of life, involves taking immediate and focused action in order to take the pressure off you later on.

Follow through after each event in order to give yourself a head start, maximise your chances of developing positive working relationships and take advantage of that window of opportunity before it closes.

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