Award-winning keynote speaker and CEO of RISE Learning Solutions, Lorraine K. Lee, has emerged as a leading voice in effective communication strategies, particularly in the professional realm. Lee is a best-selling author whose breathtaking work the Next Big Idea Club has called essential reading. Most notably, he addresses perhaps the most damaging problem of all – “ghosting,” or failure to respond to communications – and offers actionable advice to prevent and work around it.
Given the challenges of today’s accelerating business environment, professionals always do encounter challenges. Reconnecting with clients or colleagues after those first few interactions is such an uphill battle in practice. After waiting months without a word, ghosting can leave frustrated stakeholders and dead projects behind, so it’s your job as a ghostee to take a communication-first approach. Lorraine K. Lee reinforces a potent tactic we love—Book your next meeting before you end this one. This tactic greatly reduces the risk of being overlooked.
“One does not have to settle for silence when following up,” Lee stated. By proposing specific days or ranges of time for continued discussions, industry people can skirt the discomfort that frequently accompanies follow-up correspondence. Lee recommends replacing with, “Looking to regroup next Friday.” He’s a fan of scheduling followups too, like, “I’ll write the proposal this week and we can check back in early next week.” Structuring communication and engagement this way provides clarity and sets expectations, which have the power to dramatically improve response rates.
Lee’s tips don’t stop at providing flexibility to make reconnection easier. Phrases like “Would next week be a better time to reconnect?” or “Does Monday or Tuesday work?” empower the recipient to choose a time that suits their schedule. This approach not only honors their time, but creates a more collaborative tone for ongoing conversations.
Drawing from these learnings, Lee admits in her advice that sending these follow-up emails can lead to an unnerving quiet. She emphasizes it doesn’t have to be painful. By framing these messages with a clear call to action and a specified timeframe, professionals can enhance their chances of receiving timely responses. Specific notifications like “We’re finalizing our list by Friday” can create urgency and get recipients to act before time-sensitive deadlines.
Lee’s strategies are designed to help change the story about follow-ups. They substitute uncertainty and worry for certainty and purpose. She knows that good communication doesn’t have to be intimidating—it just needs to be focused and aimed at a clear purpose.
She argued that “pursuing your follow-up should not feel uncomfortable. The magic is in the method and delivery. By introducing these strategies, practitioners can build an efficient communications pipeline that cuts down on confusion and encourages collaboration.
As organizations continue to adjust to new remote work environments, many are making the leap to digital communication platforms. As they grow, meaningful and targeted follow-up practices are all the more important. Lorraine K. Lee Communication Secrets provides valuable advice for anyone interested in learning how to better communicate their messages. Her mentorship serves to cultivate deeper professional connections.