Project Management: Following Up Means a Lot

Project management is one of those lifetime skills I’ll always need to and want to work on.

When I joined the Chartwell Agency team in 2017, I was impressed by some of the processes in place for working with our clients. Those include regular meetings and regular follow-ups, whether those are about individual projects or anticipating needs for the future.

You see, there’s power in following up. Whether that’s a recap of an in-person meeting or a phone call, following up helps keep everyone on track and working toward the same goals.

A meeting recap might seem like a simple task, but it helps confirm information that was shared is accurate and establish deadlines for important work. These are all important characteristics of a good working relationship with a marketing agency like Chartwell.

I think of these steps almost like an extension of the “rule of 7,” the old marketing adage that people need to hear a message at least seven time before they buy your product or service. Think of how many emails, meetings, phone calls, text messages, etc. we’re inundated with every day. That means following up and project management skills might be more important than ever to cut through the clutter of everything packed into our calendars.

Here are few priorities we have at Chartwell for working with our clients and with each other.

Client meetings

Now, I know I just referenced the fact that we’re inundated with meetings. But we try to at least meet monthly with our clients, regardless of where they are located. During 2020 and the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, all these meetings were virtual. Thanks to technology such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, we still got to see the people we work with. Some of these meetings are still virtual, and others are phone calls, even in 2021. Some are every two weeks, and others might be every other month depending on what’s going on. But we prioritize some type of check-in to make sure we’re on track from month to month.

Recaps

Recaps of meetings or even quick phone calls are so valuable. I’m still amazed how many times we reference these on even a weekly basis as we’re working on projects. They’re important for us as the agency and important for clients, again to make sure everything was communicated correctly and next steps and priorities are outlined properly. These don’t have to complicated – outline notes and follow-up items with bullet points and bold/red in an email.

Follow-up

I’m so appreciative when someone sends me a reminder or follow-up email on a project. This LinkedIn article nails it – it’s not nagging, it’s effective communication. Following up on projects, questions, outstanding needs, etc. are a necessary part of project management. Make sure to give the person ample time to respond before you follow up. Better yet, include a deadline in your initial outreach and confirm that that timeline works for them. I’m trying to be better about cutting out the “I’m sorry” phrases when I follow up (like “I’m sorry to bug you again) because, again, it’s natural and necessary follow up (my coworker Emily Hartzog does great trainings about positive phrasing and the words we use when we communicate).

Project management and follow-ups are a big part of any industry, and marketing is no exception. They’re essential to keep projects on track and to improve communications between agencies and clients and any team you may be part of. If this sounds like a to-do item on your task list, follow up with us for more information.