Welcome to One Thing Better. Each week, the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine (that’s me) shares one way to be more successful and satisfied — and build a career or company you love.
This edition is brought to you by the Solo Summit, where I’ll be giving a free virtual keynote for solopreneurs! Details below.
Someone made you a great offer. Maybe they want to help you. Or to connect you with someone. Or to discuss an opportunity.
But you did not follow up.
I ask you: Why not?
Today, I’ll show why this is one of our biggest mistakes — and how taking people up on their offers can accelerate your success in ways you never imagined.
But first, I’ll tell you about the time I made this mistake… with one of the world’s most famous comedians.
The follow-up that changed everything
I just shared this story on The Skinny Confidential (which also drove a lot of new subscribers; hello, and I’m so happy you’re here!).
A few years ago, I interviewed Jimmy Fallon for the cover of Entrepreneur magazine. As I left his office, he told me: “If you have any follow-up questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.”
I said thanks, but I wouldn’t do that — he’d already been so generous with his time.
Then as I wrote the story, I realized I did have a critical follow-up question. I agonized over this. I didn’t want to annoy Jimmy! But it was important, so I asked to follow up.
He called me a week later, and I began by apologizing: “Jimmy, I’m so sorry to take more of your time.”
His response floored me: “Are you kidding me?” he said. “I always invite people to follow up, and you’re the only person to do it! That tells me you’re thorough — and thorough people are the people I want to talk to.”
In other words: I thought asking for his time was bad. But he thought it was good. And I’d have never known… unless I took him up on his offer.
We’re all guilty of not following up
As you might recall, I recently asked readers to tell me their regrets. Many of their regrets were premised on not following up — like these two:
Shannon always wanted to work with tigers. She once met the owner of a tiger show, who told her: “Write me a letter, tell me why you want to work with tigers, and if it’s compelling enough, I will bring you on my team and teach you everything I know.” Shannon never did it. “I regret it every day,” she told me.
B.P. was an aspiring clarinetist. She performed one night, and a Grammy-nominated violinist told her: “You’re a fabulous player. We should play together again sometime.” But B.P. never reached out, and soon gave up music. “Could that have been the break I was looking for?” she told me. “I’ll never know.”
I’ve done it too — so many times. I’ve ignored invitations from famous people. From incredible potential partners. And back when I was single and dating? Ugh, let’s not even talk about it.
So before we fix this problem, we must address its root cause: Why do we do this to ourselves?
B.P. explained it simply and perfectly. Here’s why she didn’t reach out to that violinist:
“I thought she was just being nice.”
Yes. It’s that funny and strange phrase: Just being nice.
We’ve all been burned before. Someone said “we should do this again” but never called. Colleagues said “I’m happy to help” then ignored you when you asked.
Too many times, politeness masquerades as genuine interest, and this has taught us not to trust offers of help. If we don’t follow up, we won’t feel disappointed — or worse, foolish.
But why do we call these hollow offers “being nice”? They’re not nice! They’re deceptive and confusing.
I know, this is emotionally complicated: Maybe they wanted to help, but didn’t have the time. Or didn’t want to make things awkward. Or wanted to help a little, but not a lot.
Still, the point is: You won’t know unless you try. And trying is worth it.
How to take people up on their offer
Are you hesitating to follow up with someone? Before you chicken out, please ask yourself these two questions:
Question 1: If they’re lying, what’s the worst thing that could happen?
Truly. What’s the worst they could do? Could they… not respond when you follow up? Could they say they’re busy? Dial back their offer?
Is that really so bad?
Question 2: What could boost their enthusiasm for you?
Here’s what I’ve learned: Many times, people really are making genuine offers — but they’re also expecting some upfront effort from you.
For example, someone tells you: “I’d be happy to help.”
- You should not reach out and say: “So, where do we begin?”
- You should reach out and say: “Based on your expertise, here are three specific things I’d love your feedback on — and we’ll get it done in an hour.”
In other words: Take the lead. Do the planning. Have the ideas.
And calibrate! Start slow! Maybe someone is happy to give you writing advice, but doesn’t have time to read your whole novel. Or they’ll take a look at your pitch deck, but can’t introduce you to every investor they know.
If they’re being nice, we must be nice in return.
The math should motivate you
Here’s how I think about it:
Let’s say that 10 people make you an offer. Now let’s say…
- 9 of them are “just being nice”
- 1 of them could change your life
What happens if you don’t follow up with these people? You avoid 9 embarrassing interactions, and you miss something life-changing.
And what happens if you do follow up? You might get ignored 9 times, but you’ll also make the connection that could change everything.
Doesn’t the math seem worth it?
The truth is, the solution to this problem starts with us. We need to stop believing that we’re not worth spending time with.
Let’s start with a different assumption. Here it is: People are genuinely interested in us. And that’s because we are genuinely interesting. We are worth their time, and their attention, and their partnership.
Take people up on their offers.
That’s how to do one thing better.
Attention, solopreneurs!
This FREE resource will help you grow — and I’m a part of it!
I’ll be speaking at the virtual Lettuce Solo Summit, where solopreneurs can access executive-level strategy, tax optimization, and structured annual planning.
If you’re a consultant, coach, creator, fractional, or anyone else who’s going big alone…
Join me on November 6 for my talk — and then stay to learn how to:
- Minimize taxes and maximize wealth
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- Multiply your output with AI
- Break the time-for-money trap
And in my talk, I’ll help you become more adaptable and find new opportunities… because that’s the key to everything.
This isn’t freelancer 101. It’s boardroom-level strategy you can implement yourself.
