Consistent Follow-Up Practices

Years ago, I watched one of the best enterprise salespeople I've ever known lose a million-dollar deal simply because "𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵𝘆". This brilliant, capable professional was letting million-dollar opportunities slip away because she was afraid of seeming aggressive. Sound familiar? Here's the reality I've found after analyzing thousands of sales interactions: The average B2B purchase requires 8+ touches before a response, but most salespeople give up after 2-3. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝘂𝗽𝘀—𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀. Working with clients across industries, I've developed what some have called the "Goldilocks Sequence" – not too aggressive, not too passive, but just right for maximizing response rates without alienating prospects. It starts with how we view follow-ups. Stop thinking of them as "checking in" and start seeing them as opportunities to deliver additional value. For each client, we build what I call a "Follow-Up Content Library" with 5-10 genuinely valuable resources for each buyer persona – a mix of their content and third-party research addressing likely challenges. Having this ready means follow-ups can pull the most relevant resource based on the specific situation. The sequence itself has a rhythm designed to respect the prospect's time while staying on their radar: 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭 is the initial value-focused outreach with a specific insight (never generic "I'd like to connect" language). Around 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟯, we send a gentle bump, forwarding the original email with: "I wanted to make sure this reached you. Any thoughts on the [specific insight]?" It's brief and assumes positive intent. By 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟱, we shift to an alternative channel like LinkedIn, with a personalized note referencing the insight, but still no meeting request. Around 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟴 comes the pure value-add – sharing a relevant resource with no ask attached: "Came across this [article/case study] that addresses the [challenge] we discussed. Thought you might find it valuable regardless of our conversation." 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟮 brings what I call the "pattern interrupt" – a brief email with an unexpected subject line and single-question format that's easy to respond to. Then, around Day 18, we send the "permission to close" message: "I'm sensing this might not be a priority right now. If that's the case, could you let me know if I should check back in the future? Happy to remove you from my follow-up list otherwise." This sequence generated a 34% response rate for an enterprise software client compared to their previous 11% using traditional methods. The key difference? Every touch adds legitimate value rather than just asking for time. And because it's systematic, it removes the emotional weight of deciding when and how to follow up. What's your most effective follow-up technique? I'm always collecting new approaches to share with clients. #SalesFollowUp #OutreachStrategy #PipelineGeneration

Want to build trust faster in business? 🤝 It’s simple… ✅ Close the loop. Unanswered questions and unresolved tasks create doubt. In business, "closing the loop" is about: ✔ Ensuring accountability 🔄 ✔ Preventing confusion 🤔 ✔ Building trust 🏗 It means making sure that every conversation, project, or task reaches a clear resolution and that all relevant parties are informed. But here’s the challenge… When you’re constantly juggling multiple priorities, it’s easy to leave loops open. 🔄 An employee shares a concern—but did we circle back with a solution? 🔄 A customer raises an issue—but did we confirm that they were satisfied with the resolution? 🔄 A project is assigned—but did we check if it was completed, or did we just assume someone handled it? 💡 The reality? ❌ Assumed communication is not the same as completed communication. Failing to close the loop can have real consequences: 🚩 Lost trust – Employees feel unheard, customers feel ignored, and teams feel disconnected. 🚩 Missed opportunities – When follow-ups don’t happen, good ideas and initiatives fade into the background. 🚩 Inefficiencies – Time is wasted revisiting the same issues over and over again. When you’re managing multiple conversations, projects, and priorities… Having a system to track follow-ups is crucial. 🛠 Here are some ways to keep everything organized: ✅ Use a Task Management System – Tools like Trello, Asana, or Notion can help track conversations and tasks that need follow-up. ✅ Set Follow-Up Reminders – Schedule reminders in your calendar or use a CRM to ensure you revisit important conversations. ✅ Summarize & Confirm – After meetings, send a quick recap email outlining next steps and who is responsible for what. ✅ Develop a "Close the Loop" Habit – Before moving on to the next task, ask: Did I follow up? Did I get confirmation? Is this fully resolved? ✅ Delegate and Check-in – If you’re leading a team, ensure accountability for every task that needs to be followed through. 🔑 Closing the loop shows that you: ✔ Value people’s time ⏳ ✔ Are committed to results 🎯 ✔ Run a business (or a team) where things don’t just get discussed—they get done. ✅ 🚀 How do you keep track of your commitments and ensure you close the loop on important conversations? Image Desc.: Closing the Loop Content Copyright: Davy Shi #ClosingTheLoop #Trust #Business #Accountability #Responsibility #Communication #Commitment

Most Recruiters underestimate the power of follow-up. You’ve written a solid message. Sent it to 50 candidates. Got 11 replies. Booked 5 calls. Not bad. But what about the other 39? A trap I fell into in my early recruitment career was moving on too soon. Instead of increasing my response rate, I’d go straight back to sourcing more profiles. But because I’d stop after one message (or only one follow-up), I was leaving warm opportunities on the table. Gem’s Fall 2024 Benchmarks Report backs this up: • Sending 3–4 follow-ups more than doubles reply rates vs. just one message    • The average reply rate for technical roles only reaches 28% by message 4.    • Outreach to candidates at companies with <250 employees has a reply rate of 23% vs. 35.6% for large enterprise targets. In other words: If you want to win in tough markets or niche talent pools, you need more than one swing at the plate. Here’s what I do: • I write out 3-4 follow-ups in my sequence and schedule the first three over a 10–14 day period. I’ll then send the final follow-up 2 weeks later.     • Use an AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) template to structure each message.    • And I’ll also vary my message formats: video, visuals, voicenotes, and a well-timed call.    • Add value in every message and keep the focus on them (“What’s in it for me?”). Pro tip: LinkedIn Recruiter only lets you schedule one follow-up. So create a second message template with your next two messages baked in. It’ll save time and improve consistency. Keep it simple: one great message gets attention. Consistent follow-up earns replies

I’ve seen salespeople quit when they don't get an immediate response. And I've seen salespeople who follow up consistently for MONTHS. And not with the generic "just checking in" messages. But with actual value each time. One week they'll send the prospect a relevant case study. The next week, a specific strategy the prospect could implement. And another time, a video breaking down their current approach. Eventually, prospects agree to calls just to see what these persistent salespeople are all about. Those conversations often lead to the biggest deals of the year. And that’s what ultimately separates top performers from everyone else in follow-up. You can’t just remind the prospects you exist and expect them to care. Every follow-up needs to add value. You need to be consistently helpful until the timing is right.

Here's exactly how I structure my follow-ups to stop deals from slipping or ghosting at the last minute. Buyers ask themselves 5 crucial questions before they spend money. So we match our follow ups to each different question of the buying journey. The questions: 1/ "Do we Have a Problem or Goal that we Urgently need help with?" Follow up examples: Thought Leadership emphasizing the size / importance of the problem. Things like articles from Forbes, McKinsey, HBR or an industry specific publication. Screenshots, summations or info-graphics. NOT LINKS. No one reads them. 2/ "What's out there to Solve the Problem? How do Vendors differ?" Follow up examples: Sample RFP templates with pre-filled criteria. Easy to read buying guides. Especially if written by a 3rd party. 3/ "What Exactly do we need this Solution to do? Who do we feel good about?" Follow up examples: 3 bullets of criteria your Buyers commonly use during evaluations (especially differentiators.) Here's example wording I've used at UserGems 💎: "Thought you might find it helpful to see how other companies have evaluated tools to track their past champions. Their criteria are usually: *Data quality & ROI potential *Security (SOC2 type 2 and GDPR) *How easy or hard is it to take action: set up/training, automation, playbooks Cheers!" 4/ "Is the Juice worth the Squeeze - both $$$ & Time?" Follow up examples: Screenshots of emails, texts or DMs from customers talking about easy set up. Love using ones like the Slack pictured here. Feels more organic and authentic than a marketing case study. 5/ "What's next? How will this get done?" Follow up examples: Visual timelines Introductions to the CSM/onboard team Custom/short videos from CSM leadership When we tailor our follow ups to answer the questions our Buyers are asking themselves - Even (especially!) the subconscious ones Our sales cycles can be smoother, faster and easier to forecast. Buyer Experience > Sales Stages What's your best advice for how to follow up? ps - If you liked this breakdown, join 6,000+ other sellers getting value from my newsletter. Details on my website!

This single skill took me from rookie rep to $1M+ sales early in my career. No, it was not research, content or language. In my early years, I saw the best salespeople treat follow-ups like brushing their teeth - non-negotiable. Their follow up was like clockwork and that's what separated them from everyone else. While average reps make excuses - "I'm too busy," "The CEO needed me," "I'll do it tomorrow" the top performers stick to their routine no matter what. Bad day? They follow up. Back-to-back meetings? They follow up. Feeling under the weather? They follow up. Random fire drill from management? They still follow up. But here's the kicker - they don't just blindly send the same message over and over. They test different approaches, iterate based on responses, and strategize each touchpoint. The difference between a $50K rep and a $500K rep? One follows up 3 times, the other follows up 13 times. It's not about being pushy, It's about being persistent with purpose. Think about it... Your prospect's inbox has 147 unread emails - guess whose follow-up they actually open? The prospects who seemed "not interested" last quarter? Half of them are buying this quarter - but only from the reps who stayed in touch. Your follow-up game isn't just about closing deals. It's about showing up consistently when others don't. It's about building trust through reliability. What's your follow-up routine? #Sales #FollowUp #SalesStrategy #Persistence #B2BSales

✨The Power of the Follow-Up: Where Deals Are Won (or Lost)✨ In medical sales, the initial conversation is just the beginning, but the real magic happens in the follow-up. How many times have you had a great meeting, only to let the opportunity slip because you didn’t follow up effectively? Here’s what I’ve learned: It’s not about being pushy, it’s about being present. Here’s how I approach follow-ups to add value and keep the conversation going: - Recap and reinforce: After a meeting, I send a quick recap of the discussion, highlighting the key points we covered and emphasizing how my solution can help. - Provide something extra: Every follow-up includes something valuable, an article, case study, or even a simple insight related to their challenges. This keeps me top of mind while building trust. - Stay consistent: I schedule follow-ups like any other meeting. Whether it’s a week later or a month, I stay committed without letting leads go cold. The best follow-ups aren’t just reminders, they’re opportunities to deepen the relationship and show you’re invested in solving their problems. Sales isn’t about the one big pitch; it’s about creating multiple touchpoints that deliver value every step of the way. What are your strategies for effective follow-ups? Share your tips below. I’d love to learn from you!

Rep: The buyer said to follow up with them in Feb. I have sent them an email every week since then. Still no reply." There's a ton to unpack to understand what went wrong. We may not have been talking to the right buyer, failed to prove value early on, did not multi-threaded properly, and/or never understood the “why” behind what they wanted (just knew “what" they wanted). If none of those things are true, looking back at follow-ups often reveals emails like: ▶️ Just circling back on our proposal. ▶️ Is now a good time to chat? ▶️ Do you have any additional questions I can answer? Instead, the aim should be to always "follow up" (nurture) with value. Some ways to do this: ✔️ Send an article you read that might be of interest to them. ✔️ Let them know something new you learned since the last time you chatted. ✔️ Share an idea you've been working on with other similar clients that could help them. ✔️ Let them know what you learned from a podcast they were recently on. Here is a basic structure you can follow: Sentence 1: I came across {nurture item}. Sentence 2: Here is why this is relevant to you. Sentence 3: Here is my POV on it! Sentence 4: Here is the link if you want to learn more. Your aim here is to connect with intention. Teach them something or share something of value, rather than just prove that you know how to set reminders on a calendar and send follow-up notes 😉  

50% of deals close in the follow-up... so why are you stopping after one touch? Here’s the truth: Most people give up after one or two follow-ups. But the magic? It happens when you stay consistent. 👉 44% of people give up after one follow-up. 👉 Yet 80% of sales require 5-12 touchpoints to close (source: Brevet Group). Following up isn’t nagging—it’s showing commitment. It’s about staying top-of-mind and adding value every time. That’s what builds trust and moves the needle. Actionable Advice 👉 Follow up with THREE people you’ve spoken to in the past month. Here’s how: 1️⃣ Keep it light: “Hi [Name], just checking in—how are things going with [specific topic you discussed]?” 2️⃣ Add value: Share an article, insight, or resource they’ll find useful. 3️⃣ End with no pressure: “Let me know if there’s anything I can support you with!” Consistency is key. Make it a habit, and watch the results roll in. Want to master the follow-up game? Grab the 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 and learn strategies that close deals without feeling pushy. 👉 https://lnkd.in/encdUMTd Following up isn’t chasing—it’s caring. Do it right, and the results will follow. What's your favorite way to follow up?