How to Follow Up with Potential Consulting Clients

Something I've learned in the past year as a solopreneur supporting small agencies and in-house content teams: They're busy as hell and don't always know what help they need. That doesn't mean they don't need your help. If you have an established relationship with a current or potential client, don't be afraid to send that monthly check-in email. Remind them of your availability. Ask how that project is going. Offer your services if they could be useful. I regularly send these emails to my recurring clients. I don't hear back on each one, but I don't sweat it, because sometimes I hear: "Thanks for writing, it's been on my to-do list to reach out to you about a new project." "I've been meaning to set up a call about something I'd love you to work on, what's your avail this week?" "I don't have anything at the moment, but you're reminding me that I might have a referral for you!" Here's a template you can swipe: --- Hi [CLIENT], hope you're doing well. How's it going with [THE PROJECT/PROBLEM/COOL THING THEY'VE MENTIONED]? I have some availability [SPECIFIC TIMEFRAME] for new projects, so wanted to check if there's anything I could take off your plate or help with. You mentioned your archived blog content [INSERT SOMETHING THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT NEEDING HELP WITH IN THE PAST] the last time we spoke. I recently helped another client run an audit [TELL THEM HOW YOU CAN SPECIFICALLY HELP] to determine what older content to keep and how to udpate it, so I've got a great system for that now. Talk soon, [YOUR NAME, OR THE NAME OF THE CYBORG WRITING FOR YOU] --- There's no hard sell, and no expectation of a reply. I find that sending emails like this every month, or maybe every other month depending on the response rate, is not too intrusive and gives clients just the right nudge to respond if they do have work for you.

60% of your potential clients are disappearing into a black hole. 🌌 I know because I audited my own follow-up process and discovered a shocking truth. I was losing over half my prospects after the first touchpoint. These weren't tire-kickers. They were genuinely interested prospects who simply... vanished 🫥. So I built a 3-step follow-up framework that doubled my close rate in 30 days: 💼 The Value-First Follow-Up: Instead of generic "checking in" messages, I send something specifically helpful based on our conversation. This immediately separates you from every other "just following up" email they receive. 💼 The Social Proof Touchpoint: I share a specific client result related to their challenge. Not a testimonial blast – a targeted story that helps them visualize their own success. Conversion on this touchpoint alone: 23%. 💼 The Closing Question Evolution: I replaced "Are you interested?" with "Would it be helpful to discuss the specific approach that created these results?" This subtle shift increased response rates by 71%. 📈 Coach Emma implemented this framework with prospects who had gone cold for weeks. Within 10 days, she closed three clients worth $8,700. The system takes less than 15 minutes to implement for each prospect ⏱️. Get the full follow-up system template in our community. Link in comments. What's your current approach to following up with prospects who've gone quiet? 🤔 #coaches #community #framework #followup #leadgeneration

Biggest mistake I see sellers make that keeps them from hitting quota is this: 👉 dropping the ball with follow-up • New LinkedIn connection says “reach back out to me next month”.. • Prospect says “we won’t be looking at this until next quarter”.. • New referral says “send me some initial info and follow-up with me in a few weeks.” 👆 all of these, potential opportunities that sales pros cannot afford to let fall through the cracks (now more than ever). If you’re in sales, you know it isn’t an easy market out there at the moment. Every. Opportunity. Counts. Here’s the approach I use to make sure nothing slips and that I’m following up with every potential opportunity that comes my way: 1) enter all in our CRM with a posted date, my initials, & next steps (visibility for me & entire team) 2) schedule ALL follow-ups in calendar 📆(Gmail, Outlook, etc) vs. engagement platform (Apollo for example) that matches next steps documented in CRM 3) if I don’t reach the contact when I reach out, notate action taken (VM, sent email, etc) IN the calendar task under meeting notes & move calendar task to new day for next follow-up 4) follow-up months away, I schedule nurturing emails where I send relevant white papers, industry reports, or just an email saying “Hey, 👋🏻 have a great weekend” or “Happy Labor Day”, something personal, non-business related. I get asked.. “how long do you continue to follow-up?”.. If there’s interest expressed at the start, I’m following up until either: 1. I get that next call, next step scheduled or 2. I hear back letting me know there’s no further interest 👆and if you think this level of follow-up may be a waste of time.. I’ll leave you with this: I closed a $350K deal by consistently following up with a prospect that went silent on me for 4 months (story for another time). CTA - want more opportunities, more pipeline, more closed wins.. step-up your follow up game. #motivation #sales #coaching #followup

“Just following up…” isn’t a strategy. It’s a stall. And I get it...follow-up can feel awkward. You don’t want to be annoying. You don’t want to seem desperate. You just want to re-open the convo without sounding like a robot. So let me show you 3 better ways to follow up...and when to use them: 🔹 1. The Callback This one’s personal. You reference something they said on the call. “You mentioned wanting to raise your rates without losing clients...still thinking about that? I am here to dig deeper when you’re ready.” ✅ Use it when: They were warm, the convo was real, and you just need a re-entry point. 🔹 2. The Disruptor Humor. A GIF. A voice note. Something unexpected. This one’s a pattern interrupt. I've sent a GIF of a guy standing in the rain...soaked, waiting. No words. No pressure. Just a quiet nudge. The person replied within minutes. ✅ Use it when: You’ve been ghosted or left on read and want to show up without pushing. 🔹 3. The Shift Sometimes the original thread is dead. So… pivot. Change the energy. Bring something new to the table. “Just saw this article and thought of our convo. Curious if you’ve been seeing this trend too?” ✅ Use it when: The trail is cold, but the relationship is worth keeping warm. Bottom line? 📌 People don’t ignore you because you followed up. They ignore you because you didn’t give them a reason to care. So stop “checking in.” Start reconnecting...with strategy, creativity, and a little heart. 💬 Curious: Which one do you tend to use? And which one do you want to try next? Yaacov 🎙🙏🏻 --- 👉 Struggling to sell your creative work? Hi, I’m Yaacov 👋🏻—I help agency owners & solopreneurs land more clients without feeling like a salesperson. 💡 My clients have hit 200% growth in 60 days and closed $50K in 3 weeks. Let’s fix your sales process.

When R came to a coaching call this week, she'd just finished a call with a potential consulting client that left her feeling... off. You know that feeling? "I ran out of time," she told us. "The call was only 30 minutes and I ended up word-spewing about my methodology rather than focusing on outcomes. I didn’t even have time to discuss pricing." R was worried she'd missed her chance with a potentially ideal client who was also talking to other consultants. Sound familiar? Discovery calls with new potential clients can be TOUGH. You're juggling time management, asking great questions, taking notes, and trying to demonstrate your expertise - all while thinking on your feet. Here's the plan we made for R on the call: 1️⃣ Send a follow-up "Proposal in an Email (PIE)" - not a full proposal, but a high-level summary that includes: → What you heard about their needs  → Your recommendation (keeping it flexible)  → Clear next steps (with a scheduling link) 2️⃣ Position this as "I wanted to make sure you had a summary of our conversation to share with your team" - clients LOVE this because you’re making their life easier, and they often forward it directly to decision-makers. 3️⃣ Get the next call on the calendar Don't wait until after the call to try to get back on their calendar. Before the call ends, while you're still face-to-face, say something like: "Looks like we didn't get a chance to talk about __. Why don't we go ahead and get something on the calendar to continue the conversation? Are you in front of your calendar?" Then choose a time together. You want to keep the momentum going while the energy is high. It’s a small shift, but it changes everything. -- If you'd like a copy of the Proposal in an Email template, DM "PIE" below and I'll send you a copy. #WomenConsultants #DiscoveryCalls #SalesStrategy #ConsultingBusiness #ClientAcquisition