Follow-Up Messages That Clarify Negotiation Points

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!

The phrases “I’m just checking in” and “I’m just following up” are common among salespeople. They’re also ineffective and may even hurt your sales efforts.  When prospects hear these phrases, they immediately sense an accountability push which may not align with their level of commitment. They think you’re about to try to hold them to something, they’re not sure what it is, and they’re immediately on guard. Instead of using these generic phrases, dive straight into the purpose of your follow-up. For example, rather than saying “I’m just following up to see if you received the proposal,” pivot to “Now that you’ve had the proposal for a few days, would it make sense to discuss next steps?” For instance, compare “I’m just checking in to see if you need anything” with “I’m just following up from our meeting last week. You asked me to send you a proposal, and I haven’t heard anything back from you or the team and was wondering if I could answer any questions for you. Give me a call at …” If that’s all you knew to do and you did that, then it’s certainly better than nothing. In some cases in which the buyer really needs what you are offering, you really did a good job at building rapport, your price was really good, and the other bidders dropped the ball or were weak, this type of message may work. However, it could be better. You don’t have to count on all those things to go right for your pitch to work. Consider this option: “Now that you’ve had the proposal for a few days, would it make sense for us to discuss next steps? I know you have your third quarter meeting next month, and if we act now, I’m certain I can help your team grow your revenue numbers before the end of the reporting period. I’m working from home today, so it will be easier for us to connect today: 555-555-5555.” If you sent something to someone, don’t check in to ask if they received it. Move forward on the belief they did get it and reintroduce them to their problem. This not only saves time but also keeps the momentum in your sales process. This approach reminds the prospect there’s something they need to solve and creates a sense of urgency. By addressing their specific needs—improving quarterly revenue numbers and providing a time frame—you position yourself as a valuable partner rather than an intrusive salesperson. A follow-up should never feel like an obligation—it should feel like an opportunity for your prospect to solve their challenges. My sales training program offers you the language and tools to make every follow-up meaningful. You’ll learn to create urgency while keeping the conversation centered on their needs. Use the time to highlight how your solution addresses their challenges or aligns with their goals. A personalized touch will make your follow-up stand out, building trust and rapport.

I just reviewed a follow up email that made me want to delete my LinkedIn account. After an incredible discovery call where the rep: → Uncovered $500K in annual losses → Identified specific pain points → Built genuine rapport with the prospect He sent this follow up: "Hi John, following up on our conversation. Any thoughts on next steps?" I'm not joking. That was the entire email. This rep went from trusted advisor to desperate vendor in one sentence. Here's what he should have sent instead: "John, Based on our conversation about the $500K you're losing annually due to deployment delays, I've put together a brief overview of how we've helped similar companies reduce this impact by 80%. Given the scope of this challenge, when can we get your CFO involved to discuss the business case? Best regards, [Rep name]" The difference is night and day: ❌ Weak follow up: "Any thoughts on next steps?" ✅ Strong follow up: References specific problem + demonstrates value + advances the sale Your follow up emails should sell, not beg. Every touchpoint is an opportunity to: → Reinforce the problems you uncovered → Show how you solve them → Move the deal forward Stop wasting these golden opportunities with generic, desperate sounding messages. Use what you learned in discovery to craft follow-ups that advance the sale. Your prospects are drowning in "just checking in" emails. Be the one who stands out by referencing real business impact. — Reps! Here’s 5 simple follow up strategies to close seals faster and to minimize ghosting: https://lnkd.in/gJRJwzsN