The Power of Follow-Up in Negotiating Change

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!

Most seller-experts freeze up at follow-up. Not because they don’t know what to do. Because they're afraid.. "What if I'm bothering them?" That fear has quietly killed more deals than bad pricing ever could. Here’s what I’ve learned after 20+ years: Silence doesn’t feel respectful. It feels like abandonment. When you go quiet, clients often assume: ❌ You found something better ❌ You weren’t that interested ❌ You’ve already moved on Meanwhile, the data reminds us: ➟ 80% of sales need five or more follow-ups ➟ 44% of professionals stop after just one Your competitor? Still showing up. The truth is, being strategically helpful is never annoying. But going dark usually is. Here are 7 follow-up moves that add value instead of noise: 1/ Share a Fresh Insight “Saw how [competitor] tackled [specific challenge]. Three smart ideas you could borrow...” 2/ Ask a Sharp Question “How’s [initiative] progressing since we last spoke?” 3/ Highlight a Win “Just helped [company] cut [metric] by 30%. The surprising unlock? [insightful tactic].” 4/ Offer a No-Pressure Give “I’ve got 15 mins Thursday. Want to see what worked for [peer org]?” 5/ Reconnect Through a Connector “[Mutual contact] mentioned you’re focused on X. I know someone who cracked that. Want an intro?” 6/ Use a Trigger Event “Saw the [trigger] news. 3 competitors noticed too. Here’s what they might miss.” 7/ Close with Clarity and Warmth “Sounds like Q4 is tight. I’ll check back Jan 15 when you’re planning next year. Sound good?” Every follow-up is a choice. Be forgotten. Or be invaluable. Your prospects are juggling more than ever. They need what you have. But they won’t chase you for it. So pick one stalled opportunity. Make one thoughtful move. Today. Because while others are hesitating, you’re building trust. It’s always your move. Share this to help someone in your network.

✨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!

Your major donor prospect just gave $25,000 to another organization. You met with them first but never followed up. That gift should have been yours. Three months ago, you had the perfect meeting. They were engaged. Asked great questions. Said they'd "love to stay connected." Then you got busy. Other priorities came up. You meant to follow up but never did. Meanwhile, another nonprofit sent them a handwritten note the next day. Invited them to see their programs. Shared specific impact stories. Built a relationship while you built excuses. The organizations that secure major gifts don't just have better first meetings. They have better follow-up systems. Your prospect didn't choose the other organization because of their mission. They chose them because of their attention. Pull up your prospect list right now. Count how many people you've met with in the last six months who haven't heard from you since. That's not a prospect list. That's a list of missed opportunities. The most successful major gift programs I work with treat follow-up like oxygen - essential and non-negotiable. They send thank-you notes within 24 hours of every meeting. They schedule the next touch point before leaving the current one. They share relevant updates monthly, not when they need something. They invite prospects to experience their work, not just hear about it. Your prospect didn't forget about your meeting. They forgot about you because you forgot about them. That $25,000 gift wasn't lost to better competition. It was lost to better follow-up. Stop having great meetings that lead nowhere. Start building relationships that lead to gifts. Because in fundraising, its is in the follow-up, not the first meeting.