The Value of Follow-Up in Sales Negotiation

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 48-Hour Follow-Up Rule That's Opening Doors The difference between average and exceptional medical sales reps often comes down to one thing: what happens AFTER the initial meeting. I've implemented what I call my "48-Hour Value Follow-Up Rule," and it's transformed my results: Within 48 hours of EVERY meaningful interaction with a healthcare provider, I send something of genuine value tailored to their specific needs or interests: • A relevant clinical study they hadn't seen • A testimonial from a similar provider using my solution • A quick video addressing a question they raised The key is that it must be personalized and valuable—never generic. Why 48 hours? It's the sweet spot: • Soon enough that your conversation is still fresh • Enough time to find something truly relevant • Before competitors have followed up This simple practice has doubled my callback rate and significantly shortened my sales cycles. Remember: In medical sales, the follow-up is where relationships are built and deals are won. Make yours count.

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.