Handling excessive sales email follow-ups

"Stop sending follow-up emails" That's what I told a struggling VP of Sales last month His team was sending 8,000+ emails weekly Converting almost none of them He thought I was insane Until we implemented a "no follow-up" policy and their pipeline exploded → Here's what most sales leaders miss: Your prospects aren't ignoring you because you haven't followed up enough They're ignoring you because you haven't said anything worth responding to After auditing 50+ B2B sales processes, I've found the same pattern: - 8+ follow-up emails to the same prospect - Each one more desperate than the last - Generic templates with fake personalization - Zero actual value added All while sales managers chant "persistence pays off!" The brutal truth? It doesn't One client was sending 14-touch sequences to every lead Their final response rate? A pathetic 0.7% We completely redesigned their approach: - Cut all automated follow-ups - Created industry-specific research for each target account - Developed 3 unique insights for every prospect - Built a "no pitch" first conversation model The results : - Response rate jumped to 20% - Meetings-to-opportunity conversion: Up 200% - Sales cycle: Reduced from 107 days to 70 - Team morale: Transformed overnight The most expensive myth in modern sales is that quantity of touches matters more than quality of insight Your prospects don't need another "just checking in" email They need someone who fundamentally understands their business challenges What if you deleted all your follow-up templates today and replaced them with actual business insights? That's not just a sales strategy That's a competitive advantage P.S. If you need help with your sales, send me a message

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 know the fastest way to not get a response? Send four follow-up emails in 72 hours 😬 A few days ago, I got a cold podcast invite from someone I’d never heard of. Now, I'm usually flattered when people consider me a worthy guest. I can’t always say yes, but I always appreciate the ask. But this one? It threw me. Here’s why: - Email 1 (Sunday): No mention of the podcast name. Just, “Are you available for a quick call to discuss this further?” (No idea who they are or what I’m being invited to…) - Email 2 (Monday) - Email 3 (Tuesday) - Email 4 (Wednesday) Each one basically said: “Did you see my last email?” “Just checking…” “This is the last follow-up.” No context. No added value. Just...pressure to respond. And here’s the thing, I didn’t even see their emails until today. What started as an opportunity quickly began to feel like a chase. But let me be clear: I love a good follow-up. When I’m reaching out for speaking gigs, I’ll follow up 3 to 6 times, easy. But I do it over weeks or months, not days. Why? Because: ⏰People are busy 🙁Inbox overload is real 🐌Respect is felt in your pacing, not just your persistence When your follow-ups come too fast, it doesn’t show enthusiasm, it shows a lack of awareness. Try this instead: - Give context in your first message - Follow up thoughtfully - Space it out - Add something new each time - Know when to walk away No reply doesn’t always mean no. Sometimes it just means not right now. So yes, by all means, follow up. But no to urgency that smells like desperation (or worse… stalker energy 😅). Hope this helps you get a response next time you follow up with someone you're trying to reach. Let me know if it does 🙏 PS: What do you think is an appropriate amount of time between an initial email and a follow-up email? Curious to hear how you feel about it👇 #leadership #podcast #coldoutreach #humanconnection #impact

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.