Mastering the Art of Follow-Up

Your emails say more about you than you think. 👇 Here’s how to make every email polished and professional. Acknowledge Delays Gracefully ✘ "Sorry for the late response." ✔ "Thank you for your patience." Be Clear with Requests ✘ "Let me know what works for you." ✔ "Could you confirm if this works for you?" Own Your Mistakes ✘ "Sorry, I missed that." ✔ "Thanks for pointing that out—I’ll fix it right away." Close Emails Effectively ✘ "Let me know if you need anything." ✔ "Feel free to reach out if you have any questions." Make Follow-Ups Professional ✘ "Just following up on this." ✔ "When can I expect an update on this?" Show Respect for Their Time ✘ "Can we talk about this soon?" ✔ "Would you have 15 minutes this week to discuss this?" Be Confident, Not Tentative ✘ "I think we should consider…" ✔ "Here’s what I propose we do." Avoid Wordy Explanations ✘ "I spent a lot of time rewriting this to make it perfect." ✔ "This email outlines the key points—we can discuss more in person." Offer Solutions, Not Problems ✘ "I’m not sure what to do here." ✔ "Here’s what I suggest as the next step—what are your thoughts?" Set Clear Expectations ✘ "Does this make sense?" ✔ "Let me know if this aligns with your expectations." Be Polite When Asking for Help ✘ "I need this ASAP." ✔ "Would you be able to assist me with this by [specific deadline]?" Keep It Professional When Scheduling ✘ "What time works for you?" ✔ "Are you available at [specific time and date]? If not, let me know what works instead." Emails reflect your professionalism. Get them right, and you’ll always leave a great impression. ➞ Start today by refining your communication style. -- Think this could help someone? Share it to improve the way they communicate. ♻️

Most reps think they’re “doing outbound.” But their idea of a sequence is 6 emails, zero value, and a few sad bump messages. That’s not prospecting. That’s praying. Meanwhile, my clients are booking meetings with CROs at Fortune 500s — and here’s the sequence they use (10 touchpoints, built to convert): If your pipeline sucks, your sequence probably does too. Most reps don’t get ignored because they’re bad at writing emails. They get ignored because they rely on one channel. Because they give up after 2 touches. Because they confuse “checking in” with “creating urgency.” Here’s how high-performing reps actually break through: 1. The structure: 10 touchpoints across 20 days - 6 emails - 3 phone calls - 1 video on LinkedIn Every message with a purpose. Every channel working together. 2. The content: Stop bumping. Start teaching. Most sequences are noise. They repeat the same CTA (“just checking in!”), offer no insight, and get deleted by day 2. Instead, think in layers: Email 1 = POV tailored to the account Email 2 = Specific ways you help teams like theirs Email 3 = Case study or customer story Email 4 = ROI data, benchmarked Email 5 = Industry whitepaper or third-party research Email 6 = Product demo or experience preview Every email adds value. Even if they never reply, you become unignorable. 3. Phone still works. If you use it right. Don’t cold call. Warm call — immediately after the email drops. Reference your message. Be human. Don’t script. 4. Use LinkedIn like a human Day 1: Send a connection request (no note) Day 4: DM them after they connect Day 14: Drop a short video — selfie style, natural, no script This part matters most. Executives ignore cold emails but they watch DMs that feel real. 5. Automate the follow-up. Never the personalization. Yes, you can load this into Outreach or Salesloft. But if your content sucks, it doesn’t matter. Write once. Reuse the assets. Track opens. Follow up religiously. Be the rep who doesn’t disappear after 2 tries. I’ve helped reps use this exact sequence to book meetings with CROs at F500s. If you want coaching on how to build yours — the right structure, the right messaging, the right mindset — send me a DM. REMEMBER: Most reps fail not because they stop too late. But because they stop too soon. Build a real sequence. Say something worth hearing. And don’t quit at touch #3. This is the way. Be the 1%. Book the meeting.

6 Follow Up Templates That Keep Networking Conversations Alive: 1. The Value-First Follow Up Aim to add value to an initiative you know they're working on: "Hi Sarah, saw your company just announced the new product launch. I came across this article on similar launches in your industry. Thought it might spark some ideas for your marketing strategy. Hope the launch prep is going smoothly!" 2. The Specific Question Angle Asking specific questions shows credibility and can get you info you can use to add value: "Hey David, been thinking about our coffee chat last week. You mentioned struggling with team retention in H2. Have you tried implementing "retention interviews" yet? I saw 3 companies in tech reduce turnover by 40% using them, here's a link to that data." 3. The Introduction Offer Networking is hard (as you know!). Offering to make an intro is a great way to add value to two people: "Hi Jessica, following up from our chat. You mentioned needing a UI/UX designer for that new AI feature. My former colleague Anna just went freelance and she's brilliant. She redesigned our entire app in 6 weeks last year. Happy to make an intro if you're still looking!" 4. The Industry Update Hook Leveraging a shift in the market or industry can be a great way to spark a follow up conversation: "Hey Marcus, did you see [Company]'s new Slack-free hours announcement? It directly impacts what we discussed about interrupted work and team output. Could be something worth looking into for your team?" 5. The Achievement Celebration Everyone loves to be recognized for their achievements. Be that person! "Lisa! Just saw you got promoted to VP on LinkedIn. I remember you mentioned being in an interview process when we met for coffee. I know how stressed you were about the interview with the C-Level. Looks like you crushed it! Would love to hear about your new role if you're up for a chat in the next week or two." 6. The Resource Share Sharing resources aligned with your contact's needs is one of the best ways to stay top of mind: "Hi Tom, I know you'd mentioned how much time your sales team was spending on pre-qualification. A connection of mine just shared an AI automation flow that solves for that exact problem. He said it's saved his team 15+ hours per week and led to more sales. I grabbed a copy if you'd like to see it. Just let me know!" —— ➕ Follow Austin Belcak for more 🔵 Ready to land your dream job? Click here to learn more about how we help people land amazing jobs in ~3.5 months with a $44k raise: https://lnkd.in/gdysHr-r

Sales reps email "just checking in" an average of 5 times per day. Does this work?  Rarely. The habit of saying "just checking in" negatively impacts your sales efforts: ⇒ It doesn't add any value to the conversation. ⇒ It can come across as lazy or insincere. ⇒ By using this phrase, you miss opportunities to engage meaningfully. Here are 10 tips to stop saying "just checking in" and do something else instead: 1. Provide Value:  Instead of "just checking in," offer a useful piece of advice or a relevant resource. For example, "I came across this article that might help with your current project." 2. Ask Specific Questions:  Directly ask for the information you need. For example, "Can you update me on the status of the proposal we discussed?" 3. Share a Success Story:  Highlight a recent success that relates to the prospect's industry. For example, "We recently helped a company similar to yours achieve X. Would you like to hear more about it?" 4. Offer a New Insight:  Share a new piece of information or a market trend. For example, "I wanted to share some recent data on how companies in your sector are handling Y." 5. Suggest a Next Step:  Propose a clear next action. For example, "How about we schedule a call next week to discuss this further?" 6. Follow Up on a Previous Conversation:  Reference a specific point from your last interaction. For example, "Last time we spoke, you mentioned interest in Z. I have some additional information that might be useful." 7. Invite to an Event:  Offer an invitation to a webinar or industry event. For example, "We’re hosting a webinar on [topic] next week. Would you be interested in joining?" 8. Highlight a New Feature:  Inform them about a new feature or update. For example, "We’ve just launched a new feature that could benefit your team. Would you like a demo?" 9. Ask for Feedback:  Request their opinion on something specific. For example, "I’d love to get your feedback on our latest product update." 10. Express Genuine Interest:  Show that you care about their progress. For example, "How are things going with your current project? Is there anything I can assist with?" By replacing "just checking in" with these strategies,  you can make your follow-ups more engaging and valuable. This ultimately leads to better responses and stronger relationships. ♻️ Share this cheat sheet to help more sales reps improve their follow-up game. ______ 📌 p.s. FREE GIFT: If you’re looking to streamline sales plays across your sales team, you can click here: https://www.distribute.so/

Someone asked me how many follow-ups I send to prospects who’ve shown interest but haven’t bought yet. My answer? I don’t stop. But I’m not “just checking in.” I’m making deposits. A deposit = information that makes people smarter about a topic they care about. (Like this post.) You can do this too. Create a Top of Mind sequence. Add prospects to it when they’re not ready yet. Not with “just bumping this to the top of your inbox.” Not with pressure. With perspective. With insight. With generosity. Start simple: Write down 5 questions your customers typically ask before they buy. Now turn each question into one email. One answer per message. You can even make it a video. Let your personality beam through. Don’t pitch. Don’t chase. Just teach. They may not buy now. But when the timing is right? You’ll be the first person they think of. Because you didn’t follow up. You followed through.

I got ghosted by 127 LinkedIn prospects in 2017. Then I discovered the pattern. So there I am... Fresh SDR me refreshing my inbox every 10 minutes hoping for responses. Little Morgan clearly getting cooked in the DMs. My messages were painful. "Hope all is well. My name is Morgan. We have mutual connections and I'd love to connect. Here's what we do..." Just terrible. I am sick even telling you all this. But when you start in sales, there aren't really guidelines. You get thrown in like "hope this works" and pray something sticks. I thought I wasn't good enough. Then I realized something huge: They weren't ignoring ME. They were ignoring my APPROACH. That changed everything. Here's the framework I developed after studying hundreds of messages: The AMP Outbound Formula: ↳ Observation (show them you know them) ↳ Context (why this observation matters) ↳ Pain point (what they're likely facing) ↳ Value prop/Power Move(how you help) ↳ Call to action (next step) You don't need all 5 every time. Sometimes just observation + context + question works. Quick example" Before: "Hope all is well..." (Almost barfed writing this) " After: "Saw you just expanded your SDR team by 5 people. Most VPs tell me onboarding at that scale leads to (insert situation). Not sure if this is relevant but how are you currently doing (x)?" (Now we are getting somewhere) But every successful message I've seen follows this pattern. As Samantha McKenna says "Show Them You KNOW Them" before you show them what you DO. When I follow this framework, response rates jump. When teams I coach use this from our LinkedIn Revenue Engine™ they book more meetings from LinkedIn. Your prospects are waiting for someone who gets them. Be that someone.

Sales success often comes down to super nitty gritty "why didn't I think of that..." plays that spark movement rather than the obvious "Did you establish next steps?" boulders. Here are two I used in social selling recently: 1. Inbound connection request - "Sam! XYZ speaks so highly of you and recommended we connect." Most reps would accept, and potentially skip replying to the note. 🤦 Instead, I replied, "Thanks so much for saying hi!" and offered to loop her in on our newsletters/webinars (turning LI connections into stickier contacts). Then I thought, "Who?" on the XYZ person as I didn't know them by name. Saw we were 2nd degree connected, so sent a note, "Hi! ABC shared your kind words with me and said hello on LinkedIn! Were you two talking sales shop or something totally unrelated?" Two quick actions that can spark conversations and often lead to a, "Hey, actually can we talk about how #samsales can help..." 2. An old client tagged me in a comment, "We loved working with Sam!" I replied and tagged in the person who initially hired us at the old client, who is also the person making a decision on hiring us again now (the deal closed, this was a few months back :)) at a different co. "Ah thanks Emily! Hats off to Sarah Green who brought us in to Old Company back then!" Small move to nurture Sarah, remind her how her colleagues also loved working with us, and send a gentle reminder that we exist + pls sign our deal. 😉 Bonus? Share your own small moves in real time with your teams on Slack so they learn from you and to also let you build a brand as someone with loads of creative ideas. Double bonus? Share these in larger Slack channels to build better visibility for yourself in remote environments. #samsales #linkedintips #saas

Listen up. I’ve coached thousands of sales calls and most reps sabotage their own deals without realizing it. When I started in 2007, I nearly got fired for not understanding how language impacts buyer psychology. Now, after helping teams double revenue in 90 days, I can spot the hidden mistakes instantly. You're probably killing your win rate with these “harmless” phrases. Here are 6 phrases that are absolutely DESTROYING your deals (and what to say instead): 1) "Sorry to bother you..." Starting with an apology tells the prospect, “I’m not worth your time.” You’ve lost before you’ve begun. Top 1% performers NEVER apologize for delivering value. They command attention through absolute certainty. ✅ POWER MOVE: "Hey Alice, Marcus here from Venli. I'm reaching out because we helped Company X increase their pipeline by 37% last quarter, and I noticed your team might be facing similar challenges..." 2) "Just following up..." This lazy phrase screams, “I’ve got nothing to offer, but want your money.” Total momentum killer. Elite reps are wildly precise with their words and always reference specific commitments made in previous conversations. ✅ POWER MOVE: "Alice, you mentioned you were going to discuss our proposal with Charles during your leadership meeting yesterday. I'm curious … what feedback did you receive that we should address?" 3) "I know you're really busy..." Say this, and you’ve just made yourself irrelevant. Game over. Remember: YOUR time matters. Top performers signal status through subtle positioning every time. ✅ POWER MOVE: "I was just wrapping up a strategy session with Lisa, the CEO over at Company X, and wanted to quickly connect about next steps before my afternoon gets packed..." 4) "What are the next steps?" This signals poor process control - no system, no playbook, no real method. The sales machines I build don’t ask for direction - they GIVE it. They own the process. ✅ POWER MOVE: "Based on what we've discussed, here's what typically happens next: First, we'll schedule a technical review with your team for next Tuesday. Then, we'll deliver a customized implementation plan by Friday. How does that sound?" 5) "To be honest..." Wait, Wait... so everything before this wasn’t true? Nothing kills credibility faster. When I turn around failing sales teams, eliminating this phrase is always one of the first habits we break. ✅ POWER MOVE: "That's an excellent question, Alice. Here's exactly how our solution addresses that challenge..." 6) "What do I have to do to get your business?" Is this 1988? This pushy close screams desperation and kills trust instantly. The best reps I've coached understand that closing isn't an event. It's the natural outcome of a well-executed sales process. ✅ POWER MOVE: "It seems like you're hesitating about X. I'm curious … what specific concerns do you have that we haven't fully addressed yet?" Which of these six phrases have YOU been using without realizing it? 

When a Doctor Says They’ll Use Your Product… and Then Ghosts You We’ve all been there. You walk out of a sales call thinking you just crushed it. The doctor said, “Yeah, we’ll start using it.” Maybe even threw in a “This looks great!” for good measure. You’re already mentally logging the win. And then… nothing. No orders. No follow-up. Just radio silence. You try to reach out, but they’re suddenly busier than a trauma surgeon on a holiday weekend. You start to wonder—Did they actually mean it? Or was that just a polite way to get me out of their office? Here’s the reality: They did say they’d use it. That wasn’t a hallucination (despite the lack of hard evidence). And your job is to make sure that happens. So what’s the move? 1. Honor your commitment to honor their commitment. They said yes, so act accordingly. Don’t treat this like a weak maybe—treat it like a done deal that just needs execution. 2. Make follow-up a favor, not a favor request. Instead of, “Hey Doc, just checking in…” try, “Doc, I’m here to make sure this rolls out smoothly for you. Let’s lock in the details.” Frame it as supporting their decision, not begging for scraps. 3. Create urgency without being pushy. Remind them why they said yes in the first place. Maybe it improves outcomes, saves them time, or prevents their competition from eating their lunch. Whatever it was, reinforce it. 4. Use internal allies. Sometimes the doc is all talk, but the real decision-makers (or blockers) are staff, procurement, or admin. Find your champions inside the clinic or hospital and work with them. 5. If all else fails, call it out—professionally. If they keep dodging, try something direct: “Doc, last time we spoke, you were excited to get started. Have things changed?” Sometimes a little nudge forces a real answer. Bottom line? They gave you the green light. Don’t act like it’s still a red light. You’re not being pushy—you’re being a professional who ensures things get done. If you back off completely, you weren’t closing a deal—you were just collecting compliments. And last I checked, compliments don’t pay commissions.

I run the "5 Minute Drill" at the end of every sales call: 🟢 Ask: How are you feeling? Should we keep exploring working together? There is zero sense in trying to talk timeline or next steps if the other person isn't bought in to continuing to explore. Pulse check their sentiment FIRST. Consider phrasing it like this: "Gut reactions - how are you feeling?" "What did you think? Worth exploring further?" If they feel good, move to the next question (below) If they don't feel good, you've gotta address their concerns first. ___ 🟢 Ask: Could you talk to me about timelines? Only once they feel good about continuing to explore, then you can talk timelines. You should understand timeline BEFORE you talk specific next steps. It's hard to recommend the proper next step if you don't understand the urgency (or lack thereof) If they need this implemented in a WEEK, you're probably gonna need to move faster than if they want to implement in 6 months. Best if you can tie timeline to something that's happening in THEIR world, but if you don't have that, you might say something like: "Talk to me about how you're feeling about timelines for something like this" ___ 🟢 Recommend: Specific Next Step(s) Once you understand timing - make a recommendation for how to proceed. Can be as simple as saying "What I'd recommend we do next is..." Can be as complex as reviewing a mutual action plan together. You should always make a recommendation for how to proceed- your buyer is not a professional buyer and it's your responsibility to help guide them. It's OK if they disagree with your recommendation, it means they're at least thinking critically about their evaluation process (and gives you a great chance to run some discovery about that process)