What's up — it's Tuesday.
You get one tactical playbook. Today: how to follow up like a pro.
The Problem With Most Follow-Ups
They sound like this:
"Hi Sarah, just following up on my last email. Wanted to see if you had a chance to review it..."
Or worse:
"Hi again! Just bumping this to the top of your inbox. Any thoughts?"
Delete both of them.
Here’s what prospects hear when you say “just checking in”:
“I have nothing new to say, but please respond anyway because I need to hit quota.”
That’s not follow-up. That’s begging.
The 6-Touch Framework: Value → Pattern Interrupt → Exit
Most reps quit after 2 touches. Top performers follow up 5–7 times — but they do it strategically.
This framework uses 6 total touches:
1 initial outreach
3 value-driven follow-ups
1 pattern interrupt
1 graceful exit
Each touch has a specific job.
The Structure
Touch 1 (Day 0): Initial Outreach
Problem → Proof → Path
Touches 2–4 (Days 3, 7, 14): Add NEW value each time
Share a relevant case study
Send a useful resource (no gate)
Drop a relevant industry insight
Touch 5 (Day 21): Pattern Interrupt
Break the pattern with humor, curiosity, or directness
Examples: “Should I stop emailing you?”, “I’ll take the hint”, “One last thing before I go…”
Touch 6 (Day 30): Graceful Exit
Give them an out
Show respect for their time
Leave the door open for future timing
Real Sequence (B2B SaaS → VP Sales)
Initial (Day 0):
Sarah — quick question.
Most sales teams waste 40% of their SDR capacity on leads that never convert.
We helped [similar company] cut that waste and book 23% more meetings in 6 weeks.
Worth a 15-min call?
Follow-Up 1 (Day 3):
Sarah — saw [competitor] just raised $20M. Usually means they’re about to scale their sales org fast.
If you’re planning the same, here’s how they avoided the “hire fast, churn faster” trap: [link to case study]
Still interested in that call? Send a couple of times that work.
Follow-Up 2 (Day 7):
Quick share: just published our 2024 SDR benchmark report. Outbound conversion rates, meeting-to-opp metrics, the works.
No opt-in required — just thought you’d find it useful: [link]
(And yes, still happy to chat if you want to talk through your numbers specifically.)
Follow-Up 3 (Day 14):
Sarah — genuine question.
What’s your biggest pipeline leak right now? Bad targeting? Weak discovery? Deals dying in legal?
If it’s targeting, I can help. If it’s something else, I probably know someone who can.
Either way, let me know. Or tell me to stop emailing you — I’ll respect that too.
Follow-Up 4 (Day 21 — Pattern Interrupt):
I’ll take the hint.
Last email, I promise. But on the off-chance this just got buried and you are actually interested:
Here’s my calendar link: [link]
Or just hit reply. I’ll close the loop either way.
Follow-Up 5 (Day 30 — Exit):
Sarah — this is my last note.
I’m cleaning up my pipeline. If solving [problem] isn’t a priority right now, totally understand. I’ll close your file.
But if timing changes in Q2/Q3, reach out. Happy to pick this back up.
Either way — good luck hitting your number this quarter.
Why This Works
Value-first (Touches 2–4):
You’re not “just checking in” — you’re giving before you ask. Case studies, reports, insights. No gates, no tricks.
Pattern interrupt (Touch 5):
Breaks email blindness. Directness cuts through and signals confidence instead of neediness.
Graceful exit (Touch 6):
Shows respect. No pressure. Keeps the door open without chasing.
Result: Higher reply rates, fewer unsubscribes, better brand perception.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ “Just bumping this up” — Adds zero value.
❌ Copy-paste the same email — If you have nothing new to say, don’t say anything.
❌ Following up more than once per week — You’re not their only priority. Space it out.
❌ Never giving them an exit — “I’ll keep trying until you respond” is stalker energy.
✅ Add value. Break patterns. Know when to quit.
Your Playbook Action Items
Today:
Map your current 6-touch follow-up sequence.
Count the “just checking in” emails.
Rewrite each follow-up to add NEW value.
This week:
Build your own 6-touch sequence for your ICP.
Write your pattern interrupt (Touch 5).
Draft your graceful exit (Touch 6).
Track this:
Reply rates per touch. Most reps see the highest engagement on Touch 3 or Touch 5. If Touch 2 gets zero replies, your value isn’t valuable enough.
The Bottom Line
Follow-ups aren’t about persistence. They’re about being worth responding to.
Value. Pattern interrupt. Exit.
Stop checking in. Start adding value.
See you Friday for Pipeline Pulse.
— Pipeline Playbook