How often should you follow up with a prospect after a sales call?

2 How to follow up effectively

Following up with a prospect after a sales call is an important way to build or break your relationship. You want to be persistent yet respectful, helpful yet not pushy. To do this effectively, use a variety of channels such as email, phone, text, social media, or video to match the prospect's preferred mode of communication. Additionally, customize your message based on the outcome of the sales call, value proposition, and pain points of your prospect. Avoid generic or scripted messages that sound impersonal or spammy and instead offer something that can benefit them such as relevant content, insights, testimonials, case studies, or demos. Create urgency by highlighting the cost of inaction, risk of missing out, limited availability, or special offer that your solution provides. Lastly, ask for feedback by inviting your prospect to share their thoughts and listen to their feedback in order to address their issues and overcome their objections. Don't assume silence means agreement or interest but seek confirmation and clarity.

3 How often to follow up

The frequency of your follow-up depends on a variety of factors, such as the stage of the sales cycle, the level of interest, the urgency of the problem, and the communication preferences of the prospect. As a general rule, you should follow up with a prospect within 24 hours of the sales call, and then every 2-4 days until you get a response or a next step. Depending on different scenarios, your follow-up strategy should vary. For example, if the prospect is highly interested and has a pressing problem that your solution can solve, you can follow up more frequently and aggressively - such as every day or every other day - until you secure a commitment or a close. On the other hand, if the prospect is lowly interested and has a low priority problem that your solution can solve, you can follow up less frequently and more softly – such as every week or every other week – until you re-engage them or move them to the next stage.

5 How to follow up without being annoying

One of the biggest challenges that salespeople face is how to follow up without being annoying or irritating their prospect. You want to come across as confident, helpful, and respectful, so it's important to respect your prospect's time, preferences, and decision. When following up, choose the right time and day to do so, avoid multiple or lengthy messages, and give them enough space and time to respond. Ask them how and when they want to be contacted, follow their instructions and expectations, and honor their requests and boundaries. If they decline your offer, accept their answer graciously and thank them for their time and attention. Respect their decision by not arguing, begging, or guilt-tripping them.