When it comes to sales outreach, we’ve all been guilty of using “just following up” and “just checking in”—because, hey, what else is there to say?
Thankfully, there is more to say. A world beyond the mundane. You don’t have to rely on the same old phrases and hope for the best.
We’re here to show you some new and improved alternatives to consider instead.
Let’s get started!
Why are the words “Just Following Up” all too common?
“Just following up” has become the default in sales outreach because it strikes a perfect balance between a gentle reminder and maintaining a professional demeanor with a prospective customer.
Plus, it’s been used by salespeople throughout the sales process and through multiple generations—so it’s become a common practice in our day-to-day lives, too.
However, its commonality kills it—there’s no way to stand out from the crowd if you use the same phrases as everyone else. Every conversation becomes monotonous, and there’s no motivation to respond to your email over someone else’s.
Managing Director at AED Training, Mark McShane says this interaction style “invariably gives prominence to the sender’s needs, interests and agenda over those of the recipient.”
The role of follow-ups in sales outreach
When it comes to sales outreach, follow-ups are critical—this is mainly because it’s reported that:
- 6 out of 10 customers take four tries to turn a “no” into a “yes.”
- Almost 80% of all sales require a follow-up.
Plus, since an average customer also deletes more than 48% of all emails in a day, there’s also a strong possibility your initial email might be one of them—meaning that follow-up is absolutely necessary to get noticed by your prospects.
Effective strategies to consider instead of “Just Following Up”
Now that we’ve discussed the importance of a good follow-up routine, let’s go ahead and discuss a few strategies you can employ instead of “just following up.”
For this section of the piece, we rely entirely on the insights of subject matter experts (SMEs).
1. Keep it value-driven
James Smith, founder of Travel Lingual, asks salespeople to “Try adding a little personality and value to your outreach. Think of your prospect’s inbox as a room full of people. How can you stand out from the crowd?
Create subject lines that excite readers or provide immediate value. For example, “Unveiling your solution: a game-changer for [prospect’s pain point]” or “Exclusive insights: [industry trend] Impact on [prospect’s company].”
This is where transparency comes in. Send something genuinely valuable or interesting in the form of an email. Whether it’s an industry report, a personal recommendation, or a client’s success story, make sure it’s about them, not your product.”
Other industry professionals share this perspective as well. For instance, Antonio Gabric, Outreach Manager at Hunter, explains that they try to provide additional benefits to the potential customer’s life.
- Create a short (up to 3 minutes) Loom video with a quick explanation of the prospect’s problem and showing how we can help them “beat” these challenges.
- Engaging with potential prospects on LinkedIn to understand their challenges through their posts.
- Including links to articles and videos related to the prospect’s challenges in their follow-up emails.
2. Leverage existing marketing materials
Joe Kevens, the founder of B2BSaaSReviews, previously worked with LevelJump, an onboarding and training app for Sales reps.
In his own words, “One of the top ways to avoid a “just following up” email that I recall sales trainers recommending was to leverage marketing content like whitepapers, case studies, and survey reports.
For example, if a CRM seller is writing a second email message to a prospect after a discovery call, instead of writing “just following up” or “bumping this to the top of your inbox,” they could write:
“Given what we discussed last week, I thought of you when I saw our team publish a new guide on how to get started with a new CRM platform. You can read it here (link). Let’s discuss it soon when you have a chance. Here’s my calendar link to pick a time that works best for you.”
3. Use visuals and humor instead
Ashley Aquino, the international business development manager at MilestoneLocalization, recommends adding a touch of humor to your follow-up emails.
What do we mean by this, you ask? Just take a look at the examples she shares and see for yourself.
Scenario: No reply after 3 – 4 generic follow-ups
Template:
Hi, Naomi.
We previously had a discussion regarding sending a financial offer in writing, and you’ve gone AWOL since then!
This tells me a few things:
- You’re being chased by a T-rex and need my help.
- You’re interested but haven’t had time to respond.
- You aren’t interested.
Whichever one it is, please let me know, as I’m getting worried!
Regards,
Ashley
Scenario: They express their interest in setting up a meeting but don’t show up after one is penned down in the calendar.
Template:
Hi, Nyamdorj.
We haven’t been able to schedule our meeting, and it’s reminding me a lot of when Rachel stood Ross up on Prom night…
Jokes aside, I was curious if you are still interested in putting time back on the calendar for us to discuss your translation requirements.
Here’s my calendar if you’d like to discuss this in more detail. If you’re simply not interested anymore, no worries. Just let me know so I can return my tuxedo. 🙂
Cheers,
Ashley
Another expert (Sam Bhoopati, head of client success at Gallabox) says their company, too, gives their emails a facelift by using some witty yet relatable and professional subject lines.
Some examples he shared were:
- You’re just one step away; don’t stop now!
- Uh-Oh! You Missed Your [Product Name] Demo 🙁
- Perhaps, they’re right; the third time is the charm!
- One-tap response: which one sounds like you?
- Would you give [Product Name] one last try?
4. Lean into personalization or urgency tactics
Alexander Havkin, Sales and Project Manager at Ecoline Windows, says, “When crafting impactful email headlines, personalization is key.” Instead of generic follow-ups, personalize your email subjects.
For instance, consider the following subject lines: “A Custom Solution for [Prospect’s Company Name]” or “Prospect’s[ Name], Here’s What You Missed!” This approach shows you’re paying attention to their specific needs and interests.
Try also to create urgency and relevance. Use headlines like “Limited Time Offer for [Prospect’s Company Name]” or “Exclusive Insights for [Prospect’s Industry].”
Using these tactics, his company increased their open rates by 20 (leveraging urgency) and 25% (leveraging personalization).
5. Make your prospects interested in what you have to offer
Other experts like Campbell Tourgis, VP and COO at Wainbee, recommend engaging your prospects through surveys to keep them more interested in what you offer.
In his words, “Framing the interaction around a survey shifts the conversation from a sales pitch to a collaborative exchange of knowledge. This demonstrates genuine interest in their perspectives while subtly setting our company as a thought leader within the industry.”
Similarly, Gideon Rubin, CEO of YourIAQ, recommends “capturing the attention of potential clients by offering them an exclusive sneak peek into our upcoming product features.”
“For example, before launching a new smart air purifier model, we leveraged email to invite prospects to get a special preview. This approach stood out from the usual follow-up emails, giving people a sense of being part of something unique and special.
After rolling out exclusive previews, we saw a 28% jump in open rates and a solid 20% increase in responses from prospects. Plus, engagement skyrocketed, spiking by 50% compared to our regular follow-ups.”
6. Pivot follow-ups
Lastly, Mark (from AED Training) also suggests pivoting conversations from emails to social media.
In his words, “This turns out to be an effective method–attributable largely to their (LinkedIn’s and Twitter’s) more informal and relaxed atmosphere.”
He says you can engage prospects on these platforms by commenting on posts, sharing content, or participating in relevant discussions they may be involved in.
Ensuring polished images through tools like removing objects from photos enhances engagement, leaving a lasting impression.
Best practices, challenges, and tips to consider in sales outreach
As a salesperson, one of your biggest challenges is keeping track of all your leads, their conversations, finding ideal response times, etc. Hence, we’d recommend leveraging cold email tools to automate and personalize your follow-ups.
That said, here are a few other best practices to add to your sales training:
- Most importantly, maintain a professional demeanor and respect your prospect’s time.
- Try to keep the conversation focused on their challenges instead of your product.
- Test out different sales channels to see what works best.
- Wait no more than 3–5 business days to follow up (if by email).
- Respond on time (don’t wait more than 24 hours).
- Always keep your emails/messages short.
- Only ask open-ended questions.
- Always end with a strong CTA.
Some email experts even recommend actively employing A/B testing to find out what kind of subject lines, tone, content, and CTAs work well for your prospects so that you can optimize your sales scripts accordingly.
Improve your Sales Outreach Today
Let’s be real: Email marketing is the cornerstone of any person’s sales outreach strategy, but it takes a lot to manage an inbox effectively. Utilizing an email virtual assistant can be an option to manage it smoothly.
Enter cold email software: when choosing one, look for a tool specifically created for salespeople to help them improve their sales efforts through email automation, A/B tests, auto-follow-ups, email templates, custom workflows, personalization sequences, email reporting, workspaces, and more.