Most leads don't buy the first time you speak to them. To turn more of them into customers, follow up straight away, then keep in touch on a set rhythm (for example on day 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 and 21, and beyond), with a written process and one person responsible for it. For leads that went cold months ago, a simple three-line email can bring them back.
Most businesses don't follow up enough. You work hard and spend money to get enquiries, then let them slip away.
Why does follow-up matter so much?
Follow-up is the glue that holds your sales process together. It builds trust, keeps you front of mind and shows people you care enough to stay in touch. Without it, leads fall through the cracks and your pipeline dries up.
Most businesses put their energy into finding new leads instead of making the most of the ones they already have. Follow-up gets ignored because it feels repetitive, it doesn't always pay off straight away and it's easy to chase the next shiny thing instead. That's a big opportunity for anyone willing to do it properly.
What do you need to follow up well?
Three things:
- A process. Follow-up should be a system, not random. Every lead goes through the same clear steps, so no one gets forgotten.
- Consistency. The odd follow-up won't work. You need a rhythm that keeps you in touch without overwhelming people.
- Ownership. Someone has to be responsible for it, whether that's you, someone in your team or an automated system.
A simple follow-up rhythm
I use what I call the Fibonacci follow-up, based on the famous number sequence. Follow up straight away (day 0) while the lead is still warm, then again on day 1, day 2, day 3, day 5, day 8, day 13 and day 21.
The gaps get longer as you go, so you stay in touch regularly without being pushy. Most businesses should keep going well beyond 21 days.
How to bring old leads back to life
One of my clients had an enquiry from a potential customer more than 500 days earlier. The first conversations went well, then it went quiet, and that was the end of it.
Their customer details were spread across several spreadsheets, so follow-up was easy to forget once a lead went cold. We moved everything into one CRM (customer relationship management) system, picked out every lead that hadn't been contacted for more than 120 days, and sent each one a three-line email.
It reopened conversations with several of those old leads, and one of them decided to go ahead. The email started it, but it worked because there was a proper process behind it: booking the meeting, meeting face to face and following through to close the deal.
The three-line email
Subject: Quick question, [first name]...
Hi [first name],
Are you still interested in [what you do]?
[Your name]
That's it. You don't even need a CRM to send it, although one makes it much easier to manage the replies and the follow-up.
Change the middle line to suit your business, for example "Are you still interested in a new kitchen?" or "Are you still interested in finding a new accountant?" If you use a CRM, build the three-line email into your follow-up so it goes out automatically a few weeks after every enquiry.
Use WhatsApp as well as email
A lot of people now check WhatsApp more than their texts or email. Messages there feel more like a conversation, so people are more likely to reply, and what you send shows up as you meant it to. I've helped owners use it for:
- Taking bookings
- Answering questions, which feels easier for people than filling in a contact form
- Asking for reviews
- Sending short personal videos
- Following up and getting customers to book again
Use both. Email and WhatsApp each have their place in how you talk to prospects and customers.
What changes when you get it right
- You turn more leads into customers without constantly chasing new ones.
- You build better relationships with people who feel valued.
- You get steadier results, month after month.
Follow-up isn't a nice-to-have. It's a basic part of running a business, and it works. It's also the subject of my talk, The Follow-Up Gap.
Frequently asked questions
How many times should I follow up with a lead? More than most people do. Follow up on the same day, then on day 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 and 21, and keep going after that, spacing the messages further apart over time.
What is the three-line email? A very short email to old leads: a subject line of "Quick question, [first name]...", then "Are you still interested in [what you do]?" and your name. It works because it's simple and easy to reply to.
Want help with your follow-up?
If leads are slipping through the cracks, book a free strategy call and we'll look at where your follow-up is falling down and what to fix first.