The Best Way to Follow Up Without Being Annoying?
Treat your prospect like a person, not a pitch.
Sales isn’t about hounding.
It’s about connecting. (Have you ever read Dale Carnegie’s “How to win friends and influence people”? only written in 1936 – check out the section on the “6 ways to make people like you” I love, love it)
And that means your follow-up should feel less like “chasing” and more like “checking in” with someone you actually know.
Here’s a 3-step mindset that works in recruitment sales:
-
- Learn something about them – what they are passionate about, going on or have coming up “SHOW THEM YOU LISTENED, HEARD THEM AND KNOW THEM”
Did they mention a renovation, a big project, a family holiday, or footy finals?
Write it down. That’s gold. (You know in the CRM) - Lead with them, not your agenda.
Start with:
“Hey Sarah, how did the rollout go last week?”
Or
“Hope the wedding planning hasn’t completely taken over your calendar” - Ease into business, respectfully.
Once you’ve shown you see them as a human being, then transition:
“By the way, I’ve got someone I think could really help your ops team. Want me to shoot over a quick intro?”
- Learn something about them – what they are passionate about, going on or have coming up “SHOW THEM YOU LISTENED, HEARD THEM AND KNOW THEM”
When your follow-up respects them and demonstrates that you are a person who wants to build real relationships it opens doors.
Sales isn’t just strategy. It’s psychology.
And good psychology is rooted in genuine interest in people .