Follow-up cadence

The fastest deals I have closed shared one trait: the next meeting was booked before the first call ended. When that habit slipped, even warm prospects drifted into inbox limbo. A tight follow-up cadence turns polite interest into predictable pipeline because it removes every “what now?” pause that kills momentum.

In this chapter I show the cadence I have refined across agency retainers, SaaS pilots and consultancy projects. First, we secure the next step while the buyer’s attention is still fresh. Second, we send value-add follow-ups that prove we listened rather than blasted a template. Third, we track every touch in the CRM so nothing relies on memory. Finally, we automate sensible sequences so scale never dilutes personal tone.

Every discovery or demo ends with one goal: lock the calendar. I keep a two-minute wrap-up script. Summarise the problem in the buyer’s own words, outline the single outcome of the next meeting, then ask “does Tuesday at ten or Thursday at two work better?” It is a binary choice, not an open question, so indecision shrinks.

If a prospect needs internal approval, schedule anyway and label the slot “provisional”. The placeholder holds both sides accountable and cuts the chasing loop by a week. Send the invite before the call ends and share the link in the chat—speed sells.

Bridge: the calendar placeholder is only half the battle; the email that follows must add fresh value that pushes the conversation forward.

I send the follow-up within ninety minutes. The email includes three parts: thank-you line, recap bullets, and one resource tailored to the pain we discussed. Examples include a short Loom walking through a relevant case study slide, or a template that cuts an hour from their next task. The lift must be immediate or it feels like homework.

Avoid attachments larger than five megabytes; spam filters love to eat those. Host files in the cloud and link with view-only permissions. Close with a gentle reminder of the booked slot: “Looking forward to Thursday at two—calendar invite attached.”

Bridge: emails vanish unless the CRM records them, so the next step is bullet-proof tracking.

Manual notes rot; automated logs last. Connect your email and call tool to the CRM so every thread, open, and reply posts to the timeline. After each conversation update two fields only: current stage and next action date. Simplicity beats perfect detail that nobody trusts.

Run a daily view filtered on next action date older than yesterday. That list is your follow-up queue before coffee. If the list is empty, prospecting starts. Missed actions flag yellow after twenty-four hours and red after forty-eight so managers can coach before deals stall.

Bridge: once you can trust the data you are ready to layer sequences that handle routine nudges at scale.

Sequences replace sticky-note reminders without turning you into a robot. I build a five-step cadence over ten business days: confirmation, value recap, social proof, gentle nudge, break-up. Each email is under one hundred words and references the original pain. Personalise the first two steps by hand, then let the tool send the rest if silence continues.

Throttle volume to fifty new enrolments per rep per day while deliverability proves stable. Review sequence analytics weekly: reply rate first, open rate second. Rewrite subject lines only after the email body delivers genuine insight. A bigger font will not fix a weak proposition.

Bridge: with a live cadence, logged activities, and automation guard-rails, you can step back and see the impact on pipeline speed.

A disciplined follow-up cadence moves prospects, not just deals. Secure the next meeting before hanging up, deliver a value-packed recap within the hour, record every touch in the CRM, and let smart sequences cover the gaps. The system is light enough for startups yet sturdy enough for enterprise cycles.

Implement the two-minute wrap-up script on your very next call, then draft the first follow-up template before the day ends. By Friday you will feel the pipeline tighten and forecasting will start to sound less like guesswork and more like planning.