Follow-up refers to every subsequent message you send to « just check in … » to see if they saw and read your first (usually cold outreach) message, be that on email, LinkedIn, SMS… no matter the channel.
We use follow-ups when trying to convert leads, close deals, or simply get the information we need, but there’s no reply from the prospect. A follow-up is meant to remind them to respond in case they were busy and forgot, as well as another attempt to catch their attention.
70% of salespeople give up if they don’t receive a reply to their first email. And this is a huge mistake because sending more follow-up messages can triple your reply rate.
Follow-up emails get a better response rate than the first email. Sending 2-3 follow-up emails is optimal with the first follow-up email being the most effective. It brings the highest reply rate – about 40% higher compared to the initial email.