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.