Stop Leaving Money on the Table: The Art of Persistent Follow-Up

We’ve all been there: you send that first email, wait a day or two, and…nothing. You make a few calls, leave a voicemail, maybe toss in a “thoughts?” note a few days later—but still crickets.

Sound familiar?

The reality is, most SDR’s give up too soon. According to Qwilr.com, 80% of sales require up to 12 contact attempts. That’s right—up to a dozen touches to get a conversation going. Yet many SDRs throw in the towel after a few tries.

Yes, people get busy.

But consistent follow-up is usually the difference between being forgotten in an inbox and actually landing a meeting. Below is a framework for designing a follow-up sequence that’s persistent without being pushy.

1. The Right Number of Touches

You don’t want to sound like a broken record, but you also need enough attempts to stand out. Research shows most deals are won after the fifth contact—sometimes as late as the tenth or twelfth. Here’s a sample cadence to keep you top-of-mind without scaring prospects off:

• Day 1: Send your first email, call and LI touchpoint. (short, personalized, and super clear on why you’re reaching out).

• Day 3: Call & leave a brief voicemail referencing that first email.

• Day 5: Second email with a new angle—maybe a relevant insight, quick customer story, or link to a helpful resource and a follow up call.

• Day 7: Try a social touch (LinkedIn message or connection request) that references their recent activity or posts with of course another call.

• Day 10: Another phone call or voicemail, plus a follow-up email if they’re still radio-silent.

• Day 14: “Breakup” or “permission to close your file” email—polite, but it puts the ball firmly in their court.

This sequence can stretch over two or three weeks. The point is to give the prospect room to breathe between touches while maintaining consistent communication.

2. Each Follow-Up Should Add Value

Repeatedly asking, “Did you see my email?” doesn’t cut it. You want to spark curiosity or address a pain point each time. Consider:

• Industry Insights: “Hey Sarah, I saw this report on cost-saving measures in your space—thought you’d find it interesting.”

• Relevant Success Stories: “Here’s a quick case study from a client in your industry. They overcame [challenge X] by doing [solution Y].”

• New Info: “We just released a new feature that might solve the problem you mentioned in your LinkedIn post.”

Make every touch feel intentional and worthwhile for your prospect. Instead of nagging them, you become a source of insights.

3. Mix Up Your Channels

Relying on a single channel—just email, just phone—can backfire. Your prospects might ignore email but respond to a quick LinkedIn message, or vice versa. If you’re dealing with a busy exec, maybe a short voicemail stands out more than a cluttered inbox.

Using a multi-channel approach helps you reach people where they’re most active. Just remember to keep the messaging consistent so they don’t feel bombarded from all sides with wildly different pitches.

4. Know When to Say Goodbye

Persistence is powerful, but after 12-18 touches with no reply, it’s often time to sign off—at least temporarily. Sending a brief breakup email does two things:

1. It respects the prospect’s time and your own.

2. It gives them a guilt-free chance to respond if the topic is relevant, but the timing was off.

Something simple like:
“Hey Chris, I don’t want to fill your inbox if this isn’t a priority right now. Let me know if anything changes—happy to chat down the road. Until then, take care.”

You’d be surprised how many “unresponsive” prospects actually reply to that email with a quick explanation. Sometimes no answer is about timing, not disinterest.

5. Track & Optimize

Don’t just let these emails and voicemails vanish into the ether. Track open rates, response rates, and engagement. Are you getting more bites on Day 3 or Day 10? Does a resource link boost reply rates? Use that data to continually refine your approach.

The Bottom Line

It’s not rocket science: the more consistent and genuine your follow-up, the higher your chances of starting real conversations. Sure, you’ll risk a few unsubscribes. But the reps who put in the extra touches are the ones booking the meetings.

So if you’re used to giving up after the second attempt, push it to five. Or even better—aim for that five-to-twelve sweet spot. The moment you realize 80% of sales happen after several touches is the moment you understand that respectful persistence is the real sales superpower.

Keep dialing, keep emailing, and keep adding value at each step. When you do, you’ll be surprised how many “cold” prospects start warming up.