The Sales Follow Up Email:

How to push without being pushy

OK… so you had a GREAT initial sales conversation with your prospect and things seemed to be moving along and then… crickets.

You’ve called, left a voicemail, and even sent a sales follow-up email. Maybe you even have the ability to track and see when they opened your email – but they still haven’t called back or replied to you.

You’re getting anxious. You need this deal. And you feel it slipping away.

So, you call again and for the second time, the prospect doesn’t pick up. You get voicemail.

You decide to leave another voicemail and know you should send a 2nd follow-up email, but what to say?

You’re worried you will come across as pushy and or desperate (and maybe, you are a little desperate)

What do you say? How can you try and nudge them to move the ball without being pushy?

How to Push Without Being pushy

One little secret I found that works well in all communications, and especially sales communications, is to replace the word “but” with “and” (If you look hard, you’ll notice I actually did it in this sentence)

Let’s get to it… For starters here’s your email subject line:

Step One: Subject: voicemail #2

This sets the tone a little and it’s exactly what I am after. I want a reaction and to do that, I need to cause an interruption.

Step Two: Your message:

Hi (PROSPECTS NAME):

Hope you had a great weekend. I know you must be slammed and I’m hoping you can find a few minutes for us to have a quick chat about possible next steps and what that would look like.

If you’re open to that, when would you like for that conversation to happen?

Thank you,
Michael Pedone
CEO / SalesBuzz.com
Schedule a call with me
888-264-0562 Ext. 400

Here’s the method behind the madness…

Notice how I acknowledge that they have other stuff/priorities/responsibilities with:

“I know you must be slammed”

In a normal conversation, most of us are conditioned to say “but” after an initial acknowledgment.

No one likes to be complimented or acknowledged just to hear the other shoe drop on them with a “but” in the transition to what you want.

A simple tweak of using “AND” instead of “but” changes the whole tone of the communication:

“I know you must be slammed and I’m hoping you can find a few minutes for us to have a quick chat about possible next steps and what that would look like.”

Wordsmithing your follow-up sales email this way allows you to push without being pushy and increases the chances your prospect will respond accordingly.

The Call to Action Close

Ending your follow-up email with a strong call to action/close is important. Notice how it appears you’re giving the prospect control and asking them to dictate the next step (which is really what you wanted in the first place)

“If you’re open to that, when would you like for that conversation to happen?”

Hope this helps.

– Michael Pedone

Michael Pedone teaches Inside Sales Tips, Techniques & Strategies that Grow Revenue. He is the CEO/FOUNDER of SalesBuzz.com – An online sales training company.