You Need to do this, but 92% of you Don’t… and it’s a Problem (pssst… follow-up emails)

The right mindset is critical.

When I dove into GEEP (a company, not a body of water), I knew I’d have some brutally frustrating times before I could figure out the “secret”.

GEEP was an electronics recycler and pre-owned computer reseller.  My job was to run the BC division and crank up sales FAST.  Or face a speedy “exit left”. 

The business model was quite simple.  Buy used electronics, including computers. Scrub, clean and fix them, then resell them.  Buy low, sell high.

But getting businesses like banks (whoa, talk about risk adverse) to sell us their used but perfectly good computers, turned out much harder than I thought. 

My team’s cold prospecting emails just did NOT get adequate responses!!  And as I mentioned, that was brutally frustrating. 

But then I figured out how to crank up that response rate and get the conversations happening.  And the secret wasn’t just in better cold prospecting emails. 

The Reality of a Cold Prospecting Email

B2B sales pros rely heavily on emails, and for good reason; they’re like a digital “hello” between a seller and a potential buyer.

They’re popular and effective.  According to a recent 2023 HubSpot report, there are 4 billion daily email users.  By 2025 that’s projected to reach 4.6 billion.  77% of marketers have seen an increase in email engagement over the last 12 months… and I bet you have too.

But there’s a myth.

Many salespeople think one great email can open many doors.  And if that “door” doesn’t open, that it’s futile to send a second or third email. 

But it’s not that simple, even if you follow best practices for the structure of your initial cold email. 

Sure, a good, solid prospecting email using best-in-class techniques (see my earlier articles), can double or even triple email response rates from 2% or 3% to 10% (as per a recent Belkin’s study), but you’re still not engaging with 90% of your prospects. This makes the next step crucial: sending another email.  The follow-up email. Check out this graphic:

*https://ircsalessolutions.com/insights/sales-follow-up-statistics/#Sales_follow-up_cadence_statistics

The best responses occur after 5 emails!  Care to guess how many salespeople don’t follow-up persistently? The same report found that 92% of salespeople give up before reaching that special 5 email threshold.  Heck, 44% give up after just the initial cold email!  

So yes, at GEEP, what I figured out was that SUCCESS wasn’t in a single probing email.  It was in effective follow-up emails.   

But knowing you have to do it, and actually doing it, are two different things.  You need the right mindset, or attitude. 

So how do you develop the right attitude, so that you consistently send out follow-up emails?  Here are some pointers.

View Follow-Up Emails as Fresh Opportunities

In sales, patience isn’t just a virtue; it’s a necessity. Think of it as planting seeds. Not every seed sprouts immediately, but with consistent care, they grow.

Similarly, every email you send is a step towards nurturing a potential business relationship. It’s not about instant gratification; it’s about building trust over time.

Now, here’s the mental switch you need: Stop seeing follow-ups as mere reminders or, worse, annoyances. When properly crafted, each one should be viewed as a fresh opportunity.

Every follow-up is a new chance to provide value or answer questions (especially those that haven’t been asked yet).  Embrace this mindset, and you’ll find that persistence becomes second nature, and every email sent is a step closer to a fruitful conversation.

Love the Journey: The Joy of Persistence

Don’t just wait for the big win at the end. Find joy in the small moments. Maybe it’s crafting that perfect email. Or the thrill when someone finally replies after your fifth try.

That’s the sweet spot. It’s like finding a hidden waterfall on your hike.

So, love the process. Enjoy each step. And when you finally get that “yes”, it’ll feel even better because you’ve enjoyed the journey too.

But Won’t I come across as Annoying?

Not if you use proper follow-up structures and techniques. 

Let’s face it… no one wants to be “that” salesperson—the one who’s too pushy or just plain annoying. But here’s the thing: there’s a big difference between being persistent and being a pest.

Persistence is about showing you care. It’s about understanding your prospect’s needs and offering solutions. It’s sending a thoughtful follow-up, not just any email. On the other hand, being pushy is bombarding someone with messages without adding any value.  Or getting nasty and rude.

So, how do you strike the balance? Focus on quality, not just quantity. Always, always offer value.

Remember, it’s okay to be persistent. Just make sure you’re doing it the right way. Because in the end, it’s not about how many emails you send, but how meaningful they are.

It worked for me at GEEP and every other sales team I’ve worked with.  Start with the right mindset and email prospecting will work for you too. 

Next:  Follow-up Email Structures

In my next article, I’ll dive into what a proper (read “effective”) follow-up email looks like.  The structure, example phrasing, and more.  Based on real life experience and gold-standard best practises.

For a deeper dive into the finer details of Sales Enablement tools and especially cold prospecting emails that work in today’s business environment, check out other articles on my website.

If you’d like to receive other tactical-practical pointers, consider subscribing to my monthly newsletter, The Working Word, here.  You’ll get all kinds of nifty suggestions that will lead to increased sales.  The short, focused, actionable advice will be quick to digest, because I know you’re all busy people. 

And finally, if you’re interested in a private training session on how to get effective engagement with your prospects and clients, drop me an email at [email protected].