The Importance of Follow-Up in Negotiation

A rep tried to sell our company a $50,000 deal. Their follow-up email killed it in ten seconds. It was a wall of text stuffed with links. Case studies here, a demo video there, a pricing page, a whitepaper. I'm the buyer in this story. I took one look and thought: not a chance I'm responding to this tonight. Nate Nasralla has a name for it: link stacking. And it's one of three things reps constantly mistake for a business case. Mistake 1: The ROI calculator. Plug in some numbers, out comes a return. The problem is that an ROI projection is a future maybe. A promise that hasn't happened, anchored to nothing the buyer feels today. There's no problem at the center of it. Mistake 2: The microsite. A slick page with case studies and product videos. Looks impressive, relates to nobody. If you could send the same page to a different account without changing a word, it isn't a business case. It's marketing collateral. Mistake 3: The link-stacked email. Here's the brutal part. The higher your reader sits in the org, the faster they delete it. Executives don't click through a stack of links to assemble your argument for you. So what actually is a business case? A document so specific to this account's problem, circumstances, and buying committee that it would be useless anywhere else. One the champion helped build and can defend line by line when you're not in the room. The test is simple. If your "business case" survives being sent to another account, you don't have one yet. What's the worst follow-up email you've ever received from a seller? P.S. Building business cases that executives act on is one of the 11 skills in our research on closing bigger deals. Grab the report → https://lnkd.in/g63fcp2D

"Let me know if you have any questions." "Happy to discuss further." "Looking forward to your thoughts." Every time you end a follow-up with these wimpy closes, you're asking busy executives to do work they won't do. They're not going to think of questions. They're not going to schedule a follow-up call. They're not going to send you their thoughts. They're going to delete your email and move on with their actual job. The fix is making the next step so easy that a drunk executive could do it. Instead of "let me know if you have questions," embed your calendar link directly in the email. One click to book time. Instead of "happy to discuss further," Create a simple yes/no decision box: "Ready to see the ROI calculation? Yes | No" Instead of hoping they'll respond with their availability, give them three specific time slots to choose from. The most powerful follow-up technique? Use their exact words from your call. When Jessica said she's "bleeding money on software licenses," don't paraphrase it. Quote it exactly. Reference her Thursday board meeting. Add one insight she didn't know. There's nothing more impossible to ignore than hearing your own words reflected back with new value attached. Your generic templates sound like every other vendor they're ghosting. But your personalized follow-ups that reference specific moments from your conversation get responses. Stop making prospects do the work of figuring out next steps. Start making it obvious how they move forward. Every follow-up is life or death for your deal. Most AEs are committing suicide with their own emails. Don’t be like most AEs.

Years ago, I watched one of the best enterprise salespeople I've ever known lose a million-dollar deal simply because "𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵𝘆". This brilliant, capable professional was letting million-dollar opportunities slip away because she was afraid of seeming aggressive. Sound familiar? Here's the reality I've found after analyzing thousands of sales interactions: The average B2B purchase requires 8+ touches before a response, but most salespeople give up after 2-3. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝘂𝗽𝘀—𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀. Working with clients across industries, I've developed what some have called the "Goldilocks Sequence" – not too aggressive, not too passive, but just right for maximizing response rates without alienating prospects. It starts with how we view follow-ups. Stop thinking of them as "checking in" and start seeing them as opportunities to deliver additional value. For each client, we build what I call a "Follow-Up Content Library" with 5-10 genuinely valuable resources for each buyer persona – a mix of their content and third-party research addressing likely challenges. Having this ready means follow-ups can pull the most relevant resource based on the specific situation. The sequence itself has a rhythm designed to respect the prospect's time while staying on their radar: 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭 is the initial value-focused outreach with a specific insight (never generic "I'd like to connect" language). Around 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟯, we send a gentle bump, forwarding the original email with: "I wanted to make sure this reached you. Any thoughts on the [specific insight]?" It's brief and assumes positive intent. By 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟱, we shift to an alternative channel like LinkedIn, with a personalized note referencing the insight, but still no meeting request. Around 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟴 comes the pure value-add – sharing a relevant resource with no ask attached: "Came across this [article/case study] that addresses the [challenge] we discussed. Thought you might find it valuable regardless of our conversation." 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟮 brings what I call the "pattern interrupt" – a brief email with an unexpected subject line and single-question format that's easy to respond to. Then, around Day 18, we send the "permission to close" message: "I'm sensing this might not be a priority right now. If that's the case, could you let me know if I should check back in the future? Happy to remove you from my follow-up list otherwise." This sequence generated a 34% response rate for an enterprise software client compared to their previous 11% using traditional methods. The key difference? Every touch adds legitimate value rather than just asking for time. And because it's systematic, it removes the emotional weight of deciding when and how to follow up. What's your most effective follow-up technique? I'm always collecting new approaches to share with clients. #SalesFollowUp #OutreachStrategy #PipelineGeneration

I watched a talented professional send 127 follow-up emails after interviews. Got replies from 3 companies. 2.3% response rate. Then she showed me what she was writing. I immediately knew why recruiters ignored her. Here's the truth about follow-ups: Most people remind recruiters they're desperate. Not that they're valuable. The typical follow-up: "Just checking in on my application..." "Any updates on the timeline?" Translation: "Please don't forget I exist." Recruiters read anxiety, not confidence. After years of coaching professionals, I've noticed: The follow-ups that get responses don't ASK for updates. They DELIVER value. Stop following up on YOUR need. Start following up with THEIR solution. Think: → What problem did they mention? → What insight can I share? → How can I make their decision easier? One client rewrote her follow-up: Instead of: "Any updates on the position?" She wrote "Hi [HR Manager Name ], been thinking about the bandwidth challenge you mentioned. Found an approach that might help—similar to what I used before. Would love to share if useful. Recruiter replied within hours. She shifted from "remember me?" to "I'm already solving your problems." The difference between ignored and responded follow-ups? One reminds them you're waiting. The other reminds them why they need you. Your follow-up isn't about checking their timeline. It's about them seeing you as the solution they can't ignore. People who add value get calls back. People who add pressure get silence. Stop checking in. Start showing up as the answer. PS: For more such content subscribe to my newsletter. Check out my feature section.

I've made hundreds of job offers. Most candidates leave money on the table without asking for more ↓ I've sat across from strong candidates who nailed the interview, got the offer, and then folded completely. Accepted on the spot. Thanked me profusely. Never asked a single question. Every time, I thought the same thing: we would have gone higher. Here's what I've seen candidates get wrong, and what to do instead: 1. Accepting immediately ↳ Say you're excited, then ask for 48 hours ↳ Rushing signals you didn't prepare ↳ Use the time to think, not just to seem considered 2. Apologising before negotiating ↳ Drop "I'm sorry to ask, but..." ↳ It undermines you before you've started ↳ Confidence starts before you say the number 3. Giving a number first ↳ Let them anchor; ask what the budget is ↳ Whoever speaks first loses ground ↳ If pushed, give a range with your target as the lowest 4. Negotiating salary alone ↳ Ask about holiday, remote days, start date ↳ Equity and bonuses are often more flexible ↳ A better start date can be worth thousands 5. Not getting it in writing ↳ A verbal offer is not an offer ↳ Celebrate after you've signed ↳ Verbal promises don't survive a change of manager 6. Taking pushback personally ↳ It's a business conversation, not a rejection ↳ Pushback often means they want you to stay ↳ Stay calm, curious, and keep the conversation open 7. Not knowing their market rate ↳ Research salary ranges before the conversation ↳ Use LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and industry reports ↳ Walking in blind means you can't push back well Negotiation isn't about being difficult. It's about knowing your worth and giving the other side a chance to meet it. Hiring managers: what's the one thing that always impresses you when a candidate negotiates well? Drop it in the comments. --- 💾 Save & share this to help someone negotiate their true worth. 🔔 I share more career frameworks like this in my free newsletter — plus you get my award-winning #1 book as a welcome gift. Join 37,000 others just like you 👉 https://www.harvey-lee.com

Don’t f*** up your follow-ups. AVOID these 3 mistakes that many sellers make 1. Asking questions you should already know the answer to “When do you think you’ll get a chance to review?” “Who else needs to take a look at this” If you’re asking these after sending your proposal, you’ve already skipped a step. BEFORE your proposal goes out, you should know: - Who’s involved in the decision - What their criteria are/what they care about - When a decision should realistically be expected If you didn’t set these expectations up top, you’re going to be playing catch up in your follow-ups. This IMMEDIATELY puts you on the back foot. 2. Lacking confidence “Sorry to bother you.” “No rush at all.” “Let me know if that pricing doesn’t work, we may have some wiggle room.” When you overchase, start negotiating against yourself or indicate that they’re doing you a favour by looking at your proposal, you subtly undermine the premise that your offer is of benefit to them. Remember, your product/service is solving a problem for them. You’re helping them just as much as they’re helping you/your company (if not more!) 3. “Just checking in…” emails Your follow-ups should do much more than just reminding your buyer that you exist. You should be adding value, narrowing the decision or clarifying next steps, and ultimately moving the deal forward. Proposal analytics help massively here, as you can see exactly who was looking at what in your proposals. This allows you to tailor your follow-ups accordingly, making sure they actually mean something. For example, let’s say you see that your buyer was spending a lot of time clicking around the ROI section of your proposal. You can send something like “By the way, I’ve found a lot of team’s focus on the ROI. Would it be useful for me to tailor the assumptions to your specific targets for the year?” That’s a BIG difference from a “Wondering if you’d had a chance to review…” Want to see the power of proposal analytics for yourself? Try Qwilr for free at https://getqwilr.com

She didn't get the job after round 2. She sent one email. Two weeks later, they called her back with an offer. Ananya had made it to the final two for a strategy role at a Series B startup. They went with the other candidate. Most people would have moved on. Updated their status to "open to work." Started over. Ananya sent this email the next day: "Thank you for the opportunity. I completely respect the decision. I wanted to share one thought that came to me after the interview — something I wish I'd said in the room. [She included a 3-paragraph strategic insight about their expansion problem, unprompted.] I'll keep rooting for what you're building regardless." That was it. No ask. No desperation. The founder forwarded it to his co-founder with one line: "This is why I like her." Two weeks later, a second role opened up — one that hadn't existed before. She was the first and only person they called. Most rejections are not permanent decisions. They're timing decisions. How you leave a process says more about you than how you enter it. A graceful, value-adding follow-up after rejection is the most underused move in job searching. It keeps the door from closing — and sometimes opens a new one. 💾 Save this. Write that follow-up email after your next rejection. You have nothing to lose. #JobSearch #InterviewTips #CareerStrategy #Hiring #Jobs

𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝, 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧. Today’s dose of reality: 👉🏽 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐃𝐎𝐂𝐔𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐔𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐍𝐄𝐆𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑. Last year, I worked in a community pharmacy. Before I started, I spoke to the CEO about specific ways I could add value beyond simply showing up. One of those ways was by introducing a basic patient follow-up system in collaboration with the MCAs. If a patient purchased a medication I recommended, we followed up after 3 and 7 days to check on their progress and address any concerns. At the time, my goal was simple: to build trust and strengthen the pharmacy’s customer base. But something unexpected happened when I left to begin my housemanship: 📞 Patients kept calling back on the pharmacy phone to give updates and 📞 Patients kept coming back even six months later asking for me. Why? Because they experienced a kind of pharmaceutical care that prioritized connection and follow-up. Even though my salary had been agreed upon, I felt confident enough to renegotiate….... Not just because I wanted more, but because I had SHOWN value. NEGOTIATIONS ARE MORE POWERFUL WHEN YOU HAVE PROOF OF YOUR VALUE. This holds true across sectors: You don’t get promoted and then start proving yourself. You prove yourself first, then earn the promotion. So To My Fellow Pharmacists: 📌 Provide value at the level at which you want recognition for. 📌If you are, but it’s undocumented DOCUMENT IT. (A lot of us fall into this bucket.) 📌 If your efforts are documented in silos let's collaborate. Let’s build collective momentum.(Tomorrow, I’ll be posting about the national e-pharmacy platform, but we can brainstorm even more ways to showcase our value.) Then we can negotiate from a position of strength. Let’s move from a system where stakeholders say, “Where’s Dr. Diane?” To one where they ask: “Where’s the pharmacist?” Let’s build demand not just for personalities, but for the profession. 📌:Take some time to Identify Your Stakeholders and Ask yourself: 🧭 Who needs to see the value of pharmacy? 🧭 What evidence would convince them? If you want to prove to the government that: ✅ Pharmacist-led interventions result in measurable healthcare savings ✅ Or deploying pharmacists at the primary care level can ease pressure on doctors by managing minor ailments Or if you want to show patients that: ✅ A simple brown bag medication review can reduce pill burden and simplify treatment ✅ Consultations with pharmacists are effective for managing NCDs and minor conditions ✅ Speaking with a pharmacist leads to better understanding and control over their health… Then don’t just say it 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭. 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐭. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐔𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Let’s brainstorm together. Sincerely, Dr. Diane

Here's exactly how I structure my follow-ups to stop deals from slipping or ghosting at the last minute. Buyers ask themselves 5 crucial questions before they spend money. So we match our follow ups to each different question of the buying journey. The questions: 1/ "Do we Have a Problem or Goal that we Urgently need help with?" Follow up examples: Thought Leadership emphasizing the size / importance of the problem. Things like articles from Forbes, McKinsey, HBR or an industry specific publication. Screenshots, summations or info-graphics. NOT LINKS. No one reads them. 2/ "What's out there to Solve the Problem? How do Vendors differ?" Follow up examples: Sample RFP templates with pre-filled criteria. Easy to read buying guides. Especially if written by a 3rd party. 3/ "What Exactly do we need this Solution to do? Who do we feel good about?" Follow up examples: 3 bullets of criteria your Buyers commonly use during evaluations (especially differentiators.) Here's example wording I've used at UserGems 💎: "Thought you might find it helpful to see how other companies have evaluated tools to track their past champions. Their criteria are usually: *Data quality & ROI potential *Security (SOC2 type 2 and GDPR) *How easy or hard is it to take action: set up/training, automation, playbooks Cheers!" 4/ "Is the Juice worth the Squeeze - both $$$ & Time?" Follow up examples: Screenshots of emails, texts or DMs from customers talking about easy set up. Love using ones like the Slack pictured here. Feels more organic and authentic than a marketing case study. 5/ "What's next? How will this get done?" Follow up examples: Visual timelines Introductions to the CSM/onboard team Custom/short videos from CSM leadership When we tailor our follow ups to answer the questions our Buyers are asking themselves - Even (especially!) the subconscious ones Our sales cycles can be smoother, faster and easier to forecast. Buyer Experience > Sales Stages What's your best advice for how to follow up? ps - If you liked this breakdown, join 6,000+ other sellers getting value from my newsletter. Details on my website!

99% of deals that I lost had one thing in common (I bet 30% of your pipeline looks the same) I didn’t set a clear next step. No matter how good the call felt. If I didn’t lock in the next move before hanging up. It died in follow-up limbo. Deal was dead. Here’s exactly how I set next steps now (and how you can too): 1. Always set the next step before the call ends → “Let’s grab 15 minutes while we’re both here - does Tuesday or Wednesday work better?” Why it works: Avoids email tag and ghosting. Locks in commitment live. 2. Make the next step outcome-driven → Don’t say: “Follow-up call.” → Do say: “Pricing review with the CFO” or “Legal alignment” Why it works: Creates clarity and urgency - everyone knows what’s coming. 3. Confirm who needs to be in the room → “Anyone else we should loop in for the next step?” → “Who signs off on this kind of decision internally?” Why it works: Multithreading early avoids delays later. 4. Recap the call with 3 key bullets → What we discussed → Why it matters → What’s happening next (date, time, people) Why it works: Removes ambiguity. Builds trust. 5. Use “time framing,” not “next week” → Say: “Does Wednesday at 10 or Thursday at 2 work better?” Why it works: Frictionless scheduling beats soft follow-up every time. The result: - Tighter sales cycles - Fewer ghosted deals - More control through every stage My take: The close doesn’t start with the proposal. It starts the moment you lock in the next step. PS. What’s your go-to line to land the follow-up on the call?