You don’t build pipeline on first touches.
That’s the truth most outbound teams eventually figure out. The cold open might start the story — but it’s the follow-up that creates the outcome.
According to Brevet Group, 80% of sales require five or more follow-ups, and yet nearly half of reps give up after one attempt. That’s not a strategy. That’s a missed opportunity.
As Joey Williams, Head of Outbound Sales at Thoropass, put it best:
Relentless? Absolutely. But there’s a deeper skill behind that repetition — and it has nothing to do with dialing harder.
Why most follow-up calls fall flat
We all know what a bad follow-up sounds like.
The rep calls again… but says the exact same thing. Or worse — they forgot what happened last time. They chase for a response without context. The timing feels random, and the ask is vague.
Here’s what’s usually missing:
No recall. The prospect doesn’t remember the last touch — and neither does the rep.
No reason. There’s no new value, no signal, no shift that justifies the next conversation.
No structure. There’s no system behind the timing, sequencing, or messaging.
It’s not about effort. It’s about intention.
Because the follow-up call isn’t just a check-in — it’s a chance to reframe the narrative.
How to make every follow-up call feel intentional
If the first touch is the opener, then the follow-up is the bridge. It should deepen the conversation, not restart it.
Here’s a structure top-performing reps lean on (even if they don’t call it this out loud):
Re-frame the opening
Start by jogging their memory — lightly.
“Hey [Name], we spoke last week about [problem or trigger] right before your offsite — does that ring a bell?”
This sets the tone: we’ve already started something.
Introduce something new
Every follow-up should offer a reason to pick up the thread. It could be a shift in timing, a new insight, or a recent trigger.
“I noticed your team just announced a new product line — that might be a good opportunity to revisit…”
Make it relevant
Tie the update back to why this matters now. The prospect should feel like the call isn’t generic — it’s personal.
“Another customer of ours just went through a similar rollout — they ran into [issue], and we helped speed that up.”
Keep the ask simple
Clarity wins. No monologues, no pressure. Just a step forward.
“Would a quick sync next week be worth exploring?”
This kind of call isn’t pushy — it’s progressive. And it works.
According to Rain Group, follow-ups that introduce new value or insights increase reply rates by up to 42%.
But great follow-ups don’t happen by accident
Here’s the quiet truth about the reps who always seem to win meetings:
They don’t rely on memory.
They keep clean notes. They tag next steps. They track ownership and timing. And they make sure that every prospect interaction — even the smallest one — is captured in a way their future selves can use.
They’re not more aggressive. They’re more structured.
Which is why their “calling again” doesn’t sound like noise — it sounds like progress.
Final thought: persistence is the difference
You can’t close conversations you never start. But you also can’t restart conversations that go cold because you didn’t show up again — or didn’t show up with anything new to say.
That’s why follow-up isn’t a fallback tactic. It’s the motion.
The best reps aren’t just calling again.
They’re calling with more relevance.
More structure.
More confidence.
And that’s what moves pipeline forward.
You don’t build pipeline on first touches.
That’s the truth most outbound teams eventually figure out. The cold open might start the story — but it’s the follow-up that creates the outcome.
According to Brevet Group, 80% of sales require five or more follow-ups, and yet nearly half of reps give up after one attempt. That’s not a strategy. That’s a missed opportunity.
As Joey Williams, Head of Outbound Sales at Thoropass, put it best:
Relentless? Absolutely. But there’s a deeper skill behind that repetition — and it has nothing to do with dialing harder.
Why most follow-up calls fall flat
We all know what a bad follow-up sounds like.
The rep calls again… but says the exact same thing. Or worse — they forgot what happened last time. They chase for a response without context. The timing feels random, and the ask is vague.
Here’s what’s usually missing:
No recall. The prospect doesn’t remember the last touch — and neither does the rep.
No reason. There’s no new value, no signal, no shift that justifies the next conversation.
No structure. There’s no system behind the timing, sequencing, or messaging.
It’s not about effort. It’s about intention.
Because the follow-up call isn’t just a check-in — it’s a chance to reframe the narrative.
How to make every follow-up call feel intentional
If the first touch is the opener, then the follow-up is the bridge. It should deepen the conversation, not restart it.
Here’s a structure top-performing reps lean on (even if they don’t call it this out loud):
Re-frame the opening
Start by jogging their memory — lightly.
“Hey [Name], we spoke last week about [problem or trigger] right before your offsite — does that ring a bell?”
This sets the tone: we’ve already started something.
Introduce something new
Every follow-up should offer a reason to pick up the thread. It could be a shift in timing, a new insight, or a recent trigger.
“I noticed your team just announced a new product line — that might be a good opportunity to revisit…”
Make it relevant
Tie the update back to why this matters now. The prospect should feel like the call isn’t generic — it’s personal.
“Another customer of ours just went through a similar rollout — they ran into [issue], and we helped speed that up.”
Keep the ask simple
Clarity wins. No monologues, no pressure. Just a step forward.
“Would a quick sync next week be worth exploring?”
This kind of call isn’t pushy — it’s progressive. And it works.
According to Rain Group, follow-ups that introduce new value or insights increase reply rates by up to 42%.
But great follow-ups don’t happen by accident
Here’s the quiet truth about the reps who always seem to win meetings:
They don’t rely on memory.
They keep clean notes. They tag next steps. They track ownership and timing. And they make sure that every prospect interaction — even the smallest one — is captured in a way their future selves can use.
They’re not more aggressive. They’re more structured.
Which is why their “calling again” doesn’t sound like noise — it sounds like progress.
Final thought: persistence is the difference
You can’t close conversations you never start. But you also can’t restart conversations that go cold because you didn’t show up again — or didn’t show up with anything new to say.
That’s why follow-up isn’t a fallback tactic. It’s the motion.
The best reps aren’t just calling again.
They’re calling with more relevance.
More structure.
More confidence.
And that’s what moves pipeline forward.
You don’t build pipeline on first touches.
That’s the truth most outbound teams eventually figure out. The cold open might start the story — but it’s the follow-up that creates the outcome.
According to Brevet Group, 80% of sales require five or more follow-ups, and yet nearly half of reps give up after one attempt. That’s not a strategy. That’s a missed opportunity.
As Joey Williams, Head of Outbound Sales at Thoropass, put it best:
Relentless? Absolutely. But there’s a deeper skill behind that repetition — and it has nothing to do with dialing harder.
Why most follow-up calls fall flat
We all know what a bad follow-up sounds like.
The rep calls again… but says the exact same thing. Or worse — they forgot what happened last time. They chase for a response without context. The timing feels random, and the ask is vague.
Here’s what’s usually missing:
No recall. The prospect doesn’t remember the last touch — and neither does the rep.
No reason. There’s no new value, no signal, no shift that justifies the next conversation.
No structure. There’s no system behind the timing, sequencing, or messaging.
It’s not about effort. It’s about intention.
Because the follow-up call isn’t just a check-in — it’s a chance to reframe the narrative.
How to make every follow-up call feel intentional
If the first touch is the opener, then the follow-up is the bridge. It should deepen the conversation, not restart it.
Here’s a structure top-performing reps lean on (even if they don’t call it this out loud):
Re-frame the opening
Start by jogging their memory — lightly.
“Hey [Name], we spoke last week about [problem or trigger] right before your offsite — does that ring a bell?”
This sets the tone: we’ve already started something.
Introduce something new
Every follow-up should offer a reason to pick up the thread. It could be a shift in timing, a new insight, or a recent trigger.
“I noticed your team just announced a new product line — that might be a good opportunity to revisit…”
Make it relevant
Tie the update back to why this matters now. The prospect should feel like the call isn’t generic — it’s personal.
“Another customer of ours just went through a similar rollout — they ran into [issue], and we helped speed that up.”
Keep the ask simple
Clarity wins. No monologues, no pressure. Just a step forward.
“Would a quick sync next week be worth exploring?”
This kind of call isn’t pushy — it’s progressive. And it works.
According to Rain Group, follow-ups that introduce new value or insights increase reply rates by up to 42%.
But great follow-ups don’t happen by accident
Here’s the quiet truth about the reps who always seem to win meetings:
They don’t rely on memory.
They keep clean notes. They tag next steps. They track ownership and timing. And they make sure that every prospect interaction — even the smallest one — is captured in a way their future selves can use.
They’re not more aggressive. They’re more structured.
Which is why their “calling again” doesn’t sound like noise — it sounds like progress.
Final thought: persistence is the difference
You can’t close conversations you never start. But you also can’t restart conversations that go cold because you didn’t show up again — or didn’t show up with anything new to say.
That’s why follow-up isn’t a fallback tactic. It’s the motion.
The best reps aren’t just calling again.
They’re calling with more relevance.
More structure.
More confidence.
And that’s what moves pipeline forward.
Author
Mark Bedard
Chief Executive Officer
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