Here are seven steps I recommend to design an effective (and not annoying) follow-up strategy.
Most salespeople are pretty good at selling. But as any salesperson knows, the odds of someone picking up a phone, answering your email just as soon as you hit send, or signing a contract at a networking event are virtually nonexistent.
That’s where selling becomes following-up, something that salespeople are less good at. They might try to include their pitch in a check-in message. They might follow up with the exact same message over and over (and over). Or they might just not follow up at all.
Regardless of the specific snag, there are a lot of pitfalls reps can fall prey to in the art of the follow-up.
Check-in messaging should be tailored to how a rep originally came across the person and how much they got to know about them during that encounter.
With this caveat in mind, here are seven steps I recommend to design an effective (and not annoying) follow-up strategy.
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Do Your Research
Google the person, check out their company and/or personal website, and review their social media accounts. Find out what you can about who they are and the issues their company is tackling.
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Don’t Sell
The email, voicemail, or conversation should be about them, not you, your company, or your product/service. Once they are a qualified prospect, you will have plenty of opportunities to help them get to know your company, and if they are interested — trust me — they have already been online reading about you and what others say about you.
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Add Value
Find resources that will be interesting to your prospect, and share them.
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Be Personal
Don’t send the same message to everyone. Tailor the message to each individual based on your meeting, your research, and their need.
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Be Persistent
Give them plenty of opportunities to respond. People are busy. It’s your job to stay in front of them and reach them.
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Stay Connected
Show them you are paying attention. Keep up with them and their company, and if they’re featured in the news or release a major announcement, send a note with an appropriate comment. Stay connected on social media. Like, comment, and share their posts.
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Assume the Best
Even if they don’t buy from you, if you do a good job on the above, they may refer you to someone they know, or come back when they do have a need.
![6 High-Probability Moments to Send LinkedIn Connection Requests Prior to an Event Events create natural relevance. Conferences, trade shows, user groups, and local meetups give you a reason to connect that does not feel forced. The mistake sellers make is waiting until the event starts or turning the request into a pitch. A better move is connecting days or weeks ahead with a simple acknowledgment of the shared event. Example: Hi Sarah, saw you’re attending the Midwest Manufacturing Summit next month. I’ll also be there and am super excited! I’d love to catch up in person at the event. In the meantime, let’s connect here on LinkedIn. You are aligning with something already on their calendar. When you see them at the event or reach out afterward, your name is no longer unfamiliar. Following an Event After an event, connection requests work best when they reference a real interaction, even a small one. A short conversation, a question during a session, or a brief introduction creates enough context. The request should reflect that moment, not attempt to convert it into a follow-up. Example: Tim, I enjoyed meeting you at the conference last week. Your take on [subject/trend/idea] was intriguing. I look forward to staying connected and to our next conversation. This reinforces continuity and professionalism without pushing the relationship forward prematurely. After a Sales Call Sending a connection request after a sales call is one of the most underused opportunities in prospecting. If the call was answered and productive, the request reinforces credibility and continuity. Example: Thanks again for the conversation today. I appreciated your perspective on how your team is thinking about next quarter. I look forward to our next meeting and sharing some ideas I have with you and your team. If the prospect did not answer, a connection request can still make sense as a light reinforcement, especially early in the relationship. It keeps your name present without escalating pressure. Either way, the request works because the call establishes legitimacy first. After a Meaningful Interaction Not all interactions happen in formal selling environments. Thoughtful exchanges in comment threads, group discussions, or brief conversations in passing all create natural moments to connect. That might mean running into each other at a non-work event, crossing paths at an airport, or chatting briefly in a line somewhere unexpected. Example: Haley, it was a pleasure meeting you on our flight to Atlanta. Thank you for your restaurant recommendations! I look forward to staying connected, What makes this work is that the interaction was real. The request simply continues it. Mutual Connections Shared connections reduce perceived risk when handled with restraint. They signal that you operate in similar professional circles, not that you have permission to pitch. The mistake is overexplaining or implying endorsement. Example: Hi Mark, I noticed that you are connected to my good friend, James, and since you are also [interested in, working in, located in] I thought it might make sense for us to be connected also. A simple acknowledgment is enough. Familiarity does the work. Profile Views Profile views signal awareness, not intent. When someone views your profile after a call, email, or content interaction, a connection request can make sense as a low-pressure acknowledgment. Example: Wendy, thank you for visiting my profile. I had a chance to look at yours, and based on your interests, I thought it might make sense for us to connect. The discipline is resisting the urge to read more into it than is there. Want the exact framework for integrating LinkedIn into a disciplined outreach sequence without pitching, spamming, or wasting time? Buy The LinkedIn Edge by Jeb Blount and Brynne Tillman today. Sales Gravy is the number one sales training organization](https://salesgravy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/6-Moments-LinkedIn-Connection-Requests-Actually-Work-in-Prospecting-Sales-Gravy-Blog-Featured-Image-768x401.jpg)