Key takeaways:
- Prospects just need a little more time or a gentle reminder to reconnect with you, so don’t give up too quickly.
- Personalize your messages to show you understand their needs, rather than sending generic messages.
- Reach out to your prospects when it makes sense, whether after a busy period or if you have something valuable to offer.
You’re not alone if you’ve ever struggled to reconnect with a prospect. Reaching out multiple times without a response can be discouraging, especially when you believe your product or service can help your customers. But giving up too soon means missed future opportunities.
44% of sales professionals give up after just one follow-up. This means many prospects are lost because they weren’t followed up effectively by sales reps.
In this article, you’ll learn how to effectively engage prospects. We’ll explore why they go quiet, the best strategies for reaching out again, and what steps to take if they still don’t respond.
Why prospects go cold in the first place
Before reaching out to your prospects, it’s essential to know why they disappeared in the first place. Here are some reasons why they stopped responding:
- The timing wasn’t right
- The message felt generic or sales
- There’s too much information at once
- They didn’t see any urgency to act
- Their priorities changed
The timing wasn’t right
Sometimes, prospects are genuinely interested in your offer but aren’t able to act. They may have too much workload, are dealing with internal changes, or are juggling other priorities. Even the best message won’t make an impact if your timing is off.
This can impact the entire sales process and even delay their process down the sales funnel.
The message felt generic or salesy
If your message feels too scripted or too formal, it’s easy for prospects to back out. People want to feel understood, and when a message sounds too sales-driven or like a copy-paste job, it can become less genuine.
A generic message fails to connect because it doesn’t speak to that specific customer’s specific needs or pain points. If you don’t personalize your approach or show that you’ve done your research, your message could easily be ignored.
Your sales pitch should always reflect the specific challenges the prospect is facing.
There’s too much information at once
Too much information on your sales pipeline can feel like a burden rather than a benefit to your customers. Reading tedious follow up emails or lengthy messages is a waste of time and effort. This can cause prospects to lose interest quickly and disengage from the conversation altogether.
They didn’t see any urgency to act
Without a sense of urgency, prospects may push your offer to the back of their minds. If they don’t see any value in your email, they might decide to deal with it later, and that “later” never comes.
Their priorities changed
Life happens, and a prospect might have been initially interested, but then their priorities shifted. Maybe a higher-priority issue caught your prospect’s attention, or their budget got reallocated. You can’t always control this but understanding it can help you adjust your approach.
7 practical tips to reengage prospects
When a prospect doesn’t respond, don’t assume they’re uninterested. They might just need the right nudge. Here are seven ways to get your prospects back on track effectively.
- Check-in with a standout message
- Share something new
- Personalize your outreach
- Offer value first
- Ask a simple question
- Switch the channel
- Follow up with better timing
Check in with a standout message
A plain “just checking in” won’t do the trick. Your follow-up needs to stand out in a sea of unread emails. Try using curiosity or honesty to spark a response.
- “Checking in on this”
- “Are you still interested?
- “Let me know if you’re still interested.”
It’s short, unexpected, and gets attention. The body should be polite and casual, reminding them what you last talked about without sounding pushy.
Share something new
People are more likely to respond when there’s a new value on the table. Maybe your product got an update. Maybe you have a fresh case study or industry report that fits their situation. Use that as a reason to reconnect.
A message like, “I thought you’d find this update useful—reminded me of our last conversation,” shows that you’re focused on their needs, not just your sales goals.
Personalize your outreach
Generic follow-ups are easy to ignore. Take a minute to mention something specific from your last interaction. If you know what industry they’re in, reference a trend. If they say a concern, speak directly to it.
The more tailored your message, the harder it is to delete.
Offer value first
Instead of asking for a call or meeting immediately, lead with something helpful. It could be a checklist, a short guide, or a relevant blog post. Give them a reason to engage without feeling pressured.
When you lead with value, you remind them why they considered you in the first place.
Ask a simple question
Sometimes, a one-line question works better than a long email. It lowers the pressure to respond and makes it easy for them to respond.
Try, “Is this still something you’re thinking about?” or “Would it make sense to revisit this next month?”
Switch the channel
If your re engagement email hasn’t worked, try leveraging multiple channels. Send a message to LinkedIn. Leave a short voicemail. Use a channel that feels more casual and less cluttered.
A different platform can help you cut through the noise and show where they’re paying attention.
Follow up with better timing
If you reached out during a busy time or a holiday, your message might have been overlooked. People tend to get caught up with other priorities, so it’s essential to give it some time before following up.
Effective follow ups mean referencing your previous message without pushing too hard. This can feel considerate and timely to your prospects. This shows you’re aware of their schedule and respect their time.
Reengage your prospects the right way
Re-engaging leads isn’t about chasing; it’s about reconnecting with value, timing, and empathy. When done right, it turns lost opportunities into second chances. Cold prospects aren’t lost leads. They’re sometimes the easiest ones to connect with because they’ve already shown interest in your business. All they need is the right message at the right time.
If you want to re engage prospects effectively, it starts with communicating like a pro. With a professional email, you can ensure that your message stands out and gets the response you’re looking for.
Frequently asked questions
Send a short, thoughtful follow-up message or email that adds value or asks a simple question. Keep it casual and personalized.
Reference your last conversation and share something new or valuable. Show that you are still thinking about how you can help.
Yes. Old leads already know who you are. Sometimes, they just need better timing or a new reason to say yes.
