The email followup is a simple, yet underutilized tool that can add hundreds of thousands of extra dollars to your revenue.
The year was 2011. I had reached out to a potential client asking if they needed help with copywriting.
I knew they were already successful. They were seeking to grow their business, so they seemed like a great candidate as a client.
Their initial response was “No, not right now, but thanks for asking!”
I filed the email away and made a point to follow up later.
When you’re in sales, you learn that “No” often means “Yes, but not right now.”
Unless it’s a clear “Hell no, I have zero interest in this, don’t ever contact me again, I’d never buy from you in this lifetime” — then assume it’s a “Yes, but not right now.”
(Really ponder that! It’s life-changing!)
Anyway. Over a year later, I followed up with that individual.
I asked them the same question… “Do you currently need help with copywriting?”
AND I offered a free sample relevant to their interests. In my case, free edits to any sales page of their choice.
The reply was an immediate “Yes.”
That small, free trial project turned into hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of projects over the next several years.
…And millions in additional revenue for the client, courtesy of the work we did together.
They’re still a client to this day.
And I still send them followup emails.
Over time, I repeated this process with more prospective clients. I refined my approach, got better at asking, and improved my service delivery. I got 1000x more “No’s” than “Yes”s…. but getting to the “Yes”s made it worth it.
Here’s the interesting thing:
I SO could have quit after hearing that initial “No.” I SO could have gotten discouraged and let the opportunities fade into the abyss…
But I didn’t. I followed up.
And I kept following up.
I learned how to become a receiver of more business, through simple email followups.
Where are you leaving money on the table, because you’re not following up?
Those who follow up make big sales.
Talk soon,
Michelle Lopez
Anti-Marketing Manifesto
Michelle Lopez Boggs is a copywriter, copywriting mentor, and author of "The Anti-Marketing Manifesto: How to Sell Without Being a Sellout." She's helped her clients sell millions of dollars' worth of products and services online by using the MEI(S) principle — motivate, educate, and inspire, and sell. 