The follow-up
Lesson 8 of 12 · Part 3 of 4
Top reps don't write every email from scratch. They have templates that get personalized at the top and bottom, and a sequence so they never wonder "should I follow up?". Same for you. Build it once.
from sales · multi-touch cadence7 min
Templates beat artistry
Custom every time = burnout in week 2. No follow-up = 50% of replies left on the table. The win is a strong template + 2 personalized lines + a disciplined sequence.
Most replies don't come on the first message. They come on touch #3.
Anatomy of a message that gets a reply
The four touches
Send. Wait. Send again. Without guilt.
Touch 1 · Initial message, inbound, value-firstTouch 2 · Follow-up #1, once it has gone quiet, bump with one new piece of context (article, recent news, a thought)Touch 3 · Follow-up #2, a little later, short, lighter ask ("if now's not the time, happy to circle back in a quarter")Touch 4 · Final touch, graceful close ("not chasing, wishing you well, here if useful")After the fourth: drop into a quarterly check-in cadence. The relationship is the asset, not the immediate reply. There is no magic number of days; a few days of quiet is the signal, and Shep will tell you when a thread has gone quiet.
Three templates that work
Template A · Cold reach to a Tier 1 hire
Subject: Inbound from a fellow [their function], quick questionHi [name],Saw your post on [specific post], the line about [specific detail] mirrors how I've been thinking about [topic] from [your context].Background: [one sentence]. Currently exploring [target role] roles at [stage / type].Would 15 minutes for a coffee chat make sense? Totally fine if not, if you'd prefer I send a 3-bullet brief on what I'm working on, I can have it in your inbox in 10 minutes.Best,[Your name]
Template B · Asking a 1st-degree for an intro
Subject: A small ask (from a friend) Hi [name],Hope you're well, saw [their recent thing], congrats.I noticed you're connected to [target person] at [target company]. I'm exploring [role] roles, and they look like exactly the right person to learn from.Would you be open to a double-opt-in intro? Forwardable blurb below, totally fine if a no:[3-bullet blurb: who you are, what you're hunting, why this person]Thanks either way![Your name]
Template C · The bump
Subject: re: [original subject]Hey [name], bumping this in case it got buried.Quick add: [one new specific data point, their company's announcement, your relevant project, a recent piece in their space].If timing's not great, totally fine to circle back in a few weeks.Best,[Your name]
Make them yours
Prompt 1 of 4
Replace every bracket. Keep the bones. Make it sound like you, not corporate.Prompt 2 of 4
Pick a real ask. Pick the connector. Write the forwardable 3-bullet blurb at the bottom.Prompt 3 of 4
Specific. Curious. Not "Networking." Not "Hello." Examples: "A question only [their role] could answer", "Notes on [topic from their post]".Prompt 4 of 4
Things you always do (1-line opener, lowercase signoff, etc.) and never do (corporate-speak, exclamation marks, "Hope this finds you well"). Codify the voice.
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