We’ve all been there — eagerly waiting for a response to that important email or call. But sometimes, we might overstep a bit in our quest for a reply.

The key to money-making deals is all in the follow-up. Almost 60% of customers are more likely to buy something if salespeople follow up with a no-pressure approach.

“Moreover, a well-executed follow-up strategy extends beyond closing deals. It plays a crucial role in turning customers into loyal advocates who refer your services to others, contributing to long-term business growth,” said Adam I. Stamper, a global sales leader.

But there’s a sweet spot between being proactive and being a pest. Follow-ups ensure that you stay top of mind with your prospects, showing them that you’re serious and invested in their needs. If handled strategically, they can turn a polite “maybe” into a profitable “yes.” So, how do you know when you’ve crossed that line?

Setting boundaries, checking tone, measuring outreach frequency and respecting customer responses are reliable indicators to ensure that your sales outreach is slick, not ick. Here’s how:

Boundaries

Today’s RevOps leaders and SEO specialists can track the buyers’ (and the potential buyers’) purchasing behavior at unprecedented, personalized levels. For example, if a potential customer clicks on a product page, they know it. If they’ve left a digital cart open, they know it. If they’ve talked about the product while unloading the dishwasher within Alexa’s or Siri’s range, they know that, too.

From a sales point of view, it’s strategic to follow up on this activity, but pointing out what you know about them can be a little creepy.

Start by framing your communication as an effort to enhance their experience. For example, you might try the following:

Hi, (customer name). We noticed that you were exploring our latest products online. To make your shopping journey smoother and more personalized, we’d love to help you find exactly what you’re looking for. If you have any questions or need recommendations, we’re here for you! Feel free to reach out at any time.

This way, you show attentiveness without crossing into invasive territory, keeping the interaction friendly and customer-centric.

Tone

Are you haunted by your aggressive approach on that last sales call? Well, here’s more bad news: Studies show that 92% of customers will desert a brand they feel loyalty toward after two or three unfavorable interactions.

Regain trust with a friendly, approachable tone to rebuild that trust and rapport. By carefully crafting your tone to be warm, respectful and tailored to your audience, you enhance the likelihood of positive engagement and successful outcomes.

Frequency

If you’re reaching out more often than you’re brushing your teeth, it might be time to dial it back. A few well-timed follow-ups over a couple of weeks usually do the trick. For example, despite the benefits of scheduling multiple follow-ups, 44% of sales reps stop trying after a single follow-up. Also, only 52% of sales calls end with an attempt to close.

Research has answers. Based on customer data and personal experiences, sales experts have found that 80% of sales require five follow-ups after an initial meeting. Additional research supports a Rule of 7, which explains that a potential customer needs to connect with your sales message seven times before learning more about the product or making a purchase.

But data-driven insight also provides a strategic tool to determine the ideal frequency for outreach.

“At a high level, contacts are grouped into two main categories: those who show interest immediately and those who don’t. For those showing a lot of interest, you want to put more effort into what content they receive and gauge when is a good time to move them through the sales funnel toward a closed won,” said Megan Ross, director of SEO at Fullcast. “With leads that show less interest, you don’t ignore them by any means, but you allow them the space to explore your brand more, incorporate them into some lead scoring, and then once they’ve hit that threshold of interest, move them into the interested bucket.”

Customer response

Now, let’s look at customer response or the lack thereof. If your contact hasn’t replied after a few attempts, it’s best to give them some space. They might be busy, or it might not be the right time. Respect their silence and avoid the urge to bombard them with messages.

“Customized messaging is the go-to for sales and marketing teams these days. Being able to look at what your contact/lead has shown interest in and then catering your messaging in a casual, nonaggressive way tends to yield better responses than traditional persistent cold emails,” Ross said.

If your sales approach feels more like stalking, it might be time to reevaluate and refine your strategies. Successful sales are built on trust, rapport and genuine connection.

You can avoid crossing into the haunted hallows of intrusiveness by using thoughtful boundaries and tone to guide outreach and schedule pitches around customer responses and strategic frequency.

J’Nel Wright is a content writer at Fullcast, a Silicon Slopes-based, end-to-end RevOps platform that allows companies to design, manage and track the performance of their revenue-generating teams.