Multichannel sequences
What follow up messages get replies, and which ones backfire?
By Asen Levov, co-founder of Sellinger. Reviewed by Viktorio Shopov. Published . Last updated . 6 minute read.
The follow ups that worked asked a referral question, quoted the prospect's own words, or gave an easy way to say no. They added something new each time. The ones that failed repeated the first message, dropped the question, or kept coming after the third nudge. Follow ups add replies, and they add refusals too.
Do follow ups actually add replies?
Yes, in each study where we measured it, the first message alone drew fewer replies than the sequence.
| Study | First message alone | With follow ups |
|---|---|---|
| Lamothermic, LinkedIn | 17.2% (157 of 911) | 30.9% |
| Uberwood, LinkedIn | 19.6% (129 of 660) | 27.9% |
| Sellinger, own account, LinkedIn | 26.5% (7,119 of 26,904) | 38.4% |
| Wealth advisor network, LinkedIn | 29.0% (2,689 of 9,270) | 43.3% |
| ShortVibe, LinkedIn | 32.0% (299 of 935) | 42.2% |
| Shelly installer programme, email, existing partners | 3.3% (64 of 1,966) | 13.6% |
Each row uses its own base. Do not compare rows. Read each study for its definitions.
The same studies show the cost. The share of first replies that were negative or asked us to stop rose with each message:
| First replies that were negative | First message | Follow up 1 | Follow up 2 | Follow up 3 or later |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sellinger, own account | 0.9% | 8.5% | 14.3% | 14.7% |
| Wealth advisor network | 0.4% (10 of 2,689) | 2.8% (20 of 722) | 9.6% (28 of 291) | 16.0% (50 of 312) |
| ShortVibe | 0.7% (2 of 299) | 9.1% (5 of 55) | 19.2% (5 of 26) | 20.0% (3 of 15) |
So the question is not whether to follow up. It is what the follow up says, and when to stop.
Which follow ups worked?
1. A referral ask
When the person you wrote to is not the right person, ask who is. In the Green Shield email campaign, the follow up added one concrete procedure detail and asked: "If this isn't your area, who on your team is responsible for write offs and quality?" Of the 15 replies to that follow up, 5 were referrals (Green Shield case study).
In the foundry study, "Who handles sourcing?" turned "not my department" into 14 referrals, 12 of them to buyers (Lamothermic case study).
2. The prospect's own words
When a prospect goes quiet, the next message quotes the problem they named. In the foundry study, 13 buyer outcomes followed a nudge, and 23% of 416 nudges sent after a prospect went quiet got an answer. NDAs and bookings arrived after the second to seventh nudge, across holidays.
The same idea works in replies. In the installer survey, each reply repeated two or three things the installer had said, and 67% of converted installers got such a reply within 15 minutes. Several installers wrote back to say they appreciated that someone had read their answers.
3. An easy out
On our own account, one follow up asked whether it was fair to assume that outbound sales was not a focus for the prospect's products right now. Two days later the prospect wrote back and asked what we offer. A way to say no can make a yes easier (Sellinger case study). This is one conversation, not a rate.
4. A reason to act now
In the hotel's cold email, follow up 1 started as "may I send our presentation?" From late August it gave a reason: the cost of a 20 person offsite worked out, or "December dates are filling" (Hotel Pirin case study, a related party).
5. A last note that can be forwarded
The hotel's last note read: "I don't want to be a bother, so this is my last note on this topic. [...] A reply with period and headcount is all I need." It restated one offer and asked for two facts. The last note produced 4 of the 23 concrete group inquiries, and one of those, a note forwarded inside a company, became a confirmed booking.
6. A follow up that carries the question
In the installer survey, seven installers asked for the questions again when a reminder left them out. Since 30 July every email carries them.
Which follow ups failed?
| What failed | What the studies show |
|---|---|
| Reminders that repeat the first message. | In the Green Shield campaign, 3 of the 4 replies to the second follow up were opt outs. Small regulated markets remember who mailed them three times. |
| Reminders that drop the question. | Installers asked for the questions again. A follow up must stand on its own. |
| Too many touches. | In the wealth network study 16.0% of first replies from follow up 3 on were negative. In the installer study, touches 4 and 5 produced 22% of replies and also the only 2 stop complaints, so the client capped the sequence at two follow ups. In one agency study, replies dried up after the second follow up. |
| A follow up that contradicts the first message. | In one hotel sequence, the first letter and the last note quoted different figures. The recipient noticed and the reply desk corrected the quote in her favour. |
| The pure bump. | A message with nothing new gives the person nothing to answer. See the illustration below. |
What does the difference look like?
These two messages are illustrations written for this post. They are not customer messages.
A bump: "Just checking in on my last message. Let me know if you have any thoughts."
A follow up that works: "You mentioned that lead times on small batches are the problem. If that is still true, one line on your yearly volume is enough for me to say whether we can help. And if sourcing is someone else's job, who handles it?"
The second one quotes the person, asks for one small thing, and opens a door to a referral. The person can reply in a sentence.
How many follow ups does Sellinger send by default?
The defaults differ by channel, and every value can be changed per campaign. LinkedIn defaults to 4 follow ups before a lead is treated as exhausted, then moves to email. Email defaults to 5, then WhatsApp. WhatsApp defaults to 4, then email. Default gaps start at 5 days on LinkedIn and 1 to 3 days on email and WhatsApp. A campaign's own settings take priority over these defaults. The studies above show why a cap matters: the cost of each extra touch is paid in refusals, and the right number depends on the audience.
A checklist before you send follow up 1
- [ ] Does it add something new: a fact, an angle or a reason to act now?
- [ ] Does it stand on its own, with the question repeated?
- [ ] Does it ask for one small thing?
- [ ] Does it quote something the person said, where they have said something?
- [ ] Does it give an easy way to say no or to point to someone else?
- [ ] Does it match the first message, with the same figures and the same offer?
- [ ] Does your stop rule reach every step already scheduled?
- [ ] Have you set the last message, and does it say it is the last?
Common questions
How many follow ups should I send?
How long should I wait between follow ups?
Should every follow up repeat the question?
What do I do when someone says no?
How Sellinger helps
Read how it works on See multichannel follow up sequences, or see a real campaign in Read how the foundry ran its sequence.
