Follow-Up Cadence — The 18-Touch System
Why follow-ups are so important (RSR)
- Relationships — to remember me; for now and the future; for loyalty, database, positioning, referrals.
- Sales — to increase sales by staying top of mind, being consistent, providing further information, and getting the best deal for the prospect.
- Reputation — professionalism, trust and confidence, balancing persistence, and a desire to help in any way you can (even if that means giving away the deal).
The reality of follow-up
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Salespeople who never follow up an enquiry | 48% |
| Salespeople who make a 1st contact and stop | 25% |
| Salespeople who make a 3rd contact and stop | 12% |
| Salespeople who make more than 3 contacts | 10% |
| Sales made on 1st contact | 2% |
| Sales made on 2nd contact | 3% |
| Sales made on 3rd contact | 5% |
| Sales made on 4th contact | 10% |
| Sales made between the 5th and 12th contact | 80% |
The rule: 18 touches
Follow up until you have an outcome — up to 18 touches. You will most likely hear back from them before number 13.
Mode-switch example sequence
Switch modes across the sequence (adapt to the prospect's preferred channel):
- email → 2. email → 3. WhatsApp → 4. Phone → 5. email → 6. email → 7. Phone → 8. WhatsApp → 9. email → 10. Phone → 11. email → 12. email → …
Personalisation & persistence rules
- Personalise the follow-up (1-to-1). Frequency depends on the prospect's timeline — this could be months. As the relationship grows and their timeline shortens, increase frequency and move to phone calls or in-person visits.
- Do the initial FU ASAP — see Response Time.
- Use the channel preferred by the prospect.
- Determine FU frequency based on the outcome of the initial FU.
- Change each FU message — never repeat verbatim.
- Focus on getting a response — yes or no. Use personalised, engaging messages with open-ended questions.
- Provide value — market updates, property suggestions, local insights.
- Track progress in the CRM — preferences, concerns, milestones.
- Be patient but persistent — respect boundaries, never pushy.
Automation hooks
- Track touch count per prospect; remind the agent at each step of the sequence.
- Suggest the next channel based on the mode-switch sequence and prospect preference.
- Escalate reminder urgency after 3+ unanswered touches (mode switch to phone).
- Log every touch in the CRM with a dated note.
- The sequence stops when the prospect responds with an outcome — the automation should close the loop, not keep sending.