Why your follow ups are killing your sales

OK, let's all agree on something. Starting out an e-mail with “I was just following up” or starting a phone call with, “Hey, I was just checking in,” is not helpful. Your prospects know where they are in your deal, what you're trying to sell them, and they know that you want to get the information. That's not the way to do it. If they had an update, they'd have called you if they're ready to buy. You're still in the sales process. So what you want to do is every time you reach out to them—call, e-mail, text, whatever it is—give them something new. Give them something they could use in their career, in their business, about the project. Any three of those things will work well. And it may start out with your phone call and say, “Hey, Ted, I was just calling you to let you know that we added a new feature that I could see working in your project this way or that way.” And then just talk about it. They'll come around. They know why you're calling, but they'll appreciate you're having a helping mindset. And then they'll get around to telling you where your deal stands. But take this approach. You'll gain their trust, and with trust comes sales. And I hope this helps you. The 3 Biggest Takeaways The "I" Disease is Killing Your Outreach Most founders and salespeople write emails that read like a diary entry or a resume. They start every paragraph with "I": "I work with," "I help," "I'd like to." As the video highlights, this signals to the prospect that the conversation is about you, not them. When a prospect sees a wall of "I's," their brain immediately categorizes the email as noise. You have to suppress your ego to get their attention. It’s Never About What You Do; It’s About What They Get This is the fundamental shift in founder-led sales. You might be proud of your process, your background, or your product features, but the customer only cares about the result. You need to translate "I offer X" into "You get Y." If you can't make that translation, you aren't ready to hit send. Your expertise is irrelevant until it is framed as a benefit to the buyer. The Subject Line "Litmus Test" The video critiques a subject line: "My day at [Company]." This is a failure because it centers the salesperson's experience. A subject line is a promise of value. If the promise is "hear about my day," the open rate will be zero. If the promise is "how you can solve [Problem X]," the open rate skyrockets. Every word in your outreach—from the subject line to the signature—must pass the "Does this help them?" test. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Q1: How do I introduce myself if I can't start with "I"? A: You don't need to introduce yourself in the first sentence. Introduce the problem you solve. Instead of "I am the founder of XYZ Agency," try "Most agencies struggle to scale because..." You earn the right to introduce yourself after you've proven you understand their pain. Q2: Is it really that bad to say "I"? A: It’s not forbidden, but it should be the seasoning, not the main course. If you scan your email and the first word of every paragraph is "I," rewrite it. It’s a visual cue that the email is self-serving. Q3: How do I rewrite "I help companies save money"? A: Flip the subject. Change it to: "Companies like yours usually see a 20% reduction in costs by..." or "You can reclaim lost revenue by..." Put the customer (or the result) at the start of the sentence. Q4: Does this apply to LinkedIn posts too? A: Absolutely. While personal stories work on LinkedIn, the "hook" usually needs to be relatable to the reader. Even when telling a story about your own life, the moral of the story must offer value to the audience. Q5: Why do so many people make this mistake? A: Because it's human nature to view the world from our own perspective. We are the protagonists of our own movies. Great sales requires the empathy to step out of your movie and become a supporting character in the customer's movie.