SUMMARY

Andy Muborn, founder of Distribute.so, presents a seven-touch follow-up system to transform hesitant sales prospects into closed deals, emphasizing value-driven communication over generic check-ins.

STATEMENTS

• Many sales professionals struggle to secure follow-up conversations after initial calls, often resorting to ineffective "just checking in" emails.
• The average seller follows up only 1.3 times, with 58% not following up at all, leading to lost opportunities.
• Follow-up is the top barrier to hitting sales quotas for 427 out of 500 polled professionals.
• Initial conversations represent the hardest part of sales, so prospects who engage deserve persistent, value-adding pursuit.
• Closed-lost opportunities from months or years ago often convert later, accounting for 73% of deals at Distribute.
• Effective follow-ups must provide tangible value to avoid seeming desperate or annoying.
• Videos in follow-ups serve as a litmus test for prospect engagement, trackable via viewing metrics.
• Case studies build proof and FOMO by showcasing niche-specific successes.
• Interactive profit calculators demonstrate ROI early, preventing last-minute scrambles for approval.
• Omni-channel approaches, like LinkedIn messages, increase response rates by varying communication mediums.
• Video testimonials and compilations reinforce social proof without needing full case studies.
• Executive briefs are designed for easy internal forwarding, aiding sales that occur outside your presence.
• Permission-to-proceed emails act as a polite breakup after seven touches, preserving future opportunities.
• Neuroscience principles like recency bias and reciprocity underpin why value-driven follow-ups succeed.
• Sequences in tools like Apollo or Outreach automate the seven-touch process post-initial call.
• Objections like feeling annoying are countered by framing follow-ups as earning the business through value.
• Delaying next steps by two weeks risks prospects forgetting the conversation entirely.
• Sales decisions increasingly favor reps with strong processes, as products become commoditized.
• Implementation involves creating templates quickly and spreading touches over 16 days to maintain momentum.

IDEAS

• Generic "just checking in" emails rarely work, signaling invisibility rather than value in a noisy market.
• Resurrecting closed-lost deals from the past yields higher conversion rates than pursuing brand-new leads.
• Videos post-call not only summarize but highlight untapped opportunities and competitive threats to spark urgency.
• Case studies aren't just marketing tools; they're follow-up weapons that create niche-specific FOMO.
• Giving away ROI calculators early builds internal advocates by arming prospects with data for approvals.
• LinkedIn DMs bypass email overload, offering a casual chat interface that feels less salesy.
• Compiling short video testimonials into one asset multiplies social proof without extensive production.
• Executive briefs turn prospects into salespeople by providing forwardable, solution-clarifying documents.
• A "permission to proceed" email after multiple touches respects time while leaving the door open for future re-engagement.
• Recency bias means follow-ups within 24 hours prevent prospects from forgetting you amid constant distractions.
• Omni-channel orchestration—email, LinkedIn, video—mirrors how buyers consume information today.
• Framing persistent follow-ups as "earning the business" shifts mindset from desperation to professionalism.
• Hiding tabs in shared rooms allows sequential reveals of value, building anticipation without overwhelming.
• Mutual action plans clarify paths to closure but are best for later stages, not initial follow-ups.
• Value-based systems position sellers as helpful advisors, not pushy vendors, in commoditized markets.

INSIGHTS

• Persistent, value-laden follow-ups demonstrate genuine interest in solving problems, making reps indispensable allies.
• Closed-lost prospects represent untapped goldmines, as timing often delays readiness rather than interest.
• Social proof via case studies and testimonials doesn't just validate claims; it triggers bandwagon effects for quicker buys.
• Early ROI tools empower prospects to self-advocate internally, accelerating deals without your constant involvement.
• Omni-channel tactics exploit fragmented attention spans, increasing touchpoints where buyers actually engage.
• Forgetting initial conversations is human; structured follow-ups combat recency bias to keep solutions top-of-mind.
• Breakup-style emails after seven touches preserve relationships by signaling respect, not abandonment.
• Sales processes now rival products in decision-making, as buyers seek partners who show sustained effort.
• Objections to persistence fade when value frames each interaction as decision-making aid, not harassment.
• Forwardable assets like briefs turn passive prospects into active champions within their organizations.
• Automation via sequences ensures consistency, but manual customization adapts to unique deal nuances.
• Earning business through layered value builds authority, outshining one-off pitches in competitive fields.

QUOTES

• "Hey, just checking in. How many people here say send the just checking in email?"
• "After today, we are never going to send the just checking in email again."
• "73% of those were previously closed lost opportunities."
• "Most of the sale happens when you're not in the room."
• "You're helping them make a decision. You're adding that value as cheesy as it sounds."
• "Who wants the business? Who's going to make it look like they want to make something happen here?"
• "If you don't follow up within 24 hours of something good, they like forget who you are."

HABITS

• Follow up with value-adding content like videos or case studies immediately after initial calls to maintain momentum.
• Track prospect engagement through video views to prioritize hot leads and adjust strategies.
• Collect quick video testimonials from satisfied clients during casual lunches to build ongoing social proof.
• Use omni-channel approaches, alternating emails with LinkedIn messages, for varied and less intrusive outreach.
• Prepare forwardable resources like executive briefs in every deal to facilitate internal advocacy.
• Review closed-lost opportunities quarterly and re-engage with tailored value to revive stalled interest.
• Implement a seven-touch sequence over 16 days post-call, automating where possible but customizing for fit.

FACTS

• Average follow-up attempts by sellers stand at just 1.3, with 58% abandoning pursuit entirely.
• Follow-up issues block quota attainment for 427 of 500 sales professionals surveyed.
• Distribute's closed-won deals stem from closed-lost opportunities 73% of the time.
• Initial client acquisition conversations often require the most effort in lead generation-heavy industries.
• Two-week gaps between sales calls lead to near-total forgetting of discussed solutions.
• Executives prioritize proof of delivery, making case studies the top sales enablement asset.
• Recency bias causes prospects to forget interactions if not reinforced within 24 hours.

REFERENCES

• Distribute.so: Tool for creating follow-up pages, videos, and sequences used by over 15,000 people daily.
• Outreach.io: Early sales platform Andy helped build from zero to massive scale.
• Taplio: LinkedIn growth tool Andy founded and sold to Lemlist.
• Loom: Video messaging tool for trackable follow-up videos.
• Apollo: Sales engagement platform for sequencing follow-ups.
• HubSpot: CRM with sequencing capabilities for automated outreach.
• Google Docs: Simple alternative for executive briefs and calculators.
• LinkedIn: Platform for DM-based value bombs and personal invites.
• Apple Notes: Quick tool for drafting templates during implementation sprints.
• Vibe coding: Custom tool-building approach for interactive calculators (upcoming session mentioned).

HOW TO APPLY

• Immediately after the first call, record and send a 90-second video summarizing key opportunities, quick wins, competitive threats, and fixes to re-engage the prospect.
• Within two days, share a targeted case study from a similar niche client, highlighting results to build proof and FOMO, followed by an invitation for questions.
• On day four, embed an interactive profit calculator in a shared page, providing early ROI estimates to arm the prospect for internal discussions.
• Mid-sequence, around day six, send a LinkedIn message with a concise value insight or resource, leveraging the platform's casual chat for quicker responses.
• By day ten, deliver a one-page executive brief outlining the solution's fit, benefits, and next steps, optimized for easy forwarding to stakeholders.
• Conclude on day sixteen with a permission-to-proceed email recapping all shared value and politely seeking commitment or closure for future timing.

ONE-SENTENCE TAKEAWAY

Replace "just checking in" emails with a seven-touch value system to convert stalled prospects into closed deals efficiently.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Ditch generic check-ins for personalized videos that recap calls and highlight untapped value immediately.
• Harvest case studies from top clients via quick interviews to deploy as proof in every follow-up.
• Deploy ROI calculators early to demonstrate financial impact and ease internal buy-in processes.
• Incorporate LinkedIn DMs for omni-channel persistence, focusing on bite-sized value shares.
• Craft forwardable executive briefs to empower prospects in selling your solution internally.
• Automate sequences in tools like Apollo for consistent seven-touch cadences without manual overload.
• Re-engage closed-lost deals quarterly with refreshed value to capitalize on shifted timing.
• Collect video testimonials routinely to compile social proof assets for high-impact follow-ups.
• Use breakup emails after seven touches to respect boundaries while nurturing long-term potential.
• Frame all persistence as business-earning efforts to overcome internal fears of seeming pushy.

MEMO

Andy Muborn, the entrepreneur behind Distribute.so—a platform empowering over 15,000 daily users in sales outreach—delivers a no-nonsense takedown of the ubiquitous "just checking in" email. Drawing from his experience scaling Outreach.io and founding Taplio, Muborn argues that such lazy follow-ups doom deals in today's attention-scarce world. With 58% of sellers abandoning pursuit after one touch and averages hovering at a dismal 1.3 attempts, he reveals how this gap costs fortunes. Instead, he unveils a seven-touch system spread over 16 days, transforming "maybe later" into urgent commitments by layering undeniable value.

The system kicks off with an "instant replay" video: a 90-second clip recapping the call's highlights—missed revenue, quick wins, competitor encroachments, and fixes. Trackable via tools like Loom, these videos gauge interest and often get forwarded, serving as an engagement litmus test. Muborn stresses videos' power in a lead-gen-saturated market, where prospects forget conversations within 24 hours due to recency bias. Next, the "case study bomb" drops niche-specific successes, creating proof and FOMO; even new ventures can bootstrap these via client lunches or discounts, turning testimonials into one-pagers.

Building urgency, the third touch introduces an interactive profit calculator, revealing ROI early to preempt CFO scrutiny. Muborn warns against last-minute ROI pitches, advocating embeds in shared rooms for seamless access. Omni-channel flair follows with LinkedIn value bombs—quick DMs bypassing email fatigue—and video testimonial compilations that amplify social proof without heavy lifting. These assets, he notes, exploit reciprocity and bandwagon effects, making prospects feel the pull of peers' gains.

An executive brief anchors the middle: a forwardable one-pager clarifying the solution for internal champions, addressing the reality that most sales close outside your presence. Prospects, often ill-equipped to pitch your offering, butcher details to stakeholders; this tool ensures fidelity. The sequence culminates in a "permission to proceed" email—a gracious breakup recapping value and pausing pursuit, ideal for timing mismatches. At Distribute, 73% of wins resurrect closed-lost deals, underscoring the folly of chasing shiny new leads over nurtured warms.

Muborn demystifies implementation: draft templates in hours, automate via Apollo or Outreach for consistency, and manually tweak for nuance. Objections like seeming annoying dissolve when reframed as "earning the business"—buyers crave reps who persist with purpose. In commoditized markets, processes trump products; the seller showing sustained, value-driven effort wins. For closed losses, quarterly re-engagements with fresh insights unlock pipelines, promising five-figure boosts in 30 days. This isn't relationship fluff—it's neuroscience-backed orchestration yielding real closes.