Why Lead Follow-Ups Are the Missing Link in Your Sales Strategy
- Steffen Gorgas
- Aug 8
- 9 min read
Updated: Oct 28
Sales teams often invest heavily in lead generation, campaigns, events, content, and outbound outreach, but then lose deals due to something far more basic: poor lead follow-ups.
Whether it’s a missed deadline, a lack of follow-up, or generic messaging that fails to connect, the damage is the same. The prospect goes cold, the deal stalls. And often, a competitor closes what could’ve been yours.
Research shows that 44% of sales reps give up after just one attempt, yet up to 80% of sales require at least five touchpoints to close. That gap between effort and consistency is where revenue leaks out of your pipeline.
Lead generation isn’t just about chasing replies. It’s about building trust, staying visible, and responding at the right time, especially when prospects are evaluating their options. Done right, follow-up in sales becomes a strategic asset. Done poorly, it quietly erodes opportunities.
In this article, we’ll break down why sales follow-ups fail, how many it takes to close a sale, and what you can do to fix your process before another lead slips away.
Why Sales Follow-Ups Fail (and a Strategy on How to Fix Them)
Following up on leads should be simple, but most teams get it wrong. Either they contact clients too little, not enough or in a way that adds no value. These common mistakes don’t just slow down deals; they actively kill them.
1. Lack of Follow Up
The most damaging issue is often the most obvious. Many sales reps simply don’t follow up enough. With no structured process in place, it’s easy to miss the deadline for a timely check-in. Without reminders or visibility, leads fall through the cracks, especially when sales teams are juggling multiple conversations.
Fix it: Introduce a clear cadence, ideally built into your CRM or sales workflow. If you’re already using Microsoft 365, platforms like SharePortals can help you automate your sales pipeline using Power Automate, ensuring every lead gets timely, consistent outreach without extra manual admin.
2. Generic Messaging That Feels Templated
Prospects can sense when you’re sending the same message to everyone. A vague “just checking in” email with no added context doesn’t move the conversation forward. In fact, it makes it easier for prospects to ignore you.
Fix it: Personalise every outreach with reference to the prospect’s specific needs, previous interactions, or challenges. This doesn’t mean writing every message from scratch; use dynamic templates that pull in relevant details to save time without losing relevance.
3. Missed Deadlines That Break Momentum
In sales, timing matters. Following up too soon can feel intrusive; too late, and you’ve lost the window. A missed deadline can lead a warm lead to go cold, especially if competitors are quicker to respond.
Fix it: Use tools that align with lead activity. With SharePortals, you can create automated triggers based on form submissions, email opens, or meeting dates, so your sales team knows exactly when to follow up on leads, without relying on guesswork.
4. Overreliance on One Channel
Many companies rely on email alone, but the reality is that not every prospect responds well to email; some prefer phone calls, LinkedIn messages, or even SMS. If you’re only using one method, you’re missing opportunities to connect.
Fix it: Build a multi-channel strategy. SharePortals helps centralise all lead communications across email, Teams, and other Microsoft 365 tools, so your team can use the channel that suits the prospect best.
5. No Centralised View of Lead Activity
When lead data is spread across inboxes, spreadsheets, and separate tools, it’s nearly impossible to maintain a consistent sales workflow. Without a unified system, teams lack visibility and accountability.
Fix it: SharePortals brings together emails, documents, tasks, and conversations inside Microsoft 365, so your team has one place to view, track, and follow up on every lead.
How Many Follow-Ups to Close a Sale?
One of the most common questions sales teams ask is: The short answer? More than most people think.
Studies show that 80% of sales require five or more follow-ups, yet nearly half of sales reps give up after just one or two attempts. That means a huge number of potential deals are left on the table, not because of poor product-market fit, but because no one contacted them again.
The Follow-Up Gap That Kills Deals
44% of salespeople give up after one follow-up
Only 8% of sales are closed after one meeting.
60% of customers say “no” four times before saying “yes”
This data reveals a major mismatch between what sales teams and what buyers . Persistence isn’t pushy when it’s done with care, context, and value. Without a structured lead follow-up plan, sales cycles drag out or end prematurely.
Building a Consistent Sales Workflow
Successful sales don’t happen by accident; they’re part of a repeatable system. That’s where cadence comes in: a strategic sequence of touchpoints across multiple days and channels.
Here’s an example of a proven follow-up cadence for new leads:
Day | Channel | Message Type |
Day 1 | Personalised email within 5–15 mins | |
Day 2 | Connection request referencing the enquiry | |
Day 4 | Phone call or SMS | Check-in with added value (e.g. resource link) |
Day 7 | Case study or testimonial | |
Day 10 | Email or call | Ask for feedback or next steps |
Day 15+ | Nurture email | Longer-term drip based on interest level |
This approach ensures that prospects stay warm while your team stays front-of-mind without overwhelming them.
How SharePortals Supports Smarter Follow-Ups
Even with the best intentions, following up consistently is hard, especially when you’re managing dozens of leads. That’s where automation and visibility come in.
With SharePortals, you can:
Automatically assign tasks to the right team member
Use Power Automate to build lead workflows triggered by events (form submissions, meetings, status changes)
View a lead’s full history, such as emails, calls, documents in one place
Set alerts for overdue tasks or missed deadlines.
Move leads into nurture sequences when engagement drops
By embedding lead generation workflow directly into your Microsoft 365 environment, SharePortals eliminates the manual tracking and siloed tools that cause delays. You don’t have to switch systems or train your team on new platforms. Just set your cadence and let it run.
Timing Is Everything
In sales, timing can make or break a deal. It’s not just you say, it’s you say it.
Following up too soon can feel intrusive. Too late, and the prospect has gone cold or chosen a competitor. That’s why perfecting your timing is just as important as the content of your message.
The 5-Minute Rule
According to research from Lead Response Management, leads are 100x more likely to respond if followed up within five minutes of their initial enquiry. Yet most teams don’t act that fast, because the process isn’t built into their system.
That’s where tools like SharePortals come in. If you’re working inside Microsoft 365, SharePortals can trigger automated follow-ups the moment a form is submitted or an email is opened, ensuring you never miss that crucial early window.
When You Miss the Deadline
Once that window passes, your chances of converting the lead drop sharply. A missed follow-up doesn’t just delay the deal, it often ends it. This is especially true in competitive industries where multiple vendors are being compared side by side.
Missing the right time to follow up:
Lowers your response rate
Weakens buyer confidence
Gives competitors a head start
By the time you reach out, the conversation may be over, and you might have never been part of it.
Spacing Your Follow-Ups for Maximum Impact
Not every follow-up needs to happen quickly, but they need to happen consistently. Here’s a sample breakdown of how to time your outreach:
Follow Up | Best Timing |
1 | Within 5–15 minutes after initial interaction |
2 | 24–48 hours later with added value (e.g. resource) |
3 | 3–5 days later via a different channel |
4 | 7–10 days later, with a case study or testimonial |
5 | Weekly or bi-weekly nurture, based on engagement |
The goal is to stay top-of-mind, overwhelming. This is easier when your sales team has a built-in system for tracking where each lead is in the cycle.
SharePortals helps by:
Showing lead activity history at a glance
Automating reminders before key windows pass
Keeping everything inside Outlook and Teams so you can act fast without switching tabs
Adapting to the Buying Cycle
Not all leads are created equal, and neither are their timelines. A prospect in the research phase might need time and space, while someone nearing a decision needs faster, more direct contact.
Your timing should reflect where they are in the buyer’s journey:
Awareness Stage:
Share helpful content, wait a few days before nudging again
Consideration Stage:
Provide case studies or answer objections within 1–2 days
Decision Stage:
Follow up quickly with demos, offers, or proposal details
SharePortals can help tailor this by categorising leads by stage and setting different workflows for each, so you don’t treat every lead the same.
Multi-Channel Sales Follow-Ups That Work
Relying on a single channel, usually email, is one of the most common reasons that lead to generation fail. It’s not just follow-ups you send, but you send them that shapes your results.
In today’s landscape, successful lead generation pipelines are multi-channel by default. That means connecting with prospects across email, LinkedIn, phone calls, and even SMS to maximise visibility and engagement.
Why Email Alone Isn’t Enough
Email is still a powerful tool, but it’s not always the most effective. Open rates for sales emails hover around 20–27%, and response rates are often below 10%. That means even great messages get missed.
Plus, inboxes are crowded. If your follow-up email lands among dozens of unread messages, it may never get the attention it deserves.
That’s why smart sales teams are diversifying how they follow up on leads.
The Power of Multi-Channel Outreach
Using multiple communication channels increases your chances of being seen and remembered. It also allows you to meet leads where they are on the platform they actually use.
Here’s what a strong multi-channel follow-up strategy might look like:
personalised messages with value-added content
connection requests, DM, or content shares
Phone calls
ideal for direct engagement or late-stage leads
SMS/WhatsApp
fast, high-visibility reminders for warm prospects
Teams chat
(for internal handoffs or account-based strategies)
Studies show that multi-channel sales strategies increase response rates by up to 25% compared to email-only strategies.
How SharePortals Enables Multi-Channel Consistency
If you’re managing leads across multiple platforms without a central system, things fall through the cracks, especially when deadlines are missed.
That’s where SharePortals simplifies the process. Because it integrates directly with Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint, it allows sales teams to:
Log every interaction across multiple channels in one place
Set tasks that can be tied to emails, calls, or LinkedIn touchpoints
Use Microsoft Power Automate to trigger specific actions based on lead activity (e.g. opened email, submitted form, or missed deadline)
Share documents or updates via Teams while maintaining full visibility in your CRM workspace.
Instead of chasing leads across platforms, your team works within a single connected system, making follow-ups more responsive and less reactive.
Choosing the Right Channel for the Right Stage
Not every channel works for every situation. Here’s how to think about it:
Lead Stage | Best Channels |
Early Awareness | Email, LinkedIn content shares |
Engaged / Researching | LinkedIn DMs, targeted emails |
Warm / Considering | Phone calls, SMS, proposal walkthroughs |
Late-Stage / Deciding | Email + call combo, calendar links, Teams invites |
By matching your method to your lead’s behaviour and stage, you make your outreach feel more helpful and less like a sales pitch.
Personalisation vs Automation – Striking the Right Balance
When you’re managing dozens, or even hundreds of leads, automation can feel like the only way to stay on top of follow-ups. But if you lose the personal touch, your emails become background noise.
The most effective lead generation strategies blend both.
Why Personalisation Drives Results
Personalised emails generate
6x higher transaction rates
than generic ones
Referencing specific pain points increases response likelihood.
Tailored content builds trust and relevance
Where Automation Works Best
Nurture sequences based on the lead stage
Reminders for missed deadlines or key actions
Auto-assigning tasks based on form submissions or pipeline status
With SharePortals, you can automate routine follow-ups using Power Automate while keeping room for personal touchpoints at critical decision stages. For example:
The first message should be a personalised message with direct reference to the enquiry
Mid-funnel is all about automated value-add emails and case studies
Close stage should be human-driven calls, video messages, or tailored proposals
It’s not either/or. It’s knowing when to automate and when to connect.
Tracking and Optimising Follow-ups
If you’re not measuring your pipeline, you’re guessing what works.
Key Metrics to Track:
Open rates
Are your emails being seen?
Response rates
Are people engaging?
Call connection rates
Are calls getting through?
Conversion rates
Are they turning into deals?
Frequency
Are reps reaching out enough?
Using a platform like SharePortals, you can monitor these metrics across your Microsoft 365 tools:
See who’s following up, when, and how often
Track how many follow-ups it takes to get a response
Identify drop-off points and adjust your cadence accordingly
By bringing CRM data, email activity, and workflow history into one place, SharePortals helps your team refine their follow-up process based on what’s actually working.
What Happens When You Don’t Follow Up
Lead generation is expensive, and yet, most leads are lost simply because no one contacts them.
The Cost of Inaction:
Lost revenue
from leads that convert elsewhere
Higher customer acquisition costs
with no return
Missed brand-building moments
where trust could’ve been earned
Broken buyer confidence
when momentum stalls
Prospects don’t always say “no” outright; they just drift away. A lack of follow-up sends the message that their business isn’t a priority.
With SharePortals, teams can avoid this completely. You get:
Alerts when tasks are overdue
Complete lead histories so nothing is forgotten
Assigned tasks with clear ownership
Automation that fills the gaps between human touchpoints
Make Every Follow-Up Count with SharePortals
Following up is the simplest way to increase sales, and yet it’s the most commonly overlooked. Whether it’s a missed deadline, a forgotten email, or the wrong message at the wrong time, poor lead generation breaks the sales process.
The solution isn’t more tools. It’s the right system, built around how your team already works.
SharePortals helps you:
Stay on top of every lead, task, and follow up
Automate the parts that slow you down
Centralise communication inside Microsoft 365
Close the gap between interest and action
If you’re ready to stop losing leads and start converting them, it’s time to rethink your follow-up strategy.
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