Sales follow-up sequence: a 14-day template for calls, texts and email
Adoptiv Team··3 min read
Short answer
A strong sales follow-up sequence mixes calls, texts and emails over about two weeks, front-loads effort in the first two days, and stops the moment the lead replies or books. Around eight to ten touches is a common range. Each step should give a new reason to respond, and what happens on a call should decide the next step.
Most leads don't answer the first call. Many don't answer the third. The deals go to whoever keeps following up without being annoying, and that's hard to do by memory across a hundred leads. A sequence makes it consistent: every lead gets the same well-timed follow-up, and reps spend their time on the people who answer.
The 14-day template
Day
Step
What it says
1, within minutes
Call
First call while interest is fresh
1, after a missed call
Voicemail + text
"Just tried you about [topic]. When's good?"
1, evening
Email
What you can help with, and one useful link
2
Call
Different time of day from day 1
3
Text
A short question they can answer in one word
5
Call + email
A new angle: a case study, a price, a deadline
8
Call
Voicemail only if you haven't left one recently
11
Email
Answer the most common question people ask
14
Call + "last try" text
Take the pressure off: "I'll stop here for now"
That's around a dozen touches. Drop steps for warmer leads, add a 30-day and 60-day check-in for long sales cycles.
Rules that make it work
Stop on a reply. Nothing kills trust faster than a "just checking in" email after they've already written back.
Let the call steer. A voicemail, a "call me Thursday" and a "not interested" should each lead somewhere different.
Vary the time of day. Someone who never answers at 10 am may answer at 4:30 pm.
Give a new reason each time. "Following up" isn't a reason.
Respect opt-outs instantly. A request to stop ends the sequence, on every channel.
Stay inside sending hours. No texts at 11 pm in the lead's time zone.
Try it on your own numbers. Adoptiv puts the dialer, the phone system and the CRM in one tool. Fourteen days free, with the AI switched on.
In Adoptiv's sequence builder, you draw the sequence on one canvas: emails, texts, waits and call steps. Publishing saves a numbered version, and leads already in it finish on the version they started. Call tasks go to the lead's owner by default, with your script attached. Branch logic then sends each lead down the right path: opened, clicked, replied within 30 days, or how the rep's call went (answered, voicemail, busy, wrong number or no answer). Sending hours keep steps inside the times you set.
Common questions
How many times should you follow up with a lead?+
Many teams use eight to twelve touches over two to three weeks across calls, texts and email, stopping as soon as the lead replies.
What is a multichannel sales sequence?+
A planned series of follow-ups that mixes channels, such as calls, texts and emails, so leads can respond the way they prefer.
How long should you wait between follow-ups?+
Close together at first (same day, next day), then wider gaps of two to three days as the sequence goes on.
When should a follow-up sequence stop?+
When the lead replies, books, asks you to stop or the sequence ends. After that, a slower nurture sequence can check in monthly.
Adoptiv is the dialer, the CRM and the AI on one platform, where the busywork logs itself and your reps just talk. Try it free for 14 days, with no credit card.
Questions? Call +1 (844) 955-7733. SIYA answers and puts you through to a person.
