Ah, January—the holidays have come to an end, and professionals worldwide are slowly returning to their offices.
Whether it’s unfinished business from last year or new opportunities that aren’t sparking a response, sales professionals eventually have to re-engage their prospects.
The only problem is that these reminders can get really annoying real fast if you don’t approach them with care, risking them ending up in oversaturated email purgatory.
In this article, we’ll explore this fine line between being kind and persistent, and outright annoying in your reminders, along with some proven templates, to help you ensure they are both effective and warmly received.
What is a gentle reminder?
The definition of a gentle reminder is quite straightforward— it’s a courteous and tactful message intended to kindly nudge a prospect or client without irritating. It’s a strategic sales communication technique to keep your prospects active, encourage action, and maintain the rapport you’ve worked so hard to build.
Gentle reminders are technically considered follow-ups, as they follow the initial messages with shorter, supplementary information and/or instructions, but they differ from traditional sales/marketing follow-ups in one key way.
Follow-ups are usually sent after the initial message gets ghosted in an attempt to grab prospects’ attention one more time, whereas reminders emphasize already established communication or agreements, which also make them more likely to be opened and replied to.
Similar to simple follow-ups, gentle reminders have the main objective of prompting the recipient to take the next step in the sales process and are most commonly delivered through emails, social media messages, or voicemails.
Why is a gentle reminder important?
There are numerous sales scenarios where kind reminders are appropriate and even necessary (more on that shortly), so their specific importance will vary from case to case, but generally speaking—here’s why they work so well:
- They maintain momentum → there are various reasons why sales journeys may stall, be it holidays or simple oversight, and gentle reminders ensure that these opportunities follow through in a tactful and polite manner.
- They demonstrate professionalism → unlike with traditional follow-ups where you’re uncertain if your message is ghosted, gentle reminders are virtually always welcomed as they help prospects stay on top of their commitments, showing professionalism and attentiveness on your behalf.
- They improve conversion rates → persistent yet polite follow-up reminders help reignite previously shown interest or agreed commitments with sales prospects, which has the potential to significantly increase the likelihood of closing a deal.
- They build strong relationships → regular, thoughtful communication fosters trust over time and positions you as a reliable partner acting professionally to move the deal forward, rather than just another salesperson pushing for the sale.
How to send a friendly reminder without being annoying
As we all probably know, effective follow-ups are an entire art of their own, and friendly reminders are no different. They require thoughtfulness and finesse, even though they are quite short messages. After all, the last thing a salesperson would want is to undermine a potential deal by seeming too pushy or obtrusive.
So, here are the key strategies to keep in mind when crafting those gentle reminders:
- Timing is everything:
Much like with most things in life, timing is everything when it comes to reminder follow-ups. It’s always best to reach out while the interaction is still fresh in your prospect’s mind. Alternatively, if your reminder has to do with an important upcoming meeting—24 to 48 hours before is the sweet spot. At the same time, avoid bombarding your prospect with constant reminders.
- Personalization is key:
It goes without saying that you should personalize each and every message you send to your prospects, always addressing them by their name and adding any other relevant personal touches to build a stronger connection.
With gentle reminders, it’s also crucial to mention the specific key details regarding your previous conversations to avoid generalized messages.
- Provide value:
Salespeople have to offer some sort of value throughout every step of the sales journey, including kind reminders. Rather than simply saying “Hey, just a friendly reminder that …”, offer additional and relevant insights or resources that align with your upcoming communications and address any potential pain points or challenges your prospects may be facing.
- Keep it clear and concise:
This one’s pretty straightforward—get straight to the point by being direct about the purpose of your friendly reminder. It shows professionalism and respect for their time. Just make sure to include some form of a CTA, whether it’s scheduling a meeting, signing a contract, and so on.
- Balance a friendly and professional tone:
Always maintain professionalism in your sales messaging, use polite language, and avoid any hint of impatience, even if your prospect isn’t being as responsive as you’d hope them to be. Instead, express understanding of their busy schedule and express empathy, which will only increase the chances of getting a response.
- Leverage multiple channels:
Multichannel outreach has proven over and over that it’s often far more effective than simply sticking to one channel, such as email or LinkedIn. Instead, try to understand how your prospects prefer to communicate and experiment with different methods.
For instance, your prior communication could have been via email, but your gentle reminder could be a quick phone call or a short LinkedIn message.
- Know when to step back:
Last but not least, it’s good to know when to call it a day, so to speak. Set your own limit on how many attempts will indicate that it’s time to pause your efforts, because continuous friendly reminders will stop being friendly at some point in time, and it’s best to avoid getting there.
It’s best to cut your losses but leave the door open in your final reminder message, showcasing that you’re open to continuing the discussion when the prospect is ready.