Prospect Follow-Up
Most money in this business is lost not to bad sits but to prospects that went cold because nobody followed up. The rule is simple: every prospect has a next step, and that next step is written down somewhere you check every day.
You don’t need expensive software for that. You need a system, and the system starts with a planner.
The three things to track every day
Section titled “The three things to track every day”A good agent keeps track of three different things every day. Not three notebooks: three kinds of note that fit in one daily planner.
- Whatever comes up — an event to go to, an idea, a name someone passed you. Write it down on the spot so it isn’t lost.
- The day’s notes — who you talked to, what was said, what’s still open.
- The dated commitments — Tuesday’s appointment, Thursday’s call. Anything with a day and time.
The logic is simple: what you capture doesn’t get lost, and what has a date doesn’t get forgotten. A daily planner you check each morning does all three at once.
What to capture on each prospect
Section titled “What to capture on each prospect”Do this the same day you get the prospect, while it’s fresh:
- Full name and best phone number
- Where they came from (referral, an event, someone you know)
- One line on their situation: family, kids, business, why they’re interested
- A next-action date: when you’ll reach out
A prospect with no next-action date is a prospect you will forget. No exceptions to that, in a planner or a spreadsheet.
Working the list daily
Section titled “Working the list daily”Start every day with follow-up, not with what’s new:
- Check today’s touches. Work them first.
- After every call, set the next touch before you hang up. Never end a call without a future date.
- If a prospect moved forward — said yes to an appointment, or closed — note it where it belongs.
The follow-up cadence
Section titled “The follow-up cadence”For a prospect who hasn’t said yes or no yet:
| Touch | Timing |
|---|---|
| 1st follow-up | 1–2 days after first contact |
| 2nd | 1 week |
| 3rd | 2 weeks |
| 4th | 1 month |
| Long-term | Every quarter, until sold or a real no |
Most sales happen on the third to fifth touch, not the first. The agent who quits following up at touch two leaves most of their income on the table.
After a sale
Section titled “After a sale”A sold client isn’t finished; they’re your best future business. Put a date on all three:
- A welcome touch a week after issue, to confirm the first payment went through.
- A referral touch at 30 days.
- A policy review at one year.
When you want to share the list: the spreadsheet
Section titled “When you want to share the list: the spreadsheet”The planner works for one person. When you want to share the list with your partner or a new agent, see everything at a glance, or stop carrying the notebook, the next step is a free Google Sheet, one row per prospect:
| Name | Phone | Where from | Situation | Next action | Date | Status |
|---|
Status is a single word for where they are: new, contacted, appointment, presented, sold, follow-up, dead. Sort by it and you see instantly who’s up today.
It’s not software to learn or maintain. It’s the same discipline as the planner, in a place you can share and sort. When you want to start one, tell your partner and we’ll set it up with a template.