Ever have a promising prospect suddenly go dark and wonder how many times you can follow up before persistence turns into annoyance?

You had a good conversation. There was interest. Maybe you even met face-to-face. Then suddenly…nothing.

When a prospect stops responding, it’s easy to fall into one of two traps: keep firing off “just checking in” messages until you become background noise, or give up on an opportunity that might still be alive.

In this episode Bradley Hartmann shares a simple “Persistence vs. Annoyance” approach he’s used for years, including the four-sentence email and voicemail strategy designed to make it easy for a silent prospect to respond.

You’ll also hear what happened when a listener tried the approach after three weeks of silence and why knowing when to stop following up can be just as important as knowing what to say.

By listening, you’ll learn:

• How to use a short, vulnerable follow-up message that gives a ghosted prospect an easy way back into the conversation without making them feel guilty.
• Why acknowledging the thin line between persistence and annoyance can create a response when repeated calls, texts, and “just checking in” emails haven’t worked.
• How to recognize when silence is the answer, park the opportunity, and redirect your time, effort, and attention toward prospects where you can deliver value.

Play this episode to steal Bradley’s “Persistence vs. Annoyance” follow-up word for word and learn how to stay persistent without wasting your time or becoming the salesperson your prospects start avoiding.

If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start having the right sales conversations that win business, send us a note at [email protected] or visit our website and click on Increase Sales.

In The Craft of LBM Sales, we tackle real-world sales challenges in the lumber and building materials industry, including handling sales objections, improving phone sales, and what to do when you can’t close deals. Learn how to land new business, strengthen your negotiation skills, and build a reliable sales pipeline, even if you currently have no sales process in place. We also explore proven sales techniques, value selling strategies, overcoming sales rejection, hitting your sales goals, and navigating tough conversations around discounting.

New podcasts are dropped every Monday and Wednesday.