"Just checking in" isn't a follow-up
Most follow-ups get ignored because they say nothing. The one test every follow-up message should pass before you send it.
Most of the follow-ups I see say some version of the same thing. "Just checking in." "Bumping this up." "Wanted to circle back."
Those aren't really messages. They're a polite way of saying you'd like something, and they give the other person nothing to answer. So they don't.
The test for a follow-up that gets a reply
Before I send a follow-up, I ask one question. If this were the only message this person ever got from me, would it be worth their thirty seconds?
If not, I wait until I have something.
Something can be small. A question about a thing they mentioned last time. A note that their company was in the news. A sentence on how someone in their spot handled the same problem. One useful line beats three polite ones.
Change the ask, too
If the first two messages asked a question, the next one can offer something instead, something they can say yes to in one word. And as time goes on, space the messages further apart. Two weeks, then a month. You're not chasing anymore, you're staying in the room while their situation changes. And situations change all the time. The person with no budget in March is planning next year in September.
Why people give up on this
Sending five "just checking in" messages is easy. Writing three that are worth reading is real work, and it's the first thing to drop when the week gets busy.
That's the part worth getting help with. Keep the writing human and get help with the remembering.
Questions people ask
What should I say instead of "just checking in"?
Something they can actually answer. A question about something they told you, a note about their company's news, or something useful to them.
How long should I wait between follow-ups?
A few days to a week early on, then further apart. Two weeks, then a month, then whenever there's a real reason. And keep going until they say no.
How do you follow up on LinkedIn?
The same way as email, just shorter. A line or two, about them, ending with one easy question.
Following up until there's an answer is what I do for clients, in a way that still sounds like them. Book a call with me.