Following up is not reminding — and that is exactly where it fails
How often to follow up without being a nuisance: a cadence with real reasons, the sentence before the quote goes out and what § 7 UWG allows.
The short answer
Following up does not annoy because of the frequency but because of the emptiness. “I just wanted to check quickly whether you have had a chance to look at it” contains no information, no reason and no decision — it shifts work onto the recipient and calls that politeness. Three things change this: the next step is agreed before the quote goes out, every contact brings a reason of its own, and the series has a defined end instead of petering out. Whoever follows up like this may follow up more often than the one who reminds apologetically.
Why most follow-ups fail
The empty enquiry sets the customer a task: he is supposed to remember, reconstruct the status and formulate an answer for which he has no basis right now. So he does not answer. The next time he answers even less, because the message is the same again.
Then there is the language. “Just quickly”, “very briefly”, “I don't want to disturb you” — each of these formulas devalues your own call before it has begun. Whoever says himself that his concern is small will be taken at his word.
And finally the false assumption that silence is time for consideration. Usually it is a matter of priorities: the quote is not on the “to be decided” pile but on the “sometime” pile. Following up means putting it back on the first pile — and that takes a reason, not a reminder.
The most important sentence comes before the quote
Following up becomes difficult when it has not been agreed. Anyone who sends the quote without comment has to justify himself anew every time afterwards. Three building blocks that solve the problem in the conversation beforehand:
“I will send it to you by Wednesday. When shall we go through it together — Thursday morning or Friday afternoon?”
That makes the call an appointment, not an interruption.
“Who besides you looks at it before a decision is made?”
The answer reveals whether a week of radio silence is normal or a bad sign.
“If I do not hear anything by Friday — shall I call, or will you consider the matter closed?”
This question sounds risky and is not. It expressly obtains permission, and anyone who hesitates here would not have bought later either.
How often should you follow up?
As a rule of thumb: as often as you have a new reason, and until there is a decision — in the cadence below that is five contacts, including sending the quote, in roughly 30 days plus one contact without sales intent after three months. There is no fixed number that is always right; the limit is set by the reason, the agreed decision and a clear no, after which the series ends immediately.
To put “too often” in context:
- Too often is any message that asks the same question as the last one.
- Too rarely is three weeks of silence after the quote, so the customer has to work through the figures again.
- About right is when, after every contact, the customer knows or can decide something they could not before.
A cadence that holds
The following sequence is a working grid, not a formula — depending on the industry and the order size it stretches or compresses:
| Point in time | Channel | Reason | What is in it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0 | In writing | Quote | Quote, one sentence on the decision, agreed appointment |
| Day 2 | In writing | A single factual question | “Did I get the contract term right?” — answerable in ten seconds |
| Day 5–7 | Phone | The agreed appointment | Go through the quote together, collect objections |
| Day 14 | Phone or in writing | New state of affairs | Change in terms, a deadline, a smaller alternative |
| Day 30 | Phone | Decision | The closed question: yes, no, or later with a date |
| Day 90 | In writing | Without intent to sell | Something useful for the business, without a quote |
The decisive column is the third. Without it, the table is a plan for harassment.
What counts as a reason
- A figure supplied afterwards from the conversation, one you promised.
- A simplification of the quote: the same thing one size smaller, with a shorter term, or without the item he stumbled over.
- A change in the matter itself: new terms, a change of device, a statutory deadline, an expiring contract with the current provider.
- A question he can answer in one sentence. Not “Where do things stand?” but “Is it still two sites, or is the third one coming?”
- An honest assessment: “By now I think the large version is too much for you.”
What does not count: holiday greetings, general industry news with no connection, and the note that you “thought of them again”.
The legal frame — not a licence, but not a minefield either
Anyone who has requested a quote initiated the contact himself. The response to it is correspondence in the run-up to a contract, not the unsolicited advertising that § 7 UWG targets. In practice that means: on a requested quote you may call and write.
Three limits remain. First: as soon as the follow-up becomes advertising for something else, the full standard of § 7 UWG applies again — towards businesses at least presumed consent, towards consumers, for a telephone call, prior express consent. Second: an objection ends everything, immediately and permanently, and belongs in the CRM, not in one individual's head. Third: the way from “following up” to bulk mailing is short — and the exception for email advertising to existing customers in § 7(3) UWG presupposes a sale that has actually been concluded, not an open quote.
Collecting the no
The last step is the one most people leave out: actively closing the series.
“I get the impression this topic is not on your agenda right now. Am I right?”
People who said nothing to three friendly reminders do answer this sentence — either with the no you can then record, or with the true objection that was in the way the whole time.
A model calculation for this, with freely chosen figures, not a survey and no customer data: a salesperson has 40 open quotes, of which realistically eight are still alive. Each follow-up contact costs five minutes including preparation; three contacts across 40 quotes are ten hours a month. Whoever closes the 32 dead ones early wins back eight of those hours — enough for two to three additional first meetings a week. The pipeline gets smaller and the forecast becomes usable for the first time.
Action list
- Agree the follow-up appointment in the meeting, before the quote goes out — with a date and a time, not with “I will be in touch”.
- Note a reason before every contact. If none comes to mind, do not follow up; look for one first.
- Strike “just quickly” and “I don't want to disturb you” from your vocabulary.
- Separate the channels: figures and comparisons in writing, decisions and uncomfortable questions on the phone.
- Write the cadence into the CRM, not into your head — with the reason in the follow-up text, not just a date.
- Ask the closed question after 30 days at the latest and record the result, even if it is a no.
- Implement every objection immediately and system-wide.
- Touch closed nos again after three months without intent to sell — that is the cheapest reason there is.
FAQ
How often may I follow up on a quote without seeming pushy?
The number is the wrong lever. Six contacts, each with a reason of its own, are felt to be a nuisance less often than two content-free reminders. It becomes pushy when every message asks the same question and the work of answering lies with the recipient. A clear no or an objection ends the series immediately.
Call or write?
Both, but not at random. In writing goes everything the other person has to forward or read up on — figures, comparisons, contract points. You call for what needs a decision or an uncomfortable truth. Anyone who only collects rejections by email usually gets none at all.
What do I do if there is no reaction at all?
End the series with a closed question instead of letting it peter out: “I get the impression this topic is not on your agenda right now — am I right?” People who did not react to three friendly reminders do answer that. A clear no is worth more than an open quote that inflates the pipeline.
Is following up on a quote legally the same as cold calling?
No. Someone who has requested a quote initiated the contact himself; the response to it is correspondence in the run-up to a contract and not the unsolicited advertising that § 7 UWG addresses. But as soon as the follow-up turns into advertising for other products, the rules of § 7 UWG apply again in full — considerably more strictly for consumers than for businesses.
Sources
Editorial note: researched and drafted with AI support; selection, analysis and quote are reviewed and owned by Pedram Dadgar. Corrections are marked with a date. How we work