Why 1 Phone Call Beats Email for Sales Follow-Up
The world is overflowing with ways to communicate and somehow, the phone call has become the thing salespeople fear most. Here's why making the call is still the single most effective move in any sales follow-up strategy.
A sales follow-up phone call is one of the most important (and most mishandled) parts of the entire sales process.
And we're living proof of that every single day.
Over the past 100 years, we've been introduced to more ways to reach people than any previous generation could have imagined. We went from pulling over at a payphone to tell a client we were on our way, to email, to texts, to DMs, to voice notes, to approximately 47 other options being invented as you read this.
And somewhere in the middle of all that progress, we collectively decided the phone call was something to be avoided at all costs.
The Communication Paradox Nobody Talks About
Here's what we see constantly in our coaching sessions: the more communication options people have, the more avoidant they become about actually communicating.
Different generations have strong reactions to different channels. And the one that gets the most side-eye, especially from younger salespeople, is the phone call.
We get it. Picking up the phone and calling someone feels vulnerable in a way that sending an email doesn't.
You can't edit a phone call. You can't draft it three times before hitting send. It's real, it's live, and it requires actually talking to another human being.
Which is, coincidentally, exactly why it works for sales follow-up.
The "They're Ghosting Me" Problem
We hear this one all the time.
A salesperson (let’s call him Bob) sent three emails trying to get a prospect to sign a quote. He came into a coaching session, threw his hands up, and said: "I've tried to get ahold of them and it's crickets. They're ghosting me."
Our response? "Bob. This is not dating. They are not ghosting you. Call them."
Bob made the call.
The client picked up. Said, "Thank you SO much for calling! I'll do it right now while you're on the phone."
Deal done. Bob's phone anxiety? Gone. Client? Happy. Quote? Signed.
We sit in hundreds of sales coaching sessions every year, and have guided salespeople to make phone calls while sitting right there in the room with us. The result every single time? Zero percent of those calls ended with an angry client. Not one.
Why Salespeople Avoid the Phone (And Why That Needs to Stop)
Here's what we've noticed: when a salesperson avoids making a call, they're making the conversation about themselves instead of their client.
"I don't want to bother them."
"I don't want to seem pushy."
"I don't want to be annoying."
Here's what we know to be true.
Clients are not dramatically staring out a rainy window thinking about a proposal. They are juggling approximately one million things. They are busy.
And that email got buried under seventeen other emails within four minutes of landing in their inbox.
Calling them is not an interruption. It is doing the job.
Sales Is Helping. Full Stop.
This comes back to something we talk about constantly at The Middle Six, because it is the foundation of everything we do.
Sales is not a dirty word. Sales is helping people.
No one is selling anything to someone who doesn't need or want it. When a salesperson follows up, especially with a direct phone call, they are helping a client prioritize something that is actually important to them.
The client's entire world doesn't revolve around a product or service. The salesperson's does. That's exactly why the follow-up matters.
If we don't help clients make something a priority, and the time comes when they actually need what's being offered, they won't have it. That's not on the client. That's on us.
They trusted us to help them get there
What Good Sales Follow-Up Actually Looks Like
If your team is relying entirely on email to move deals forward, it's time to rethink your sales follow-up process. Here's what we recommend building in:
- Use multiple channels intentionally. Email to document and confirm. Phone to connect and close.
- Don't mistake silence for disinterest. Silence usually means busy — not done.
- Follow up more than feels comfortable. Most deals are lost because people give up too early, not because they followed up too much.
- Pick up the phone when it matters most. Signatures, commitments, and decisions need a voice, not a thread.
For teams that want a repeatable process that takes the guesswork out of when and how to follow up, that's exactly what we build with a Tactical Sales Plan.
About Lisa Proeber
Lisa Proeber is the force behind The Middle Six®. With more than 20 years of high-performing sales experience, she brings a breadth and depth of knowledge to her solo venture. The Middle Six® is not a gatekeeper; it opens the gates for anybody to learn how to succeed at sales. Sales is not a dirty word; it's equal parts art and science, starting from the bottom up. Ready to become a salesperson with a roadmap in hand? Join us, and let's make waves together.
