Stop Chasing Leads. Start Having Better Conversations
By Cody Barlow
Let's talk about something that drives me crazy in sales.
"Just checking in."
"Following up on my previous email."
"Have you had a chance to think about it?"
We've all heard these. And if you've worked in sales long enough, you've probably sent a few yourself.
I know I have.
But here's the question I've started asking myself:
What value did that message actually bring to the person receiving it?
Because if we're being realistic, most people aren't sitting around waiting for another salesperson to check in with them.
They're working. They're managing families. They're running businesses. They're dealing with their own problems.
And our follow-up email is probably number 47 in their inbox that morning.
So maybe the problem isn't that our leads aren't responding.
Maybe we need to rethink how we're communicating with them.
A Lead Isn't Just a Name in Your CRM
One thing I've learned from working in both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) sales is that it's easy to get caught up in the numbers.
How many leads came in today?
How many calls did we make?
How many demos did we book?
What's our conversion rate?
Don't get me wrong. Those numbers matter. I manage sales teams, and I absolutely believe in accountability and measurable performance.
But there's something those numbers don't always tell us.
Why did someone reach out in the first place?
Maybe they're frustrated with something they're currently using.
Maybe their business is growing and their existing systems can't keep up.
Maybe they're researching a purchase they've been thinking about for months.
Or maybe they're simply curious.
Those are four very different conversations.
Yet too often, we treat every lead exactly the same.
Same email.
Same pitch.
Same follow-up sequence.
Then we wonder why people stop responding.
B2C and B2B Are Different. But People Are Still People.
In B2C sales, we're often speaking directly with the person who will make the purchase.
Their decision might involve personal finances, convenience, confidence, timing, or how much they trust us.
In B2B sales, things can get more complicated.
There might be a department manager who loves your product but needs approval from finance.
An operations director who sees the value but has to convince the CEO.
Or a business owner who knows something needs to change but is worried about disrupting the systems already in place.
The buying process is different.
But the foundation of a good sales conversation is surprisingly similar.
People want to know three things:
Do you actually understand my situation?
Can what you're offering help solve my problem?
Can I trust you to deliver what you're promising?
If we can't answer those questions, sending another seven emails probably isn't going to fix the problem.
Stop Leading With Your Product
Here's an example.
Imagine you're selling software to a small business owner.
You could start by explaining all the features, integrations, automation tools, and reporting capabilities.
And maybe those features are impressive.
But what if that business owner is spending three hours every evening manually updating spreadsheets because their current process is a mess?
Suddenly, the conversation isn't really about software.
It's about getting three hours of their evening back.
It's about having dinner with their family without worrying about unfinished work.
It's about reducing mistakes and having confidence that the business is running smoothly.
That's the conversation worth having.
The same principle applies to B2C.
If someone is considering a product for personal use, I want to understand what they're trying to accomplish before I start telling them why they should buy it.
The product should be part of the solution, not the entire conversation.
Your Follow-Up Should Have a Purpose
I believe this is where a lot of sales opportunities are lost.
Someone shows interest.
We have a conversation.
They don't buy immediately.
Then the automated follow-ups begin.
"Just checking in."
"Any updates?"
"Are you ready to move forward?"
Over and over.
Now, I'm not against automation. I use CRM systems and believe automation can make sales teams significantly more effective.
But automation should make communication better, not just more frequent.
Let's say you spoke with a business owner who's struggling to manage customer inquiries.
Instead of sending another generic follow-up, what if you shared a specific example of how a similar business improved its response process?
Or a short explanation of what happens when customer inquiries sit unanswered for hours?
Or a practical idea they could implement even if they never purchased your product?
Now you're doing something different.
You're contributing to the conversation.
And you're giving that person a reason to pay attention.
A good follow-up should move the conversation forward, not simply remind someone that you exist.
Sometimes You Have to Ask the Hard Question
Now, here's where I might disagree with some people.
I don't believe every sales conversation should be endlessly comfortable.
Sometimes we need to be direct.
If someone has been researching the same solution for six months, there's nothing wrong with respectfully asking what's keeping them from making a decision.
Is it the price?
Is it uncertainty about whether the product will work?
Is someone else involved?
Or is solving the problem simply not a priority right now?
I'd rather have an honest conversation about those things than send another dozen emails that accomplish nothing.
But there's a difference between being direct and being pushy.
Being direct means trying to understand what's really happening.
Being pushy means trying to force someone into a decision that isn't right for them.
And there's an important distinction.
Good salespeople aren't afraid to ask difficult questions. Great salespeople know how to ask them without making the customer feel attacked.
Not Every Lead Is Ready. And That's Okay.
This is another lesson that's taken me time to appreciate.
Not everyone who shows interest is ready to buy.
Some people are early in their research.
Some don't have the budget.
Some have competing priorities.
And some simply aren't a good fit.
That's not necessarily a failure.
The real mistake is spending all your time treating every lead as though they're one phone call away from purchasing.
A strong sales process should help us understand where someone is in their decision-making process.
For B2C, that might mean understanding their goals, financial comfort, and timeline.
For B2B, it might involve identifying decision-makers, budget approval, implementation needs, and the actual cost of doing nothing.
And when someone isn't ready?
We should have a reasonable plan to reconnect when there's a relevant reason to do so.
Not chase them indefinitely.
Your CRM Should Tell a Story, Not Just Track Activity
I've worked with CRM systems for years, and one thing I strongly believe is that a CRM is only as useful as the information people put into it.
A note that says "Called. No answer." tells me almost nothing.
A note that says "Owner is concerned about implementation time because the team is already short-staffed; revisit after seasonal hiring" tells me something valuable.
Now I understand the situation.
Now I can approach the next conversation intelligently.
And if another team member takes over the account, they have context.
This is especially important in B2B sales, where multiple conversations may happen across weeks or months.
But it's just as valuable in B2C.
People appreciate it when they don't have to repeat their entire story every time they speak with someone new.
A good CRM should help us remember the person, not just the pipeline stage.
We Need to Stop Confusing Activity With Progress
I know sales is a numbers game.
I've made plenty of outbound calls. I've managed sales activity, reviewed performance metrics, and coached representatives on improving results.
Activity matters.
But 100 calls without meaningful conversations won't necessarily outperform 40 calls made with preparation, relevance, and a clear purpose.
That doesn't mean we abandon activity targets.
It means we measure more than activity alone.
Are we reaching the right people?
Are we understanding their needs?
Are we identifying genuine opportunities?
Are we helping prospects make informed decisions?
Are we setting clear next steps?
And perhaps most importantly, are we building trust?
Because a packed CRM full of leads who never respond isn't necessarily a healthy sales pipeline.
Sometimes it's just a very organized list of people we've annoyed.
So What Should We Actually Do Differently?
If I could challenge sales professionals and business leaders to change a few things, here's where I'd start.
First, listen before you pitch. Understand why someone is interested and what they're hoping to accomplish.
Second, personalize the conversation. Not just by putting their first name in an email, but by addressing something that actually matters to them.
Third, give every follow-up a reason. Share insight, answer a concern, clarify a decision, or agree on a next step.
Fourth, be willing to qualify people out. Not every prospect should become a customer, and forcing a bad fit rarely helps either side.
Finally, remember that relationships outlast individual transactions. Someone who doesn't buy today might refer someone tomorrow or return when their circumstances change.
And the way we treat them now influences whether that ever happens.
The Bottom Line
Sales will always involve goals, targets, pressure, and the need to generate revenue.
I'm not suggesting otherwise.
Businesses need to grow. Salespeople need to close deals. Teams need accountability.
But I think we can do all of those things while being more intentional about how we communicate.
Whether you're selling directly to consumers or working with businesses, the goal shouldn't be to see how many times you can contact someone before they finally respond.
It should be to understand their situation, communicate genuine value, and help them make a confident decision.
Sometimes that decision will be yes.
Sometimes it will be no.
And sometimes it will be not right now.
That's part of sales.
But if we focus on having better conversations instead of simply chasing more responses, I believe we'll build stronger relationships, healthier pipelines, and ultimately better businesses.
And maybe, just maybe, we can retire the phrase "just checking in" along the way.
