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The B2B Follow-Up Sequence: 7 Touches Over 14 Days
By Jared Casper, Founder · · 8 min read
A B2B follow-up sequence is a planned series of emails, texts and calls sent to a lead after first contact until they book or say no. The cadence below uses seven touches over 14 days across email, SMS and voicemail, adds value at each step, and ends with a polite breakup email — and you can automate all of it.
Why most follow-up stops too early
Leads rarely go cold because of price or fit. They go cold because nobody followed up consistently. A typical pattern looks like this:
- Day 1: You send an intro email.
- Day 3: No reply. It feels awkward to send another, so you move on.
- A few weeks later: That lead signs with someone who kept in touch.
Following up five or more times by hand feels pushy, gets forgotten, and doesn't scale. A written sequence fixes all three: every message has a reason to exist, nothing depends on your memory, and it runs the same way for every lead. If slow follow-up is a recurring problem for you, see why follow-up slips.
The 7-touch, 14-day cadence
The goal isn't volume — it's spaced, multi-channel contact that adds something useful at each touchpoint.
- Day 1: Intro email
- Day 2: SMS check-in
- Day 4: Value email (a tip, example or relevant resource)
- Day 6: Voicemail
- Day 8: Short SMS check-in
- Day 10: Soft-close email
- Day 14: Breakup email
The sequence covers two weeks and three channels (email, SMS and phone), which gives every lead a fair chance to respond in the way they prefer.
Message templates you can copy
Day 1 — Intro email
Subject: "Quick question about [Company Name]"
Hi [First Name], I came across [Company] and noticed [specific observation]. We help [target outcome] — would it make sense to talk for a few minutes this week? [Your Name]
Day 2 — SMS
Hi [First Name], this is [Your Name] from [Company]. I sent you an email yesterday — just making sure it didn't land in spam. Happy to answer any questions by text.
Day 4 — Value email
Subject: "An idea for [Company Name]"
Hi [First Name], thought this might be useful: [short tip or example specific to their industry]. Let me know if you'd like to see how we'd apply it at [Company Name].
Day 6 — Voicemail
Hi [First Name], [Your Name] here. I've sent a couple of messages — I know you're busy, so I'll be brief: we help businesses like yours [specific outcome]. If that sounds useful, text me back or reply to my email.
Day 8 — SMS check-in
Hi [First Name] — any chance you had a moment to look at my emails? No pressure, just making sure they reached you.
Day 10 — Soft-close email
Subject: "Still interested?"
Hi [First Name], I've reached out a few times and want to respect your time. If now isn't right, no problem — let me know and I'll check back in a few months. If you are still interested, here's a link to grab a time: [Calendar Link]
Day 14 — Breakup email
Subject: "Closing your file"
Hi [First Name], I'll assume the timing isn't right and won't keep following up. If things change and you want to explore [specific offer], just reply anytime. — [Your Name]
The breakup email works because it's final and easy to answer: a lead who was meaning to reply now has a clear reason to.
How to automate the sequence in CasperPortal
Run by hand, this means seven messages per lead across three channels over two weeks. For example, if you have 20 active leads, that's 140 separate sends to remember. In CasperPortal you build it once as a workflow:
- Trigger: a contact enters the "New Lead" stage of your sales pipeline.
- Send the Day 1 email right away.
- Wait one day, then send the Day 2 SMS.
- Wait two days, then send the Day 4 email — and continue through Day 14.
- If the contact replies at any point, remove them from the sequence and notify you.
- If they book a call, move them to the next pipeline stage automatically.
Email, SMS and pipeline stages all live in the same system, and every message is logged on the contact's record in the CRM. You aren't stitching three tools together, and you only step in when someone replies. Save the messages above as templates so your team sends the same wording every time.
What better follow-up is worth to you
Do this with your own numbers. For example, if you get 30 new leads a month and a consistent sequence helps you close just 2 more of them, multiply 2 by what a new client is worth to you. That's the monthly value of following up properly — and once the sequence is built, it runs on every new lead.
Frequently asked questions
How many times should you follow up with a B2B lead?
Plan for several touches rather than one or two. The sequence in this guide uses seven touches over 14 days across email, SMS and voicemail, then ends with a polite breakup email.
How long should you wait between follow-ups?
Space them out so each touch has room to land: one to two days early in the sequence, then a few days apart toward the end. The cadence here sends on days 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 14.
What is a breakup email?
A breakup email is the last message in a follow-up sequence. It politely says you'll stop reaching out and leaves the door open, which gives a busy lead a clear, low-pressure reason to reply.
Can a follow-up sequence stop automatically when the lead replies?
Yes. In a CasperPortal workflow you can remove a contact from the sequence as soon as they reply or book, and get notified so you can respond personally.
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Related reading
Written by Jared Casper, Founder of CasperPortal
Jared is based in Georgetown, Massachusetts, and works with North Shore businesses on automating follow-up, managing leads and growing with less manual effort.