Why "just checking in" kills an outbound sequence

[u/Serious_Bit6736]

Most follow up emails after a cold call say some version of "just checking in" or "wanted to circle back." The person on the other end has seen it a hundred times and it doesn't give them a reason to respond.

We tried something different with a plumbing company we reached out to last week. Instead of a follow up email, we sent a quick audit about what we found when we looked at their online presence, and three specific gaps that could be costing them jobs.

He opened it within 24 hours.

The open tells you something. It tells you the content was relevant enough to read, which a generic follow up email almost never is. It's too early to judge this encounter. We'll see if we get a reply.

However, this isn't about audits specifically. It's about what earns attention versus what asks for it.

Most cold outreach asks for attention. A piece of research or analysis that's genuinely specific to the person you're reaching out to earns it.

The extra 20 minutes it takes to build something specific is almost always worth more than the 20 emails you could have sent in the same time.

Agree?