A simple follow-up system without a CRM is one sheet with four columns: who, last touch, next action, and the date of the next action. Every row must have a date. Each morning, filter for today and earlier, and work down the list for ten minutes. A sheet is enough while you have about twenty live opportunities.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Columns | Who, last touch, next action, next action date |
| Daily | 10 minutes: today and overdue |
| Rule | No row without a next date |
The method
“Follow-up tracking needs to be much simpler: account, last touch, next action, next action date.”A salesperson on r/sales, separating the pipeline from the follow-up list. That is this page.
- Make a sheet with four columns: who, last touch (a date), next action (a few words), next action date. Add stage and notes only if you will keep them up.
- Write down every person you owe a reply or a chase. Include quotes out, messages you promised, and people you thought you sent something to.
- The rule: no row is ever without a next action date. If someone says "after the holidays", write the date, not the sentence.
- Each morning, sort by the date and work the rows that are today or earlier. Ten minutes is enough. Update the row as you go: the new last touch, a new date.
- Once a week, look for rows with no date and rows that are weeks overdue. Fix them or close them.
3 messages to adapt
Replace every [BRACKET] with a real fact. If you cannot, delete the line.
- A quote went outSubject: Quote [NUMBER]Hi [NAME], I sent quote [NUMBER] on [DATE]. Did it reach you, and is anything unclear? [YOUR NAME]
- They said laterSubject: [PROJECT]: still on for [MONTH]?Hi [NAME], You said [MONTH]. Is [PROJECT] still on? If it has moved, tell me when and I will write then.
- Time to closeSubject: [PROJECT]: closing this on my sideHi [NAME], I have not heard back, so I will close this on my side. If it comes back up, reply here and I will pick it up. [YOUR NAME]
When to send them
- Anything with a date of today or earlier is on today's list. Anything with no date is a problem to fix first.
- Typical gaps: five working days after a quote, three working days for an answer you are waiting on. These are our defaults in the free tool, not rules.
- If a person has been chased three times with no answer, close the row or park it with a date.
What to avoid
- Adding columns you will not fill in. People stop updating a sheet with too many fields.
- Writing "next week" in the date column.
- Keeping the list in two places, such as a phone camera roll and a sheet.
- Using a pipeline view as your follow-up list. A pipeline shows deals. A follow-up list shows who to write to today.
- Waiting until the list is perfect. Start with the people you owe today.
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See who is due today
Who to chase today
Paste the people you are waiting on, or type them in. It shows who to chase today, and why, and who can wait. It runs in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere.
Prefer a spreadsheet? The free follow-up desk works in Excel and Google Sheets.
Questions people ask
When do I need a CRM?
A sheet is usually enough while one person handles about twenty live opportunities. A CRM starts to earn its place when several people touch the same contact. That is a rule of thumb from people who run small teams, not a measurement.
What if I forget to open the sheet?
Put a daily reminder in your calendar, or snooze the email until the follow-up date. One person on r/smallbusiness does exactly that.
Do I need the Follow-up desk?
No. Four columns in any sheet work. The desk adds the "due today" list and the reasons, ready made.
Can I use my email instead?
Yes, with snooze: send, then snooze that email until the date to follow up. A sheet is better once you have more than a few.