Why Superior Product Companies Can Have the Worst Follow-Up in Business

Here's a shocking discovery: companies with the best products often have the worst follow-up systems. They suffer from what we call "follow-up fantasy" - the belief that superior products make prospects chase them instead of the other way around.

The Pattern We See:

Sales teams with superior products follow up inconsistently because they believe quality creates urgency. They assume no response means no interest. They take longer between touches because "they should call us back if they're serious." They lose deals in the follow-up phase to competitors who simply stay in touch better.

What Most Companies Try:

• CRM reminders to follow up (rarely followed)

• Email sequences that sound generic and pushy

• "Checking in" calls that provide no value

• Quarterly "touch base" communications that accomplish nothing

Why This Doesn't Work:

These approaches treat follow-up as an afterthought instead of a systematic revenue-generating activity. They focus on persistence without purpose, creating buyer fatigue instead of buyer engagement.

What We Find Works:

Outgrow companies systematically follow up by calling customers they haven't talked to in 6 months or more, customers who used to buy but stopped, smaller customers who can buy much more, and customers who recently received orders to ask what else they need.

Your people will systematize following up, constantly expand orders, regularly ask for the business, and constantly talk to the many customers and prospects who don't hear from them. Each Outgrow call usually requires less than one minute because they tend to result in voicemails coupled with text messages.

The Bottom Line:

Superior products don't eliminate the need for superior follow-up. Outgrow provides the systematic framework that turns follow-up from hope-based to results-based.