Happy Friday.

You’ve got a list of leads sitting in your CRM right now. People who raised their hand. People who said they were interested. People who booked calls and didn’t show. People who showed up, said they’d think about it, and disappeared.

Dead leads, right?

Wrong.

Those aren’t dead leads. They’re dormant revenue. And most business owners are sitting on $30-50K worth of it without even knowing.

The $47K Wake-Up Call

Last month, I worked with a client who was convinced he needed more traffic. His ads were working. His funnel was converting. But revenue was flat.

So I asked to see his CRM.

He had 847 leads from the past six months. I filtered for people who:

That filter returned 412 leads. Nearly half his list.

Then I asked: “When’s the last time you followed up with any of these people?”

Silence.

He’d followed up once, maybe twice, then moved on. Because that’s what we’re taught, right? If they don’t buy, they’re not interested. Don’t be pushy. Respect their decision.

Bullshit.

We built a re-engagement sequence. Sent it to those 412 leads. Here’s what happened:

Forty-seven thousand dollars. From leads he already had. From people who already knew who he was. Zero ad spend. Zero new traffic. Just better follow-up.

Why Most Follow-Up Fails

Here’s the problem with how most people follow up:

They give up too early. One email. Maybe two. Then crickets. But the data shows it takes an average of 8 touchpoints to get a meeting. Most people quit at 2.

They sound desperate. “Just checking in!” “Wanted to circle back!” “Following up on my last email!” These phrases scream “I need your money.” Nobody responds to that.

They don’t add value. Every follow-up is just “Hey, still interested?” There’s no reason to respond. No new information. No fresh angle. Just the same ask in different words.

They treat everyone the same. Someone who downloaded your lead magnet needs different follow-up than someone who showed up to a call and said no. But most people send the same generic sequence to everyone.

That’s why follow-up feels like shouting into the void. Because you’re doing it wrong.

The Lead Recovery Framework

Here’s how to actually recover revenue from your existing leads:

Step 1: Segment Your Dead Leads

Not all dead leads are created equal. You need four buckets:

Bucket 1: No-Shows - People who booked but never showed up. These are warm. They were interested enough to book. Something just got in the way.

Bucket 2: Showed But Didn’t Buy - People who had a conversation with you but didn’t pull the trigger. These are the hottest leads you have. They know you. They understand the offer. They just need a nudge.

Bucket 3: Engaged But Didn’t Book - People who downloaded your lead magnet, opened your emails, clicked your links, but never scheduled a call. They’re interested but not convinced.

Bucket 4: Cold Leads - People who entered your world and went completely silent. No opens. No clicks. No engagement. These are the lowest priority.

Each bucket needs a different approach. You can’t send the same message to someone who had a 45-minute call with you and someone who downloaded a PDF six months ago.

Step 2: Build Bucket-Specific Sequences

Here’s the framework for each bucket:

No-Show Sequence (5 touches over 14 days):

Showed But Didn’t Buy Sequence (6 touches over 21 days):

Engaged But Didn’t Book Sequence (7 touches over 30 days):

Step 3: Write Like a Human

The biggest mistake people make with follow-up is sounding like a robot. Here’s how to fix that:

Use their name. Not just in the greeting. Throughout the email. “Hey Sarah” is fine. “Sarah, I was thinking about your situation” is better.

Reference specific details. If they told you they were struggling with no-shows, mention that. If they said they were looking to scale, bring it up. Show you remember the conversation.

Keep it short. Nobody reads 500-word follow-up emails. Get to the point in 3-4 sentences. Make it scannable.

Add value every time. Every email should give them something. A resource. An insight. A case study. A tip. Never just “checking in.”

Make the CTA crystal clear. Don’t end with “Let me know if you’re interested.” End with “Reply YES if you want me to send the case study” or “Click here to grab a time on my calendar.”

Real Examples That Work

Here are three actual follow-up emails that got responses:

Example 1: No-Show Follow-Up

Subject: Missed you yesterday

Hey [Name],

I noticed you couldn’t make our call yesterday. No worries, life happens.

I had a case study pulled up that I think would’ve been perfect for your situation. Want me to send it over?

If you still want to chat, here’s my calendar: [link]

- Dan

Example 2: Showed But Didn’t Buy

Subject: Quick thought

Hey [Name],

Been thinking about what you said on our call about [specific problem]. I just helped another client solve the exact same thing and thought you’d want to see the results.

They went from [before state] to [after state] in [timeframe]. Here’s how: [link to case study]

Worth a look?

- Dan

Example 3: Engaged But Didn’t Book

Subject: One question

Hey [Name],

You downloaded my [lead magnet] a few weeks back. Quick question: what’s the biggest thing standing between you and [desired outcome] right now?

I’m putting together some resources and want to make sure I’m solving the right problems.

Hit reply and let me know?

- Dan

The Automation Piece

Here’s the thing: you can’t manually follow up with hundreds of leads. You’ll forget. You’ll get busy. You’ll let it slide.

That’s why you automate it.

Set up your sequences once. Connect them to your CRM. Let them run on autopilot. Every lead that goes cold automatically enters the right sequence based on where they dropped off.

You wake up to replies. To bookings. To deals closing from leads you wrote off months ago.

What You Need:

Set it up once. Let it run forever. Watch the revenue roll in.

The January Challenge (Part 3)

This week, I want you to do three things:

If you get even 2-3 responses from those 10 emails, you’ve validated the approach. Then you automate it and scale it to your entire list.

That’s how you turn dead leads into real revenue.

Want Me to Build Your Follow-Up Strategy?

I do 60-minute strategy calls where we audit your CRM, identify your highest-value dead leads, and map out the exact follow-up sequences you need to recover that revenue.

We’ll look at:

You walk away with a complete blueprint. All you have to do is implement it.

Normally $750. This month it’s $500.

If you want it, comment STRATEGY below and I’ll send you the booking link.

Stop leaving money on the table.

- Dan