Stop hiding behind email

How one habit changed my close rate (5 min read)

I used to hate calling prospects to follow up.

My reasoning was simple: “If I personally don’t like getting random calls, why would I do that to them?”

So I stuck to email. Even when they told me they’d have an answer by Friday. Even when Friday came and went with silence.

I didn’t want to be “that annoying sales rep.”

But avoiding the phone wasn’t helping me close deals. It was just making me feel better about myself while my pipeline filled up with maybes and radio silence.

Here’s what finally clicked for me: when a prospect gives you a date and doesn’t follow through, they’ve already opened the door for you to follow up. You’re not being pushy. You’re following up on their commitment.

And picking up the phone? It cuts through all the noise. It forces a real conversation instead of another ignored email.

So last year, I committed to picking up the phone daily. Here’s what happened in month one:

→ Closed 5 deals from phone call follow ups (2 on the last day of the month)

→ Cleared out my pipeline of deals that aren’t a good use of time

→ Gotten way more details on where deals stand

→ Spent way less time chasing time-wasters

Fast forward to now, and calling has become a regular part of my sales process. I’m calling to schedule next steps, dig into where decisions stand, follow up on when deals will be signed.

The play: When and how to pick up the phone

Here’s when you should be calling instead of sending another email:

1. They missed their own deadline

If they said “I’ll have an answer by Friday” and it’s now end of day Friday, call them. They set the expectation. You’re just following up on what they committed to.

What to say: “Hey [name], you mentioned you’d have an answer by Friday. I was calling to see where things landed?”

2. You need to schedule the next step

Email back-and-forth about availability is a time suck. A 2-minute call gets a meeting on the calendar immediately.

What to say: “Hey [name], wanted to lock down our next call so figured this would be easier. I’m looking at my calendar now. Does Thursday at 2pm or Friday at 10am work better for you?”

3. A deal is sitting in limbo

If a deal has been “waiting on approval” for more than a week with no updates, pick up the phone.

What to say: “Hey [name], figured I’d give you a quick call to see where things stand with approval. Is there anything I can help move along, or any questions that have come up?”

4. You’re trying to close before month/quarter end

Email doesn’t convey urgency. A phone call does. If you need to get paperwork signed (and they’ve agreed to a timeline) and the clock is ticking, call.

What to say: “Hey [name], I know you mentioned it’d be feasible to sign by end of month and I want to get you scheduled for onboarding so you can start seeing results. What’s the best way to get the agreement over the finish line this week?”

5. They’ve gone dark after showing strong interest

If someone was engaged and suddenly stopped responding, something changed. Email won’t tell you what. A call might.

What to say: “Hey [name], I know things get busy. I want to make sure this is still a priority on your end or if something’s shifted?”

What calling actually does (that email can’t):

It forces real answers. People can ignore emails indefinitely. On a call, they have to give you something. Even if it’s “we’re not moving forward,” that’s valuable information.

It builds relationship. There’s something about hearing someone’s voice that makes the interaction feel more human. You’re not just another email in their inbox.

It speeds everything up. A 3-minute call replaces 10 emails spread across 2 weeks. You get clarity immediately and can act on it.

It separates real deals from polite prospects. Someone who won’t take a 5-minute call from you probably isn’t going to sign a contract with you.

The mindset shift that changed everything for me:

I used to think calling was pushy. Now I realize it’s respectful of both our time.

If they’re serious about solving their problem, they’ll appreciate the follow-up. If they’re not serious, the call will make that clear fast, and I can move on.

Either way, I win.

What to expect when you start calling more:

Most calls will be short. 3-5 minutes, tops. You’re not trying to have a full discovery call. You’re getting an update and moving things forward.

Some will go to voicemail. Leave a message. Keep it short: “Hey [name], [your name] from [company]. Just following up on [specific thing]. Give me a call back when you get a chance or we can go through email if it’s easier.” They’ll almost never call back, so send a follow-up email right after so it’s easy for them to reply.

You’ll get way more clarity. Even when the news isn’t what you want to hear, knowing where you stand is better than wondering.

Your pipeline will get cleaner. You’ll quickly identify which deals are real and which ones are just taking space and energy.

And here’s the thing: I’ve very seldom gotten a negative response from calling. Most people are fine with it. Some are even relieved you called because they’ve been meaning to respond but haven’t gotten around to it.

The prospects who get annoyed? They were likely never going to buy from you anyways.

So if you’ve been avoiding the phone because you don’t want to be annoying, I get it. I was there too. But you’re leaving deals on the table and wasting time on dead opportunities.

Pick up the phone. See what happens.

Lauren

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