Mastering Follow-Up Strategy: Sales Success Secrets with Evelyn Oluwole
TL;DR: Persistence, strategic follow-ups, and human connection are the real keys to sales success. Learn from Evelyn Oluwole, Global Senior Sales Director at WeTransfer, as she shares her insights on building relationships, overcoming rejection, and mastering the art of follow-up. Plus, learn how Surfe helps optimize your follow-up strategy through seamless CRM integration and verified data enrichment.
Evelyn Oluwole, Global Senior Sales Director at WeTransfer, has earned the title ‘Follow-Up Queen’ for her relentless pursuit of building relationships and closing deals with strategic persistence. In this conversation, Evelyn shares proven strategies for mastering follow-up, tackling rejection, and building trust – key skills for any successful salesperson.
For a deeper dive into this conversation, listen to the full podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or watch the podcast below.
Sales Is About Relationships – Not Just Pitches
In sales it’s easy to get tunnel vision and focus too heavily on pitches and product demos. However, as Evelyn explains, it’s not all about pitching – it’s about understanding the prospect’s needs and offering a solution that truly solves their problem.
“Sales is about building relationships with people, understanding what they need, and offering solutions that solve their problems.”
Sales is more than just closing deals. Whether you’re negotiating a contract, collaborating with a colleague, or even persuading a team member, you’re selling an idea, a solution, or even yourself. The skills used in sales are transferable to nearly every interaction. That’s why understanding the dynamics of human connection and communication is critical. Mastering these skills will not only make you a better salesperson but also improve other aspects of your life.
Building trust with prospects is essential. Trust is the bedrock of every successful sale and is key to long-lasting relationships. Focusing solely on pitching risks missing the opportunity to build rapport and create genuine connections. Instead, embrace the idea of “sales as a relationship,” and your interactions will be more rewarding and impactful.
Why Follow-Up Is Your Secret Weapon
Every great salesperson knows that the deal isn’t closed after the first call, and as Evelyn puts it, follow-up is a strategic part of the sales process. In fact, follow-up can make or break a sale. However, it’s not just about sending a reminder email; it’s about being strategic and thoughtful in your approach.
“You need to be persistent and strategic about how you follow up,” says Evelyn. Successful follow-up goes beyond just checking in – it’s about offering something new or valuable each time you reconnect.
So, how can you make your follow-ups more impactful? Start by considering the reasons your prospect might not have responded. Is it because they’re busy, or maybe they haven’t had time to review your email? Did they lose interest, or is it just not the right time?
Tip: If you’re going to follow up, always provide something new. Instead of saying, “Just checking in,” say something like, “I saw this about XXX, and I think it could be really useful for your current challenges.” This not only shows you’re paying attention, but it also provides fresh value with every touchpoint.
How Surfe Can Help: With Surfe’s real-time data enrichment, you can leverage insights like job change alerts, Market Signals and Company Search within the Surfe App to personalize your follow-ups based on the prospect’s latest activity, company updates, and key triggers. This ensures that each follow-up is relevant, timely, and adds real value to your message.
The Power of AI as A Co-Pilot
We’re all familiar with the rising role of AI in sales – from automated email sequences to AI-powered lead scoring. But whilst AI is an invaluable tool, it’s not here to replace the human element in sales. As Evelyn points out, technology can do the heavy lifting, but it’s still up to the salesperson to nurture the relationship.
“AI can’t read the room. It can’t pick up on those subtle human cues that make the difference in a conversation.”
AI can automate repetitive tasks – like lead enrichment, prospecting, and follow-up reminders – giving you more time to focus on what really matters: building trust and rapport with your prospects.
Tip: Think of AI as your co-pilot. Use it to handle tasks like lead qualification, research, and data enrichment, but always bring the human touch when engaging with your prospects.
Surfe’s Role: Surfe’s AI-driven tools make it easier to gather real-time data on your leads, helping you have more meaningful conversations. With Surfe’s lookalike recommendations, you can identify new prospects that closely match your ideal customer profile. Additionally, Surfe tracks market signals like job changes and funding rounds, giving you timely insights that keep your outreach relevant and informed.
LinkedIn Engagement for High-Performing Salespeople
LinkedIn is an essential tool for salespeople, but it’s not enough to simply connect with prospects. The real power comes when you engage thoughtfully. Evelyn highlights the importance of going beyond generic messages and actually participating in the conversation.
“If you want to build real relationships on LinkedIn, you need to engage with what your prospects are saying. Don’t just like their posts – comment, share insights, and show you’re genuinely interested.”
By engaging with a prospect’s content, you position yourself as someone who cares about their challenges, not just someone trying to close a sale. This approach leads to stronger relationships and eventually, more successful deals.
Tip: Engage with your prospects’ posts, not just through likes, but by offering thoughtful comments. Share your opinion, ask questions, and make sure your interactions feel personal.
How Surfe Helps: Surfe’s LinkedIn integration streamlines this process by syncing your outreach with your CRM and enriching your prospect data automatically. You can easily track your LinkedIn interactions and follow up at the right time, with the right information.
Dealing with Rejection: Learn from the “No”
Rejection is a given in sales, but as Evelyn points out, it’s not about the ‘no’ itself – it’s how we respond to it. Every rejection offers valuable feedback that helps refine your approach and improve your strategy.
“Rejection is feedback. It’s telling you what doesn’t work, so you can adjust and try again with a better strategy.”
Instead of seeing rejection as a setback, think of it as an opportunity to understand your prospect’s true needs and fine-tune your message. This mindset shift turns rejection into a stepping stone, bringing you one step closer to success. By learning from each ‘no’, you build resilience, adjust your approach, and increase your chances of closing the next deal.
Conclusion
Success in sales isn’t just about closing faster or pushing products – it’s about building relationships, staying persistent, and providing value at every step of the sales process. Evelyn’s approach to follow-up, rejection, and relationship-building shows that the best salespeople are those who understand their prospects’ needs and keep showing up with solutions.
By integrating Surfe’s real-time lead enrichment and data-driven insights into your sales process, you can make your outreach more targeted and efficient. Surfe automates the time-consuming tasks, like lead enrichment and prospect tracking, freeing you up to focus on what matters most: building genuine, long-term relationships with your prospects.
To hear more of Evelyn’s insights and get the full podcast experience, check it out on Spotify or YouTube.
