You open a quiet prospect's record. Two emails sent, no reply, and you need more meetings on the calendar. Their phone number is right there, but you reach for the keyboard: "Just checking in to see if you had a chance to review my last email."
Before you send it, ask yourself: am I giving this person a reason to engage, or putting off the call I know I should make?
"Just checking in" needs work whether you type it, say it, or leave it in a voicemail.
I teach salespeople to use email and the phone together. That includes calling people who have never spoken with you. I call these value calls because the preparation and the conversation should center on something the buyer values, with a clear reason to meet.
Changing channels is only part of the work. Calling to ask whether someone read your email still makes your message the subject. Start with their business instead.
Start with what matters to them
Review the original conversation or your research. What are they trying to accomplish, and what could make that harder? Ground your outreach in something you can verify. A hiring announcement gives you a reason to ask about growth; it does not prove their onboarding process is broken.
Your job is to connect that priority to something useful you can bring: a practical question, a relevant example, or a resource that helps them make progress.
Give your email a reason to exist
Consider this illustrative follow-up to a buyer who previously said new salespeople were taking too long to become productive:
Subject: Getting new reps ready for their first buyer meeting
"You mentioned that new reps are taking too long to become productive. One useful check is to compare the first buyer meeting they observe with the first one they lead. Which skills need to improve between those moments? Would a 15-minute conversation Thursday help us identify where one recent hire needs more support?"
Now the buyer can see what the conversation would address and why it might be useful. You have given them more than another request to reread your email.
Make the value call
If email has gone quiet, pick up the phone. For a first call, use a verified business signal instead of implying a previous conversation. Here is an illustrative opener for a company that has announced a sales expansion:
"Hi Jordan, this is Alex with [company]. I'm calling because I saw you're expanding your sales team. I help sales managers prepare new reps for productive buyer conversations. I'd like to compare how you assess meeting readiness with a simple coaching check. Would Thursday at two work for 15 minutes?"
Then pause and listen. Use their response to understand whether the topic matters and adapt the next step. Only offer expertise or resources you can actually deliver; a value call has to live up to its opening.
Make voicemail and email work together
If you reach voicemail, leave a concise reason for calling and a clear next step. For that same prospect:
"Jordan, Alex with [company]. Your sales expansion prompted my call. I'd like to share a coaching check for getting new reps ready for buyer meetings. I'll email the details so we can arrange 15 minutes. Again, Alex at [number]."
Follow with a brief email that explains the coaching check and proposes a meeting time. Keep both touches focused on the same buyer priority, so the email gives substance to the call instead of starting an unrelated pitch.
Email gives the buyer something to review. A live call lets you hear their response, clarify what matters, and discuss the next step. Build both into your outreach, while respecting stated contact preferences.
See how teams generate more qualified meetings →
Coach the next attempt
If you manage salespeople, review one unanswered email, one call opener, and one voicemail together. Ask what value the buyer can expect from a meeting. Practice the call aloud, strengthen the reason to engage, and protect time to make the calls.
Before Friday, choose three relevant prospects. Prepare a useful email and a value call for each. This is a principle I develop in Chapter 7 of my upcoming book, Bold Value Selling: give the buyer a reason to engage before asking for a place on their calendar.
What has prompted you to accept a sales meeting because the email or phone call made it worth your time?