Stop "Following Up" With Leads and Do This Instead

Ari Galper flips traditional sales training by showing how pressure-based language kills conversion before the sale even starts. He walks through specific phrase swaps, a doctor-patient diagnostic framework, and how to handle objections without fighting them. Best for LOs who feel like they're chasing prospects into silence after a good first call.

Takeaways you can run this week

• Replace every instance of 'follow up,' 'touch base,' and 'checking in' with: 'I'm calling to see if you have any feedback on our previous conversation.' Feedback language moves away from the sale and lowers the guard.
• Open cold or warm calls with: 'Hi [name], my name is [your name] and I'm hoping you can help me out for a moment.' Say it slowly, breathe, leave space — the pattern interrupt creates a listening window.
• When a rate-shopping prospect asks 'What's your rate?' respond with: 'I'd be happy to walk you through all the options depending on your situation. Would you be open to taking a step back so you can walk me through what you have in mind?' — then wait.
• At the end of any call that goes well, instead of pushing to a next step, ask: 'Where do you think we should go from here?' This hands control to the prospect and frequently gets them to move the deal forward on their own.
• When a prospect says 'I need to think about it,' respond with: 'That's not a problem at all. Is there anything I'm missing on my end that you may need, or anything you didn't feel comfortable with along the way?' — defuse first, re-engage second, never overcome.
• Audit your current email templates and LinkedIn outreach: remove any opener that starts with 'I' or leads with your product. Rewrite to open with the prospect's problem before mentioning anything you offer.

The playbook

1. 1. Enter the call in doctor-patient mode: you are diagnosing, not prescribing. Assume you are probably not a fit until the evidence says otherwise.
2. 2. Open with a pattern-interrupt opener: 'I'm hoping you can help me out for a moment' — slow pace, no pitch.
3. 3. Ask about their situation before mentioning rates, products, or yourself: 'Walk me through what you have in mind and where you're at financially.'
4. 4. Diagnose the problem out loud so they feel understood better than they understand themselves.
5. 5. Ask a commitment-to-problem question: 'Is this a priority for you to address and solve once and for all, or are you okay living with it? I'm fine either way.'
6. 6. At call close, release control: 'Where do you think we should go from here?'
7. 7. If they stall, defuse with 'That's not a problem' then re-engage: 'Is there anything at all I'm missing on my end?'
8. 8. Never attempt to move them forward with pressure — let them initiate the next step.

Worth quoting

“Fall out of love with your solution and fall in love with your client's problems.”

“You should be getting 100% conversion of everyone qualified who comes into your funnel. If you're not, you're the problem.”

Best for

LOs who consistently get a good first call but then lose prospects to silence, ghosting, or 'let me think about it' — and want specific language to fix it.