Stage-aware follow-up

Purpose

A deal that has produced a reply needs a next touch, and the next touch depends on the stage. A warm reply that never reaches the calendar is the most common loss, because the thread reads friendly and nobody asks for the meeting. This skill names the stage, writes a message that carries the right ask, and dates the touch after it so no warm thread is left undated.

When to use

A prospect replied warmly and nothing is booked.
A call happened and the thread went quiet.
A proposal or agreement is sent and unsigned.
A booked meeting was missed.
A deal has gone cold and may be revived.

Route elsewhere when:

The first cold touch is needed. Use outbound-cold-email.
A reply needs classifying. Use reply-handling.

Inputs

The thread so far, with dates.
The current stage, or the facts needed to place the deal in one.
Anything promised in the last exchange, and any asset the prospect asked for.

Stages and cadence (defaults)

Stage	Situation	Touch rhythm
0	Warm reply, nothing on the calendar	Day 0, 2, 4, 7, then demote
1	Between booked meetings	Same day, day before, meeting day
2	Decision pending, no agreement	Same day, 2, 4, 7, 14
3	Agreement out, unsigned	Hour 0, 24 hours, day 2, 4, 7, 14
4	Written proposal, no meeting held	Same day, asking for the meeting, then stage 2
5	Long-term nurture	Every 30 to 45 days

If the cadence says a touch is early, say so and offer to draft it anyway.

Procedure

Name the stage. The stage determines the message. Get it wrong and the draft is wrong.
For stage 0, make every touch do two jobs: give a new, concrete reason to meet, and carry a direct booking ask. Never send one without the other.
Ask directly. Avoid soft closes that give an exit: "whenever works", "no rush", "happy to chat sometime".
Answer buying questions briefly, then ask for the meeting in the same message. Do not open unpaid question-and-answer.
If a promised asset is the reason for the meeting, present it in the meeting. Sending it ahead removes the reason to meet. Send it standalone only after two explicit refusals.
When a buyer asks for a call, send the booking link and what the call will cover. Do not ask which day works or request their availability in writing.
A missed meeting is treated as a scheduling miss. Same day, no blame, a fresh link.
Never end the thread with a breakup message, and never announce a change of cadence. Slow the rhythm quietly and demote to nurture after the stage's touch cap (seven by default).
Before finalizing, ask: would this message be worth sending even if the prospect never buys? If not, rewrite it.
End every draft with NEXT-TOUCH: [date], [specific hook].

Output

The stage and the reason for it.
The message, with its booking ask where one is needed.
The NEXT-TOUCH line.

Quality bar

Every touch to a warm reply carries a booking ask. Every draft ends with the next date and hook. No breakup messages, and no repeated value drop to the same prospect. Watch for "just checking in", "circling back", invented deadlines, and drafts that could go to any account.

stage-aware-follow-up