If you’ve ever had a customer say, “I’ll get back to you,” and then disappear, you’re not alone. It happens every day. Many Nigerian entrepreneurs think lost sales are because of high prices, tough competition, or slow seasons. But often, the real culprit is simpler: poor follow-up.
We assume that if a customer is interested, they’ll come back when they’re ready. But life doesn’t work that way. People get busy, they forget, or they buy from the person who simply made it easier for them to take the next step. If you’re not following up, your competitors are.
Missed Sales Aren’t Always About Price
In our work at Kudi Konsult, we’ve met countless business owners who spend all their time chasing new customers while ignoring those already in their pipeline. Here’s the truth: new leads are important, but so are the people who already reached out to you.
Studies (and real-world experience) show it can take three to five follow-ups before a sale closes. Yet most entrepreneurs give up after one message. They send a quote or reply to an enquiry once, hear nothing back, and move on. But often, those customers didn’t say no—they just didn’t respond yet.
Every time you stop too soon, you’re leaving money on the table.
Follow-Up is Not “Disturbing People”
This is one of the biggest mental hurdles entrepreneurs face. Nobody wants to look pushy, so they avoid following up altogether. But if someone showed interest in your product or service, following up isn’t pestering—it’s good business.
Think about it: how many times have you intended to buy something and simply forgot? Your customers are no different. A polite follow-up is a service. It reminds them, answers their questions, and makes it easier for them to say yes.
We’ve seen this play out repeatedly: a single follow-up message has closed deals worth hundreds of thousands of naira that would otherwise have gone cold. Not because the offer changed, but because someone bothered to reach out again.
Build a Simple Follow-Up System
The good news is, fixing this doesn’t require fancy tools or complicated processes. A few small changes can transform your sales pipeline:
- Create a reminder habit: Each time you respond to an enquiry, set a specific reminder to follow up within 24–48 hours if there’s no reply.
- Use templates: Draft professional follow-up messages you can easily customise. This saves time and keeps your tone consistent.
- Train your team: If you have staff handling enquiries, make follow-up part of their daily routine—not something “extra.”
- Mix your channels: If WhatsApp isn’t working, call. If calls don’t connect, send an email. Some customers respond faster on one platform than another.
These steps may sound simple, but they separate businesses that constantly struggle for sales from those that keep their pipeline moving.
Follow-Up Builds More Than Sales
Beyond the immediate sale, consistent follow-up builds trust. It shows customers you are reliable and professional. Even if they don’t buy today, they’re more likely to return to the business that followed up politely and stayed top-of-mind.
We’ve seen entrepreneurs turn casual enquiries into repeat clients simply because they stayed in touch when others didn’t. In a noisy market, being remembered is often half the battle.
The Bottom Line
If you’re pouring energy into finding new customers but ignoring follow-up, you’re working harder than you need to. Your next big sale might not come from a new lead—it might come from a conversation you had last week that you never followed up on.
The entrepreneurs who master follow-up don’t just sell more; they spend less time chasing and more time closing. And in a market where everyone is competing for attention, that discipline can be the difference between constant stress and steady growth.
Follow-up isn’t extra. It’s the lifeline that keeps your business alive.
