Pitching is just the first step in a longer journey toward getting booked. Event organizers receive dozens—sometimes hundreds—of speaker inquiries. A professional, well-timed follow-up signals reliability, organization, and genuine interest in the opportunity. Done well, it elevates your speaking business and helps you stand out.

Whether you’re following up on a cold outreach email or continuing a conversation after a networking event, using your CRM to track your efforts can make your follow-up smarter and more effective.

The Golden Rules of Non-Annoying Follow-Up

Avoiding the “annoying” label in follow-up is all about value, timing, and tone. Here are the golden rules:

• Offer something new in each message: After your initial pitch, your follow-up should deliver additional value—like a video clip of a recent talk or a client testimonial.

• Use a respectful cadence: A good rule of thumb is to follow up 3 days after the pitch, then after a week, and again after 30 days if there’s no response.

• Keep it brief and human: No one wants to read a novel. Write like a real person, not a robot.

• Personalize everything: If your outreach feels canned, it will get ignored. Use names, reference past events, and make connections to their goals.

Smart Tactics for Pitching and Outreach

A SpeakerCRM is more than a contact list—it’s your relationship-building command center. Here's how to use it to enhance both your pitch and your outreach:

• Track all interactions: Log every email, call, or meeting so you know exactly where each lead stands in your outreach sequence.

• Use tags and filters: Categorize leads by event type, engagement level, or last contact date to tailor your outreach more effectively.

• Set reminders: Never miss a follow-up window. Automated reminders help you stay on top of your pitching schedule.

• Score your leads: Prioritize follow-ups with contacts who opened your email or clicked your speaker reel.

These tactics help you pitch smarter, not harder—and allow your outreach to feel personal even at scale.

What to Avoid: Common Follow-Up Mistakes

Even the best speakers can undermine their outreach efforts with these common errors:

• Following up too often: Daily messages? Huge red flag. Space out your communications.

• Repeating your pitch: Don’t just copy-paste your original message. Add context or fresh updates.

• Being too formal or too casual: Tone matters. Stay professional, but friendly and conversational.

• Over-automating: Automation saves time, but overusing it makes you sound insincere. Always add a human touch.

Final Thoughts: Be Thoughtful, Not Pushy

Following up doesn’t have to feel awkward—or make you feel like you’re bugging someone. With a thoughtful outreach strategy, the right SpeakerCRM tools, and a genuine desire to provide value, your follow-ups can become one of your strongest assets in growing your speaking business.

If you're ready to stay organized and build better relationships with event organizers, take a look at how our SpeakerCRM can support your outreach journey.