If you’re drowning in reminders to “send that follow-up” or have a graveyard of stale leads in your inbox, you’re not alone. Following up is tedious, but it’s the one thing that actually moves deals forward. This guide is for anyone who wants to build a consistent follow-up habit—without turning into a spam bot or spending their life copying and pasting the same email.
There’s a sweet spot between total automation and endless manual work. That’s where Charm comes in. It’s a tool designed to automate your follow-up emails while keeping things personal enough that people don’t instantly hit delete. Here’s how to actually make Charm work for you, and what to avoid if you don’t want to sound like every other sales robot.
Why Automate Follow-Ups? (And Why Not Just Blast Everyone?)
Let’s get honest: Most leads don’t reply because they’re busy, not because they hate you. Following up (politely, and at the right time) is how you stay top of mind without being a pest. But doing it by hand is a slog—one missed reminder, and the thread goes cold.
Automation helps you: - Save time and mental energy - Stay consistent (even when you’re swamped) - Track what works (and what doesn’t)
But here’s the thing: “Automation” doesn’t mean “fire-and-forget.” Generic, impersonal sequences get ignored or flagged as spam. The goal is timely, relevant nudges—not a barrage of bland emails.
Step 1: Set Up Charm (Don’t Overthink It)
First off, if you haven’t already, sign up for Charm and connect your email account. Most folks use Gmail or Outlook, and setup is straightforward—just follow the prompts.
Pro Tip: Use a dedicated inbox or alias for follow-ups if you want to keep things tidy, but don’t let setup become an excuse to avoid starting. You can always tweak it later.
Step 2: Map Your Follow-Up Sequence
Before you start building automations, think about your actual sales process. What’s the real goal of your follow-up? (Hint: it’s not “just checking in.”)
Typical Sequence Might Look Like: - Day 1: Send initial email. - Day 3: Quick nudge—reference something specific from their last reply or your first message. - Day 7: Share a useful resource or insight (not a pitch deck). - Day 14: Final polite check-in (“Should I close your file?” actually works).
Don’t go overboard—three to four touches is plenty. If they haven’t bitten by then, more emails won’t help.
What to Ignore:
Don’t copy the 10-step sequences you see in “growth hacking” threads. If you wouldn’t want to get that many emails, don’t send them.
Step 3: Build Your Templates (But Stay Human)
Charm lets you create email templates with variables (like “Hey {{first_name}}”). But resist the urge to make them sound like templates. If you wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t write it.
Keep Templates Simple: - Use short subject lines (“Quick question, {{first_name}}” beats “Following up regarding our previous synergy”). - Reference something from your last conversation if possible. - Always add a line or two you edit by hand—this is what keeps it personal.
Example:
Subject: Quick follow-up, {{first_name}}
Hi {{first_name}},
Just wanted to check if you had any thoughts on our last conversation about {{topic}}. If timing’s not right, just let me know—I won’t keep bugging you.
What Doesn’t Work: - Overly formal language (“Per our previous correspondence…”) - Empty check-ins (“Just circling back!” with no context) - Gimmicky subject lines (“Did you fall in a well?”)
Step 4: Set Up Triggers and Timing
Charm’s real power is in scheduling. You can set triggers: send follow-up X days after the last email, but only if you haven’t received a reply.
How to Set Triggers Wisely: - Give people time to respond. Two to three days is fast enough for a nudge, but don’t stack follow-ups too close together. - Use business days if possible—weekends are a dead zone for most leads. - Pause sequences if someone replies (nobody likes a bot ignoring their answer).
Pro Tip: Start simple. One automated nudge and one final check-in covers 80% of cases. You can always add more steps later if you see it’s working.
Step 5: Personalize (Without Losing Your Mind)
Here’s what most people get wrong: They try to personalize every detail, then give up when it gets too time-consuming. The trick is to personalize just enough to stand out, but not so much that you’re rewriting every message.
What Actually Works: - Mention something specific from their company, LinkedIn, or your last chat. - Reference a recent industry event or news item (if relevant). - Ask a question that shows you’ve done your homework.
What to Skip: - Fake personalization (“I see we both like coffee!”) - Anything you had to dig more than 30 seconds to find. If it’s not obvious, move on.
Charm Tip: Save snippets you can quickly drop into templates. The more you build your own library, the faster this goes.
Step 6: Track Results (But Don’t Obsess)
Charm tracks opens, clicks, and replies. This is helpful, but don’t get sucked into “vanity metrics.” A 70% open rate means nothing if nobody replies.
Focus On: - Actual replies and conversations started - Which templates get responses (tweak or kill the duds) - Unsubscribes or spam complaints (if you’re getting a lot, your emails are too aggressive)
Ignore: - Open rates (privacy features can make these unreliable) - Clicks, unless you’re sending a specific link (and even then, don’t read too much into it)
Step 7: Iterate, Don’t Automate and Forget
No tool—Charm included—is “set and forget.” Check your results every couple of weeks. Drop steps that don’t work, tweak subject lines, and try new approaches if response rates drop.
A Simple Iteration Loop: 1. Run your sequence for a few weeks. 2. Look at replies and positive responses. 3. Cut or edit the weakest step. 4. Test something new (different timing, new subject, shorter body). 5. Repeat.
You won’t get it perfect on the first try. Most people don’t.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Skip
Works Well: - Short, direct, human-sounding messages - Follow-ups spaced a few days apart - Stopping sequences when someone replies
Doesn’t Work: - Overly complex, 10-step sequences - Templates that sound like templates - Ignoring replies or sending emails at weird hours
Skip: - Fancy graphics or HTML-heavy emails (these scream “mass marketing”) - Gimmicks (“Did you get eaten by a shark?” subject lines) - Over-automating—if you lose the personal touch, you lose the lead
Keep It Simple, Keep Improving
Automating your follow-ups with Charm can save you hours and keep leads warm, but don’t get stuck chasing perfect workflows or copywriting tricks. Start simple: a couple of well-timed, personal nudges. Watch what actually gets responses and tweak from there.
Don’t let automation turn you into a robot. You’re not trying to win the “most emails sent” award—you just want more real conversations with people who actually care. That’s what moves the needle.
Now, go set it up. You’ll thank yourself in a month.