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I'm genuinely annoyed right now.
I just watched a talented sales candidate lose an offer. Not because he couldn't sell. Not because he bombed the interview. Not because of anything complicated.
He lost it because he didn't follow up.
That's it. That's the entire reason.
And I know what you're thinking: "That's harsh" or "If they wanted him, they should have just made the offer."
No. Wrong. Stop it.
Let me explain why this makes perfect sense in sales hiring, and why if you're not following up after interviews, you're sabotaging your own career.
Following Up IS the Job
What do you do in an actual sales role? You have discovery calls. You send proposals. You present demos. After every single one of those interactions, what happens next?
You follow up.
You send a recap email. You reference specifics from the conversation. You propose next steps. You stay present until the deal closes or they explicitly tell you to stop.
When a hiring manager interviews you for a sales role and you don't follow up, you're telling them you either don't want this job badly enough or don't understand fundamental sales behaviour.
Neither message wins offers.
What Actually Happened
This candidate was strong. Solid experience. Good interview. The hiring manager was ready to move forward.
Then: nothing.
No email that evening. Nothing the next day. By day three, the hiring manager moved on to someone who sent a note within six hours, referenced their conversation, and reaffirmed interest.
That person got the offer. Not because they were more talented, but because they showed they understand how sales actually works.
What a Good Follow-Up Looks Like
Here's what the winning candidate sent:
Subject: Thanks for today
Sarah,
Good talking today. That challenge you mentioned about getting CFOs and their tech teams aligned earlier in the process is exactly what I've been dealing with at TechCorp. We built a whole discovery framework around it.
I'm very interested in this role. Would love to keep the conversation going.
Happy to send references whenever you need them.
Marcus
Look at what Marcus did. He referenced something specific Sarah said (CFO alignment challenge). He connected it to his own experience. He stated his interest clearly. He proposed a next step.
Ninety words. Three minutes to write. It won him the job.
And here's the thing: don't use ChatGPT to write this. Hiring managers can spot AI-generated follow-ups instantly. They're too polished, too formal, too generic. Write it yourself. Make it sound like you. Keep it short and conversational.
The Bigger Point
At meritt, we see this constantly. Candidates with weaker backgrounds who follow up properly often beat stronger candidates who don't, because hiring managers are evaluating whether you'll actually do the job well, not just whether you can talk about it convincingly.
Sales is about persistence, attention to detail, and staying present until someone makes a decision. If you can't do that for your own career, why would anyone trust you to do it for their revenue targets?
Follow up. Every single time. It's not optional.