Turn 'Not Now' Into Revenue

Hello Predictable Revenue community,

Book update: I didn’t know how many final, final, final versions I’d get to review but I have another one now? It’s the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC), complete with graphics, headings, and typography. It’s neat but I’m also staring at it wondering what comes next. It’s not in stores until October but it’s theoretically in a pretty dang good state.

Community update: our next Revenue Roundtable is May 9th (next Friday) at 930am PT, we have a 2 more spots. Hit me back if you’re interested in joining.

Onto the newsletter…

Most founders think generating new leads is the key to sales growth. But actually, your biggest untapped revenue source is sitting right in your existing pipeline - it's your nurture list.

In last week's newsletter, I explained why building an SDR team takes 730 days, not 90. Today, I'm going to shatter another common sales myth that's costing you thousands in potential revenue.

The Four Funnels That Drive Real Growth

When I look at sales from a high level, I see four distinct pipelines that drive sustainable growth:

1. Meet Pipeline: How you generate new leads

2. Disco Pipeline: Your active closing opportunities

3. Management Pipeline: Current client relationships

4. Nurture Pipeline: Prospects who said "not right now"

Conventional wisdom pushes you to invest 90% of your resources in the first two while completely neglecting the fourth. This is like constantly filling a leaky bucket while ignoring the water pooling at your feet.

Your "Not Right Now" List Isn't a Rejection Pile - It's Your Future Revenue

You've been taught to see "not right now" prospects as politely rejecting you. The truth? They're actually telling you exactly when they'll be ready to buy, all you need to do is listen.

These aren't cold leads—they're warm opportunities who:

• Already know who you are

• Have confirmed they're the right decision-maker

• Acknowledge they have the problem you solve

• Just aren't ready to solve it...yet

The conventional approach chases new leads that convert at 1-3%, while letting a nurture list sit abandoned that could convert at 15-25% when approached correctly.

Why Your "Just Checking In" Emails Are Backfiring

The standard follow-up approach with generic "just checking in" emails months later doesn't work. Why? Because these low-context messages force prospects to do mental work they don't want to do.

The typical "Hey, we spoke six months ago - is now a better time?" gets ignored because it requires the prospect to:

1. Remember who you are

2. Recall what you discussed

3. Reconnect your solution to their problems

4. Decide if anything has changed

That's too much work, so they ignore you and you lose the deal forever.

The Context Revolution in Follow-Ups

Good follow-up isn't about persistence - it's about context.

Instead of: "Hey, I know we talked seven months ago. Is now a better time?"

Try: "Sarah, when we last spoke, you mentioned you needed to integrate your accounting system with your CRM before considering our solution. How's that integration project coming along?"

This approach:

• Reminds them who you are and what you discussed

• Shows you were actively listening

• Connects directly to their buying journey

• Makes it easy to respond (minimal mental effort required)

The data is clear: while generic follow-ups convert at 1-2%, high-context follow-ups convert at 5-10x that rate.

The Embarrassingly Simple Nurture System That Outperforms Automation

Most founders think nurturing leads requires complex marketing automation. But actually, the most effective nurture systems are embarrassingly simple.

1. Create Dedicated Pipeline Categories

The standard practice of keeping nurture prospects mixed with active deals creates a cluttered mess where follow-ups get missed. Creating a separate pipeline category for nurture prospects ensures nothing falls through the cracks.

Your nurture opportunities deserve their own pipeline, not a "closed-lost" graveyard. If you’re feeling brave, go ahead and delete your “Closed-Lost” opportunity stage and replace it with these two: Closed-Lost: Nurture and Closed-Lost: FOAD (stands for ‘go away and perish’). Nurture means I’m going to stay in touch on a monthly or quarterly basis and FOAD means the prospect really doesn’t want to hear from me again.

2. Document the Exact Reason for "Not Now"

Conventional wisdom accepts vague reasons like "not ready" or "no budget." The better approach? Capture specific details that enable high-context follow-ups.

For every opportunity that moves to nurture, document:

• The precise reason they're not buying now

• What specific condition needs to change

• When that change is likely to happen

• How and when you’ll follow up next

3. Create a Systematic Follow-Up Schedule

Random follow-ups when you remember them aren't a strategy. I like to set aside my Friday afternoons (my least productive sales window), set a timer for 30 minutes, and see how many manual nurture emails I can bang out. I give myself one five cent candy for each one. Sometimes I vary the reward but I almost always set a timer. The funny thing about the timer is that it makes it easier to start. Once I’ve started, I’ll usually go longer than the timer.

I typically have two follow up buckets:

• Immediate opportunities where I know what needs to change: monthly follow up

• No good information: quarterly

4. Always End With a Next Step

There's a vast difference between "I'll check back in a few months" and "What would need to change between now and then for this to become a priority? And when would be a good time to check back in?"

The latter gives you both the context for a high-value follow-up and permission to reconnect.

The Undeniable Economics of Nurture

The conventional playbook tells you cold outreach is your most reliable customer acquisition channel. The data tells a different story: nurture sequences convert at 3-5x higher rates, with larger deal sizes and shorter sales cycles.

The math is undeniable:

• 1000 cold emails → 10 replies → 2-3 meetings → 0.5 customers

• 100 nurture follow-ups → 10-15 meetings → 1-2 customers

Companies that are only focused on generating new leads are wasting 90% of their GTM budget, while those with strong nurture programs are closing 2x more deals with the same effort.

Patience Beats Desperation Every Time

There's a reason why most founders neglect their nurture pipeline - it requires patience in a world that demands instant results. Building a great nurture funnel won't deliver overnight wins like ads might appear to, but over time, it becomes an increasingly valuable asset that compounds with each passing month.

The companies that win in the long run aren't just good at generating demand—they're exceptional at capturing value from every interaction, especially those that don't immediately convert.

Remember: In sales, nothing is ever truly lost. It's either "closed-loss fuck off and die" (their words, not yours) or "closed-loss nurture." And that nurture category is pure gold waiting to be mined.

As always, hit reply with your questions or tell me where I'm wrong.

— Collin

PS - it’s Friday, any reason not to grab a time and send a few nurture emails?

PPS - I’m considering turning these newsletters into 3-5 minute Youtube videos. If that sounds interesting, reply back and let me know. If enough people hit reply, I’ll record a test and send it out to you all first.