That Follow Up Fix
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The Layers Nobody Goes Deep Enough On

The Layers Nobody Goes Deep Enough On

Why most salespeople are living on the surface of follow-up

Manny Vargas
February 17, 2026

So, I'm up late last night doing some research, watching others and their approaches to follow up content.

Deep thinking. All sales related when BOOM, the layers of the earth pop into my head.

An old geography/geology lesson…you know the crust, the mantle, the outer core, the inner core?

Oh, I was trending on this thought, posted it on my IG one shot, no editing…I was feeling it!

Because all I could think was…

That's follow-up.

That is EXACTLY what's happening in follow-up. And I wanted to talk about it this way.

Here's what I mean.

Most salespeople live on the crust. (crusty azz) jokes aside…hehe

For the lesson from back in school, the crust is the thinnest layer. The outermost one. The surface.

And that's where 90% of reps spend their entire career.

"Just checking in." "Bumping this to the top." "Any thoughts?"

Surface level, thin, no depth, no heat, no power.

They never go deeper. And so they never find where the real energy lives.

Here's what the layers actually look like in follow-up.

The Earth has four layers as does your follow-up game.

Layer 1 - The Crust (Where most people live) Generic. Surface. Recycled. No context, no intention, no direction. This is the "just checking in" zone. It's cool up here. Nothing moves.

Layer 2 - The Mantle (Categories) This is where structure starts. There are many major categories of follow-up situations, timing and cadence, stakeholder dynamics, deal stages, objections, channel selection, psychology, and more. Most reps don't even know these categories exist. But once you do? You’re in control.

Layer 3 - The Outer Core (Scenarios) Now we're getting somewhere. Inside each category are specific scenarios. The ghost. The "I need to think about it." The multi-stakeholder deal. The stalled pipeline. The reengage after 90 days of silence. Each one is different. Each one requires a different response. This layer is fluid, dynamic because every situation shifts. And if you can read the scenario, you can move with it.

Layer 4 - The Inner Core (Branches) This is the deepest, hottest, most powerful place to operate from. The exact moves, the exact language, the exact logic for each situation you'll ever face. Most reps will never get here. Impossible? No. They’ll never go past the crust.

Ready for the perspective shift?

The Earth's inner core is the hottest part of the planet.

Anywhere from to 7 to 12 THOUSAND degrees fahrenheit!

What’s even more wild? It's also the most SOLID layer. Under that kind of pressure and heat, it doesn't fall apart. It holds firm.

That's what deep follow-up diving does for you.

The deeper you go, the more pressure you can handle. The hotter the situation the objection, the silence, the stall the more solid your response becomes.

Surface level reps fall apart under pressure because they're working from the crust. They don't have the depth.

So what can you do with this immediately?

Start by asking yourself one question before every follow-up you send this week.

What layer am I operating from right now?

If the answer is, "I'm just checking in"…….you're crusty.

Now go one layer deeper, ask…

What category does this situation fall into? (Is this a timing issue? A stakeholder issue? A deal stage issue?)

What's the specific scenario? (Are they ghosting me? Are they stalled? Did they say "not now"?)

What's the right branch? (What's the exact move for this situation, at this stage, with this person?)

One question. One layer at a time.

That's how you stop living on the surface.

The Model: 4 Layers of Follow-Up Depth

Layer 1 - (The Crust) Generic, surface, recycled. "Just checking in" territory.

Layer 2 - (The Mantle) Know your categories. Diagnose the situation before you respond.

Layer 3 - (The Outer Core) Identify the scenario. Get specific and move with the situation.

Layer 4 - (The Inner Core) Execute the right branch. Precise, tactical, pressure tested.