The One Where Tia Helps You Fix Dead DM Conversations in Just 72 Hours
(Without feeling awkward, desperate, or salesy.)
"Does anyone actually book clients from social media, or is everyone just pretending?"
The question hung in the air of the Austin hotel conference room. Fifty coaches and consultants sat in uncomfortable silence, eyes darting around, waiting for someone else to admit the truth.
Alex watched from the back row as the workshop facilitator cleared his throat.
She’d paid $3,000 to attend this two-day mastermind specifically focused on digital client acquisition… $3000 she really couldn't afford given her rapidly dwindling savings account.
"Social works great for awareness," the facilitator finally said, "but for actual bookings, you need paid ads, multi-step funnels, and…"
"That's not true," came a voice from the side of the room. Heads turned toward Sarah, the woman sitting towards the back who had barely spoken all morning.
"I book 15 sales calls every month directly from Instagram DMs. No ads. No complicated funnels. Just conversations."
The facilitator's eyebrows shot up. "Well, that's... unusual."
"It's not, actually," Sarah continued. "But most people make the same mistake. They send the first message right, then completely drop the ball on the follow-up."
Alex leaned forward, notebook ready.
Her phone had been buzzing with new DM notifications… the result of a post going viral overnight. More potential conversations that would likely lead nowhere.
For the next 20 minutes, Sarah outlined a follow-up structure so simple Alex couldn't believe it would work. But the proof was in Sarah's calendar… fully booked 3 weeks out with qualified prospects.
That night in her hotel room, Alex rewrote her entire DM strategy. She tested it on 3 DM conversations that had stalled days ago.
Within hours, 2 had responded. By the end of the week, both had booked calls.
The Hidden Follow-Up Principle Behind High-Converting DMs
Sarah's method completely transformed how Alex re-engaged the inevitable ghosters.
Most coaches follow what I call the "Hope and Wait" method. They send an initial message, wait for a response, and then hope the conversation maintains enough momentum to eventually suggest a sales call. When momentum dies, they move on to new leads.
What Sarah discovered was my "40-24-72" principle of initial DM follow-up:
First response: Within 40 minutes of their comment or message
First follow-up: Within 24 hours, asking the initial engagement question in a slightly different way
Second follow-up: Within 72 hours, making it clear you're a real person (lots of people don't respond initially because they think it's an automation or bot)
This follow-up structure works because it matches natural attention patterns. When someone comments on your post, their attention is actively on you (or the platform itself) for about an hour.
Responding within 40 minutes catches them while they're likely still actively engaged on the platform, making it more likely they’ll see your message before they log out.
The 24-hour follow-up reminds them you exist, giving you a chance to re-engage if your first approach didn't immediately get their attention.
What a lot of people forget is they're not the only game in town.
When prospects are very active on the platform you're social selling on, they’ve requested multiple other lead magnets when they requested yours. While your business/offer is your baby, at this stage, for prospects, you're just one of the many freebies they downloaded yesterday.
But, as someone whose audited over 15 DM funnels just in the last few weeks, I can tell you that almost nobody is following up with people after the initial asset drop, so this 24 hour follow-up is your chance to bring you and your offer top of mind for them again.
The 72-hour follow-up addresses the biggest reason people ghost you in the DMs… thinking they're talking to a bot or automation.
"What shocked me most," Sarah explained, "was how many quality prospects simply thought my initial messages were automated. The 72-hour follow-up restarted many conversations that seemed dead."
Your Turn: The 40-24-72 Follow-Up Reset
It’s time to transform your DM conversion rate with precise follow-up.
Try this simple system over the next week:
Step 1: Set Up Your Follow-Up System Create three categories/tags in your CRM or messaging app:
"40-Minute Responses" (initial replies to comments/DMs)
"24-Hour Follow-Ups" (reframing your initial question in a slightly different way)
"72-Hour Human Touch" (making it clear you're a real person, not an automation)
Set specific times during your day dedicated to each category. For example:
During the times you work your DM’s, set up a timer where you check for new messages every 30 minutes
A daily block for 24-hour follow-ups
Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday blocks for 72-hour human touch follow-ups
Step 2: Create Your Message Templates Prepare three message types:
Initial response templates that ask an engaging question
Follow-up templates that reframe the question in a new way
Human touch templates that jokingly let them know you're not a bot, and include something that would be interesting to them based on the post they commented on, the lead magnet they downloaded, or something interesting from their profile or posts
The key is having these ready so you're not creating them from scratch each time. Just add personalization before sending.
Step 3: Track Your Numbers Create a simple tracking document with these metrics:
Initial response rate (after 40-minute message)
Secondary response rate (after 24-hour follow-up)
Recovery rate (responses after 72-hour human touch follow-up)
Conversation-to-call conversion rate (before vs. after implementing this system)
Take screenshots of successful conversations that followed this method… they'll become your personal playbook for what works with your specific audience.
Remember… the goal isn't to create a rigid system that feels mechanical. It's to develop a follow-up system that taps into the psychology of how your audience moves on social, re-engaging them at the correct times.
When your follow-up rhythm aligns with natural attention patterns, DM conversations flow toward sales calls without resistance.
The most booked social selling coaches aren't necessarily the best at content or even the most knowledgeable… they're the ones who understand the subtle psychology of moving people from content → dm → sales call.
Today’s Mega-Prompt: "DM Conversion Follow-Up Mastery"
Your lead magnet worked. They requested. But then… nothing. Silence.
Today, you'll fix that with DM follow-ups that actually engage people.
This mega-prompt gives paid members 15 plug-and-play DM follow-up templates… designed to revive dead conversations, build rapport, and move people from casual replies to booked calls. Whether it’s 40 minutes later, 24 hours in, or 3 days after the conversation dropped off, you’ll know exactly what to say next… without sounding pushy or automated.
Paid members get exclusive access to a prompt that creates :
✔ 5 proven 40-minute message templates to keep the momentum going
✔ 5 natural 24-hour follow-ups that reframe without repeating yourself
✔ 5 authentic 72-hour human touch messages that restart conversations with zero pressure