It can be hard to write a follow-up email. Nobody wants to be that annoying salesperson that ends up getting tagged as spam. But, at the same time, you don’t want to be missing out on sales due to your lack of follow-ups.
According to Marketing Donut, 80% of sales happen after five follow-up messages. That means leads either say no or wait to respond four times before agreeing to your offer.
It’s clear that the follow-up needs to be an essential part of your strategy – yet it’s often overlooked. In this article, we’ll walk you through how to write a top-tier follow-up email, as well as share some of our very own examples.
Table of contents
How to write an engaging follow-up message:
When writing a follow-up message, you don’t want to miss these things. Here are some of the best tips for writing an engaging follow-up message.
Make it personal:
The best thing you can do for your email campaigns is to use personalization. Instead of diving straight into the main point of your message, try starting with “Hey David” or “Hi [name]” to grab their attention.
We also recommend hitting on another personalized point in your email. Specifically, you can mention the company your lead works for or their job title. Better yet, mention a common challenge that your lead may be struggling with.
Be authentic:
Sending follow-up emails can seem predictable, but your email shouldn’t read like a formula. To avoid this, stay away from empty phrases that don’t further your conversation.
In order to sound more genuine, a mindset shift often needs to happen. Instead of thinking about your email as a sales message, think of it as a networking opportunity. Conversational, value-driven messages will convert more customers than any sales-y offers will.
Learn about how you can leverage some principles of psychology to close more deals.
Restate your goals:
Most of the time, your message is left open because the lead just isn’t interested. Sometimes, they’ve actually missed your message.
No matter what the reasoning is, you should always restate the goal of your original message.
Here are a few quick ways you can do that:
- “I wanted to check in and see if you’ve had time to review my guide on how you can save time with automation.”
- “Just circling back to see if you’re still up for a 15-minute chat next Wednesday at 10 AM?”
- “Following up on any updates about my application. I’m excited to hear about this opportunity, and I’d love to find time to connect.”
Provide a clear CTA:
Next steps are important for any prospecting message. With emails, they’re especially important. Ensure your leads know what to do if they’re interested in your offer. Don’t make them search for your last email or re-read your email – include your CTA right up front.
We’ve written an A to Z guide on how you can improve your CTAs. Check it out here.
End with an appreciation:
Regardless of how many times you have to follow up with a lead, always take the time to thank them. Even if they never see your message, appreciating your prospects is a fantastic way to position yourself in a positive light.
Here are a few examples of how you can end your follow-up emails with appreciation:
- “Thanks for taking the time to read this. Even if you’re not interested in automating your outreach at this time, we appreciate you.”
- “Don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions – I’d be more than happy to help.”
- “Have a fantastic rest of your week, and enjoy that three-day weekend! I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you.”
When should you send a follow-up email?
How often you follow up with your leads is another important factor in how likely you’ll receive a response. If you send your messages too often, you’ll end up blocked. Too frequently, and your prospects will forget about you.
As a general rule of thumb, you should wait at least two to three days before sending your first follow-up message. If you’re planning on sending more than one follow-up message, the time between messages should increase after each follow-up.
You can find our templated approach (and our recommended cadence) for sending follow-up messages below.
Follow-up email templates & examples
Here are 11 different types of follow-up emails to keep handy. We’ve included easily copied templates and real-life examples for you to make the most of your outreach.
Follow-up email after no response templates:
Here’s a three-step sequence for follow-up messages when a lead just isn’t responding to your messages.
| 1st Follow-Up Email – (Send 3 days after initial outreach email) |
| Subject: Re: Same subject line as the original email |
| Hey [First name], I’m circling back on my previous message about how [your offer] can help [company name]. I’d love to schedule a 15-minute call to learn what you’re currently using for [your industry]. Are you free next Tuesday at 11 AM? Let me know if you have any questions, as I’m happy to help. Thanks, [Your name] |
| 2nd Follow-Up Email – (4 to 5 days after the first follow-up) |
| Subject: Re: Same subject line as the original email |
| Hi [First name], I’m following up on the proposal I sent over last week regarding [topic]. I know it’s easy for things to get busy and to overlook messages like this, so I understand if you need some time before booking a call with me – just let me know. Hoping we can speak about this before the end of the week! Looking forward to your reply, [Your name] |
| 3rd Follow-Up Email – (Send 7 days after the second follow-up email) |
| Subject: Re: Same subject line as the original email |
| Hi [First name], I wanted to check in one last time about the proposal I sent on [date] about [topic] and [how your offer can help]. If you’re interested in learning more about [your industry] and how we can help save you time, I’d love to have a quick chat with you. If you’re not interested, just let me know, and I’ll free up some space in your inbox. Lastly, if there’s someone else on your team I should be speaking with instead, please let me know. Thanks, [Your name] |
Interview follow-up messages
Here’s our three-step sequence for ensuring you score a second interview.
| 1st Follow-Up Email – (Send 1 day after interview) |
| Subject: Same subject line as the original email |
| Dear [Recruiter name], Thanks for taking the time to interview me yesterday for the [position] role at [company]. It was great to learn about this position and [something you learned]. I’m very excited about the opportunity and look forward to hearing from you about the next steps. Let me know if you need anything from me. Thanks again, [Your name] |
| 2nd Follow-Up Email – (Send 1 week after the interview if no response) |
| Subject: Same subject line as the original email |
| Dear [Recruiter name], I hope you’re having a good start to your week. I wanted to follow up on my interview last week for the [position] role at [company]. Let me know if there’s anything you need from me. Fingers crossed, I see you in the next round! Thank you, [Your name] |
| 3rd Follow-Up Email – (Send 1 week after the second follow-up email) |
| Subject: Same subject line as the original email |
| Hello [Interviewer name], I interviewed for the [position] role at [company] on [interview date] and wanted to check in and see if you have an update. I’m still very excited at the prospect of this opportunity and think I can make a real contribution to your team. Thank you for your time and consideration. Regards, [Your name] |
Meeting follow-up email templates
Here’s our three-step sequence to follow up after a meeting.
| 1st Follow-Up Email – (Send right after initial meeting email) |
| Subject: Same subject line as the original email |
| Hi [Name], Thanks for the great meeting today. Here are a few of the key action items we discussed during our call: [discussion points from meeting] Let me know if you have any more questions I can answer, and I’ll be looking forward to your decision. Best, [Your name] |
| 2nd Follow-Up Email – (Send 4-5 days after the first follow-up email) |
| Subject: Same subject line as the original email |
| Hi [name], It was nice meeting you last week! I’m just checking in to see if you’ve had time to consider using [company] for your [use case]. If you haven’t, [unique offer]. Looking forward to speaking soon! Regards, [Your name] |
| 3rd Follow-Up Email – (Send 1 week after the second follow-up email) |
| Subject: Same subject line as the original email |
| Hi [name], I hope you’re doing well! It’s been a minute since we’ve had the chance to connect. Have you had the chance to consider [company] as your [industry] solution? I hope to hear from you soon! Additioanlly, if there’s someone better suited to facilitate this conversation, I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know! Best, [Your name] |
Networking follow-up email templates
Here’s our three-step sequence for when you want to expand your network.
| 1st Follow-Up Email – (Send 1-2 days after initial networking email) |
| Subject: Same subject line as the original email |
| Hi [name], I’m so happy we met at [event] yesterday! It was great to hear about what you’re doing at [company]. I’d love to keep in touch (and maybe even run some business ideas by each other)! I’m always open to grabbing a coffee too. Best, [Your name] |
| 2nd Follow-Up Email – (Send 4-5 days after the first follow-up email) |
| Subject: Same subject line as the original email |
| Hi [Name], I hope you’ve had a good week since we last spoke at [event]. I just wanted to follow up because I think we could mutually benefit on [shared interest]. Let me know when your schedule opens up – I’d love to continue our conversation from [event]. Looking forward to connecting more! [Your name] |
| 3rd Follow-Up Email – (Send 1 week after the second follow-up email) |
| Subject: Same subject line as the original email |
| Hi [Name], I hope things at [company] have been going well! I realized it’s been a little bit since we last had the chance to catch up. I’d love to grab a coffee or hope on a quick call in the near future to continue our conversation from [event]. Enjoy the rest of your week! Best, [Your name] |
Invoice follow-up email templates
| 1st Follow-Up Email – (Send 1 day after invoice due date) |
| Subject: Same subject line as original email |
| Hi [Client name], It’s been fantastic to work alongside you. I’m just following up on the invoice I sent you on [date]. According to my records, it looks like your payment was due on [date], but we haven’t received it yet. Let me know if you’re having problems or need some help. Best, [Your name] |
| 2nd Follow-Up Email – (Send 3 days past the due date if no response) |
| Subject: Same subject line as original email |
| Hi [client name], I wanted to reach out in regards to [invoice number], which was due on [due date]. I’m just making sure that you’ve properly received your invoice. If you need me to send you a copy of the invoice or want to discuss payment methods, just let me know. Regards, [Your name] |
| 3rd Follow-Up Email – (Send 1 week after the second follow-up email) |
| Subject: Same subject line as original email |
| Hi [Client name], I am following up on [invoice number], which is now [number of days] overdue. Please submit [payment amount] by [date] or let me know if you need assistance with your outstanding payment. I’m happy to discuss payment plans as needed. I hope to hear from you soon, [Your name] |
Discovery call follow-up email templates
Here’s our three step follow-up sequence for your discovery calls.
| 1st Follow-Up Email – (Send 1 day after the discovery call) |
| Subject: Same subject line as original email |
| Hi [Name], Thanks for taking the time out of your day to talk with me yesterday! Here’s a quick recap of some of the things we discussed: [points discussed] As I mentioned, I’ll put together a proposal for [company name] and outline projected costs and timelines. Let me know if there’s anything else you need. I’m really looking forward to our partnership together. Best, [Your name] |
| 2nd Follow-Up Email – (Send 3-4 days after the first follow-up email) |
| Subject: Same subject line as original email |
| Hi [Name], Hope everything is going well! I wanted to circle back on our discovery call last week. I know you mentioned [problem point], and I’d love to continue our conversation on how [company] can help. If there are any questions or concerns that have come up since our last call, I’d love to resolve them. Best wishes, [Your name] |
| 3rd Follow-Up Email – (Send 1 week after the second follow-up email) |
| Subject: Same subject line as original email |
| Hi [Name], I hope you had a relaxing weekend. Just wanted to send one last reminder about the discovery call we had on [date]. If you missed my follow-up notes, I can resend them, just let me know! If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask. Talk soon! [Your name] |
Conclusion
There are a lot of liberties you can take when sending cold prospecting messages. You take a humorous approach or stay on a more professional track. Be as creative as you want – if it’s receiving responses, you know you’re doing something right.
For more tips on cold email outreach, check out our blog.
