17 Sales Followup Email Templates
Looking to write the ultimate sale followup email?
It should be no secret, that a critical part of sales success comes in the followup.
These days, that followup is almost always an email.
Often it’s a numbers game, but your ability to get engagement from your sales followup emails is the key to getting your prospect to the next step.
No engagement, no sale. Pretty much as simple as that.
To make your job easy, we’re going to break down 17 different sales email followup templates that you can deploy immediately to increase your engagement and response rate so you can close more sales.
First, let’s talk about the key components of all the templates we’re going to cover.
Sales Followup Email Subject Lines
If you don’t have a compelling subject line, all your other work is for nothing.
Because in order to get a reply, click or sale… you need your prospect to open your sales email in the first place.
One thing we always like to practice is situational awareness.
Think to yourself, “What’s the last thing that happened.. or specifically DIDN’T happen that should inform this subject line?”
Broadly, there are three different buckets of subject lines when it comes to your sales followup emails.
After No Response
When your lead is showing signs of potentially going cold, it might just be that they are busy or had meant to reply to you and it just got lost in the shuffle. Even the best intentions don’t always result in desired outcomes.
Here are some examples of quality subject lines to use when you’ve emailed your prospect but haven’t heard back yet.
A few good examples:
Still interested?
Any updates?
It takes two to tango
Let’s just cut to the chase
Depending on your regular voice and brand identity, some of these subject lines may resonate with you more than others. But it’s important to keep in mind that whatever you’ve been doing hasn’t been getting it done.
If it had been working, then they would’ve already replied 🙂
So I highly suggest that you try to be as aggressive as possible without overstepping.
After Meaningful Event
One of the hardest things to get over in the sales process is “Why should I do this RIGHT NOW?”.
This is a big reason why so many business and marketers use scarcity in their campaigns.
However, nothing gets someone genuinely motivated to do something TODAY than a meaningful event that’s either coming up really soon, or has just happened.
Being top of mind is a beautiful motivator so just about everyone.
A few good examples:
Ideas for your upcoming launch
Thoughts about [blog post, announcement]
Question about [product feature]
Error on your sales page
All of these examples are sure to play to the top of mind activities that your prospect is dealing with, and is much more likely to get a response, or at the very least an open.
General Followup
When looking to do a more traditional sales followup email, you might be going into it cold. So when your email is cold, you have to work even harder to stand out.
Chances are, that if someone has something worth pitching, you aren’t the only one doing so. Do your best to be creative and grab their attention and pique their interest.
A few good examples:
[First name of prospect], quick question
[Name of mutual contact] recommended we chat
7 free things you can do today increase [obvious objective] [average increase]%
A gift for you and your company
Anyone of these examples are a great place to start when writing general followup emails that you think might be a bit colder than you’d ideally like.
Time For The Sales Email Followup Templates
While the subject lines above are a great place to start when writing your sales email followup, it’s also helpful to have some full examples to work from in order to write the body copy as well.
Below, we’ve put together 20 different templates for you to lean on when finding the right email for your particular situation. Don’t forget to modify each template though to be in your voice and really speak to your prospect.
So, without further ado, let’s dig into the templates!
Sales Email Followup Template #1
Use Case: After your first meeting
Angle: Using social norms to compel a reply
You recently met with your prospect and went through your offer. You had a great rapport during the meeting, which left you feeling confident as you let that you’ve moved the ball forward towards a deal.
But, a few days later and you still haven’t heard anything back from the prospect. Doh!
This is a great time to give a nice gentle reminder/touching base email to get back on their radar. Your goal here is to get re-engagement from the prospect and get the conversation moving forward again and make them feel that a response is the only socially acceptable thing to do.
Subject: Ready to followup?
[Name],
I’m wanted to thank you for your time and to see how you’d like to move the conversation forward.
If you’re still interested in finding a solution, please suggest the next step.
I’ll be looking for your reply.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
One thing we really like about this approach is that it uses the pressure of ‘social norms’ to compel the prospect to reply. You don’t want to send a super long email if your goal is to get a reply, as it is in this particular case.
Sales Email Followup Template #2
Use Case: After your first meeting
Angle: Special request granted
Some deals are just flat out more complex than others, and so the purchase lifecycle can take longer and require more education on the part of the prospect. The upside to this is that it gives you an opportunity to not only demonstrate domain expertise but gives you many excuses to keep engaging the prospect in a helpful way.
Subject: Good news. An update on your request.
[Name],
I wanted to thank you again for the opportunity to speak to you on [DAY].
I have checked with [relevant entity] and they would be very happy to arrange [special request].
Please let me know how you would like to proceed from here.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
Similar to our first example, we’re wanting to create an open-ended loop that encourages a response. However, in this particular case, we benefit from having a clear and obvious benefit to offer the prospect.
Plus, but showing your willingness to accommodate a special request, even if it’s only information, goes a long way towards actually earning a lot of goodwill with your prospect. I know that when I’m picking any kind of supplier or service organization, I want to know that they will work for my business and this shows exactly that.
Sales Email Followup Template #3
Use Case: After your first meeting
Angle: Additional helpful information
Beyond special requests, sometimes you just need to get more information once you’re back in the office or get a reply from someone else on your team. Never try to b.s. you’re way through areas you don’t know.
I learned a long time ago in sales that you’ll earn a lot more respect for saying “I don’t know, but I will make sure to get you the right answer from someone who does.”, instead of making up something that is incorrect.
This will foster even more trust because it lets your prospect know that the things you do say, can be reasonably assumed to be true. This example plays to the followup of a point you may not have known in the first conversation.
Subject: Here’s the answer I promised on [point of interest]
Hi [Name],
It was a pleasure meeting with you earlier today and learning more about your business.
I promised you some more info on [point of interest], and here it is.
I’ve attached more information about [point of interest], as well as [supporting point].
Please let me know when you’ve had a chance to take a look at the materials and would like me to give you a call to discuss. I’d be happy to answer any and all questions you have.
Feel free to call me at [personal number] any time.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
When supplying additional details in an email like this example, it’s a good idea to set a date in the future where you’ll reach out again if you haven’t heard back from the prospect. But this is a great way to make the sales process informative and helpful along the way.
A great personal 1-to-1 email tool we like to use that can track ‘no reply after X days’ is called Spark. We use Spark on all of our devices, and it generally works quite well.
Sales Email Followup Template #4
Use Case: After a meaningful event
Angle: ‘Just in time’ followup
Tools that can track and deliver email are super useful when it comes to writing emails that move the needle forward.
Having the ability to tag contacts who have recently clicked an email, and then delivering a message to them in a pre-defined period of time afterwards is huge.
You know, the whole, “get while the gettin’s good” mentality.
This kind of tracking and automation is a big reason we developed Campaign Refinery to tag when prospects click a link, and then set up an automation to fire as well. This allows us to send a follow-up email just a few minutes after they click.
It makes your prospects think your “ears must be burning”, and it’s an incredible way to get more sales.
Subject: Do you want more information?
Hi [Name],
I trust that you have had an opportunity to read my previous email and look at our website, so I figured it’d be worth checking in with you again.
Have you given any additional thought to my original proposal? I’d be happy to do a quick review of it on the phone and answer any and all questions you may have.
When would be a good time for a quick conversation?
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
If properly configured, your prospect is going to think you’re so on top of your game that they will be a lot more likely to reply and set up a time to talk since your communication will feel so fortuitous.
Campaigns like this actually come pre-built into Campaign Refinery, and are as easy to set up as modifying an email.
Sales Email Followup Template #5
Use Case: Following up on recent opens
Angle: ‘Wonders of modern technology’
With the granular amount of tracking that we are in abundance these days, you might as well start using some of those powerful features.
One of the best things you can do is strike while the iron is hot, and one of those signals is if someone recently opened and/or clicked one of your recent emails.
While opens specifically aren’t 100% reliable no matter what tool you’re using, thanks to the differences in email clients etc, click tracking is pretty darn reliable. Using this as a data point is a great way to follow-up with someone who has clicked through for more information on your product or service to see if a higher touchpoint would make sense to help close the gap and convert the sale.
Subject: I see you’re interested in [product/service]
Hi [Name],
I hope this doesn’t seem creepy, but I see that you’ve recently clicked my previous email about [product/service] (the wonders of modern technology).
More often than not, that means you have questions and I want to make sure they get answered.
Can we set up a time this week to answer any and all questions you might have?
You can directly schedule a time to talk [here], or just hit reply and let me know a time that works for you.
I look forward to hearing back from you.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
NOTE: One great way to handle this is by applying a tag in your marketing automation platform when a link is clicked. Then having a trigger set so that when a contact has the right tag applied, it automatically sends this follow-up email a few minutes later. This is something that’s very easy to do out of the box using Campaign Refinery’s powerful automation tools.
Sales Email Followup Template #6
Use Case: Prospect needs to consult decision maker
Angle: Relationship potential
The larger the sale, the more likely it is that you’ll be communicating with a designated person who is also not the ultimate decision maker. These prospects do have a lot of influence on the final decision though, and will just need to be a well prepared as possible to consult with the ultimate decision maker, and they’ll also need time to make that happen.
Here’s an example template you can use to follow-up, nudge towards the closing action and see if there’s additional rebuttal questions you’ll need to answer.
Subject: Any update?
Hi [Name],
I’d like to thank you again for taking the time to hear me out on [DAY]. I’m really excited about the potential for us to serve you and your company in achieving your goals.
As promised, I’m following up after you mentioned that you needed to consult with [PERSON] before making a decision. I’m really eager to hear what they thought of my proposal and see if they had any additional follow-up questions I could answer.
Is there a spot on your calendar I could claim to discuss how we can get started in helping you achieve your goals?
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
For this to be congruent, make sure that you ‘promised’ to follow-up after X days to see if there’s an update. Giving them time to discuss with their key decision maker is both respectful and required to make these kinds of deals go through. Plus, when you can demonstrate consistency in the sales process it adds confidence that you won’t let anything slip through the cracks once they are fully on-board.
Sales Email Followup Template #7
Use Case: In person networking & conferences
Angle: Near real-time followup
If you’ve connected with someone in person and they have shown enough interest to not only talk about what you do, but to offer up their information for future contact then they are more qualified than most.
While this is an easier email to write, it’s important you get it right the first time.
So, in order to that, we suggest you start with this template below.
Subject: Here’s the information you requested
Hi [Name],
What a great event! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
Connecting with people like you are exactly why I go to those sorts of events.
As a quick follow-up to our previous conversation, I wanted to get you the details I promised as fast as possible. [KEY BENEFIT] is a big focus in our business, as you’ve mentioned it is in your as well.
Attached is the information for you to review. If you’d like any additional information or have followup questions please don’t hesitate to let me know. I’d be more than happy to have a quick chat over the phone.
Just let me know if you’d like to have a more in-depth conversation. I’m ready and eager to help you get going.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
As you can see, you give the prospect a reference point as to when and where you connected, an important part that is often overlooked. Chances are that your prospect met a lot of people at the event as well, so the easier you can make it on them by jogging their memory, the better. Plus, by putting an emphasis on the value you saw in meeting them it helps them feel good about the interaction as well.
This is a great time to reinforce the benefits of what you offer, and if you were compelling enough during your initial meeting it should get them excited to take the next step as well.
Sales Email Followup Template #8
Use Case: Immediately after leaving a voicemail
Angle: Just tried calling you
We’ve had a lot of success in emailing right after leaving a voicemail with prospects. This puts you on their radar in several different ways. Sometimes a prospect won’t answer because they are on another line, or in a meeting but at least giving you a quick email reply or using the email as a gentle “to-do” reminder to follow-up with you can be extremely helpful.
Subject: I just tried calling you
Hi [Name],
I just tried calling you and looks like I missed you.
I’m sure you’re busy, but I wanted to get in touch to help you with [KEY BENEFIT].
Please give me a call back at [NUMBER] or let me know when it would be a convenient time to try calling you again.
Looking forward to hearing back from you.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
What you want to get across here is that you’re trying to help them achieve some BENEFIT. The goal of this is to lightly agitate the core problem you know they are having that they’d like to address and improve. Ideally, the best way they could alleviate this pain is to give you a callback or schedule a specific time have you call them back.
Sales Email Followup Template #9
Use Case: Finding the right contact in an organization
Angle: Mistaken identity (2nd attempt)
If you’ve already sent a completely cold email with no response so far, it’s worthwhile sending a second email to make sure you’re even trying to reach the right person in the first place. Besides, if you’re not getting a response because it’s the wrong person in an organization then you’d at least like to focus your efforts on the correct individual within the organization.
Subject: Can you set me straight?
Hi [Name],
I sent you an email recently about [KEY PAIN POINT] and it was only after I hit send that I realized I may have sent it to the wrong person.
We help companies, just like yours, [KEY BENEFIT] – and I wanted to see how we could help you as well.
Are you the right person to talk to about this?
If not, can you help me find the right person who would handle the decision on this?
Looking forward to your response.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
Again we are looking to agitate a pain point, talk about the benefit you can offer them and doing everything you can to get SOME kind of engagement out of the recipient. Knowing who you should be talking to in the first place is half the battle, and with a subject line like this, you’re much more likely to get a response than just your standard cold email. But, it’s important that this is designed as a 2nd follow-up attempt after that first ice-cold email.
Sales Email Followup Template #10
Use Case: Following up one or more unanswered emails
Angle: A few interesting things you may not know
While you don’t want to be annoying, sometimes your persistence can pay huge dividends. I’ve talked to several friends who have admitted to buying something simply because they “respected the hustle” of the salesperson and it just eventually wore them down. Now, we could probably have an hour-long conversation about how great those customers end up being long-term, but it certainly bears more fruit than not being persistent.
Subject: A few things you may not know about [COMPANY NAME]
Hi [Name],
I sent you an email a little while back about [COMPANY NAME] and how I think we could be a great fit for you and [PROSPECT COMPANY].
Did you know that [Amazing customer stat #1] when they use our [Unique service or feature]? We also offer [Complete solution] and [Current incentive to act today] for new customers who jump on board this month.
If you’d like to hear about this in more detail, please let me know. I would happily spend 30 minutes telling you everything you need to know.
Looking forward to your response.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
When doing a followup that comes after one or more initial attempts, you need to start using curiosity to get prospects to open and read your emails. Touting some of your best customers results using something that ideally can only really be offered by you and your company is ideal. Letting them know that you have an awesome discount could be an added incentive to not put off a conversation.
Sales Email Followup Template #11
Use Case: Following up one or more unanswered emails
Angle: A gift for you and your company
One of the best ways to sell is to “show” instead of just “tell”. If you have a free trial, samples, or ways that you can demonstrate your value in a bite sized form then you have an amazing vehicle to do a lot of “showing”.
Subject: A gift for you and your company
Hi [Name],
I sent you an email a little while back about [COMPANY NAME] and how I think we could be a great fit for you and [PROSPECT COMPANY].
Did you know that [Amazing customer stat #1] when they use our [Unique service or feature]? We also offer [Complete solution] and [Current incentive to act today] for new customers who jump on board this month.
If you’d like to hear about this in more detail, please let me know. I would happily spend 30 minutes telling you everything you need to know.
Looking forward to your response.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
Even if you’re “show” is simply a generated PDF of reports that can give additional key performance indicators, that can be a quick and easy value-add that you can deploy to get a conversation with the key decision maker.
Sales Email Followup Template #12
Use Case: Following up unanswered emails after a first talk
Angle: Sorry we haven’t been able to connect
If you’ve been able to actually talk with your prospect at least once, sometimes what was once a hot lead can turn ice cold. Your goal here is to hear either way if the prospect has chosen a different solution, or if they’ve just been buried and haven’t had a chance to get back to you yet.
Subject: Still hoping to connect with you
Hi [Name],
Just wanted to say I’m sorry we haven’t been able to re-connect.
When we last spoke, you seemed very interested in [Core benefit of product/service].
I understand that you are likely incredibly busy, so I am happy to schedule a call with you at any time that works for you, even if it falls outside regular office hours or on a weekend if that makes it easier for you.
I don’t intend to harass you but would appreciate some indication on your decision either way so I can serve you as best as possible.
Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
As you can see from the email copy, we’re focused on being all about the prospect and their needs. Showing a willingness to go outside of the normal business hours and doing as much as humanly possible to serve the prospect and win the sale.
We also ask for a hint as to which direction the prospect may have gone, which gives them a tactful out if they’ve already chosen another provider to take care of their core need(s) that you were trying to win.
Sales Email Followup Template #13
Use Case: It’s been a while since connecting with a prospect
Angle: Here’s some new, useful content for you
Sometimes when you haven’t connected with a prospect for a while, it’s not because they don’t need your product/service. In fact, sometimes it’s just that they started their search before they were truly ready to make the purchase decision.
One value-added way of re-engaging those older prospects is to send them some new content that might useful for their specific pain point. If nothing else, it’s an opportunity to learn more information about their current situation.
Subject: [12 ways PRODUCT helps you BENEFIT]
Hi [Name],
When we last spoke, it became clear to me that you are very interested in [BENEFIT], but at the time, weren’t quite ready to make a decision.
When I saw that our content team had put together [Blog post name + link], I immediately thought of you – and that this post might be helpful for you.
I’d really like to hear your thoughts on this and discuss how we can help you achieve [Core benefit outcome].
Could I give you a call sometime? When would be a good time for you?
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
By putting the focus on this email that you haven’t forgotten about the prospect, and giving respect to the fact that the last time you connected they weren’t quite ready to buy.
Also, by using a content-first approach it’s not only a great conversation starter but it turns this email into a value-driven email instead of just a “Hey, are you ready to buy yet?”, which isn’t a great email to send OR receive.
Sales Email Followup Template #14
Use Case: An unresponsive lead in spite of repeated attempts
Angle: Is this the end?
If you’ve been following up with a prospect repeatedly with no response at all, eventually it might be right to give a little of a push saying this will be the end if there’s no response at all.
One of the keys here is to make sure you keep it respectful, but you don’t have a lot to lose by being a little more push here because you’d rather know if someone flat out isn’t interested instead of wasting effort on trying to get any kind of response.
Subject: It’s lonely out here
Hi [Name],
I’ve been trying to get in contact with you time and time again over the last few months without much success, which leaves me to think one of these is true:
- You’re not interested. Which is totally OK, I won’t take it personally.
- The timing is just wrong. This happens. I’ll happily circle a date on my calendar to get back to you in a few weeks or months… but if it’s years that won’t work.
- You’ve been snatched up by aliens… Please let them know I am happy to come along with you and you can tell them where to find me 🙂
I won’t contact you again unless I hear back from you, but you can keep my information on file if you ever need [Core product/service].
Respectfully,
YOUR NAME
This is using a similar strategy as you’d use in a sales letter saying “You have two options…”, and gives a sense of potential loss that you’re going away.
And if the sense for the prospect is a joy that you’re leaving them alone… then so be it. At least you’d rather know they aren’t a viable lead.
You’ll also notice the use of humor in the 3rd bullet about aliens. This helps make the whole email much more lighthearted than it may otherwise be taken.
Sales Email Followup Template #15
Use Case: An unresponsive lead in spite of repeated attempts
Angle: Cleaning up the pipeline
We’re again using the sense of loss, but leveraging the pressure from a boss to tidy up a sales pipeline as the excuse to get a response or get cleared out.
Subject: Time to close your file?
Hi [Name],
It’s that time of the month, and my boss has asked me to clean up my pipeline. I thought this would be a good time to reach out and let you know that your name is on my delete list.
If you no longer want [Core benefit], do I have permission to close your file?
If you ARE still interested, what you suggest as a next step?
Thanks for your help.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
You might be surprised how many people will respond with an email along the lines of “Wait! I’m still interested…”, which is a great opportunity to move the conversation forward. And if you get a reply saying to delete their info, then that’s fine too.
Sales Email Followup Template #16
Use Case: An unresponsive lead in spite of repeated attempts
Angle: Love gone?
The real money isn’t made in getting a small bump of your regular warm leads, the real money is left in the majority of leads that turn cold, which is why we’ve spent so much time on tackling unresponsive leads.
In this case, we’re using shorter copy and a more playful subject line.
Subject: Is the love gone?
Hi [Name],
I wanted to reach out to you one final time. I have suggestions on how you can [Core benefit]. If I don’t hear back from you though, I’ll assume the timing isn’t right.
My information is below should you have any questions.
Hope to hear back from you soon.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
Don’t forget that you need to reinforce the core benefit in each of these emails. Remind your prospect what it is that you can deliver in terms of value. No one buys stuff for the sake of buying stuff, they buy to get somewhere or experience a transformation.
Sales Email Followup Template #17
Use Case: An unresponsive lead with at least one contact point
Angle: It’s not you, it’s me
This one might feel like something right out of a Seinfeld episode. We can almost hear George Constanza now saying “I invited the ‘It’s not you, it’s me’ routine!”.
Subject: It’s not you, it’s me.
Hi [Name],
I haven’t heard back from you since our last conversation. After the time we’ve spent together, I hope I’ve given you some good ideas for you to [Core benefit].
Please let me know if [Core benefit] is a priority for you right now, or perhaps sometime in the future.
Your reply is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
Since in this scenario you’ve had at least one conversation with the prospect, you can lean on that to highlight any ideas or helpful suggestions you’ve demonstrated.
Conclusion: Value Proposition & Open-Ended Questions
As we went through these various sales email followup templates, we wanted to drive a few things home on each and everyone that we think is important to remember every time you write an email.
Money In Persistence
It’s often easy to spend much of our time and focus on optimizing the things that work right away. How to get that first email open rate higher, how to optimize the granular conversation by another half a point.
But, when you look at each section of your process the real money is made in the vast majority of leads that go completely cold. By sending more time being persistent, you’re likely to make a lot more sales than your competition.
Focusing On The Value Proposition
When you’re crafting each email, ask yourself, “How is this going to be valuable for the prospect?”.
The more you can put yourself in the shoes of your prospect and do your best to deliver value on each and every email, the better off you’re likely to be.
By serving your prospect first, you’re really serving yourself.
Open-Ended Questions = Profit
Also, when you’re crafting your emails try to use open-ended questions instead of yes/no questions.
The more you can learn about your prospects pain points, the better. And by using open-ended questions not only are you likely to get incredible replies that will actually be useful in progressing the conversation but you’re likely to get more replies altogether.
If you can get your prospect to start opening up about their pain, you can craft your offer to address those pain points specifically.
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