The sales follow up email is a powerful weapon in the sales world. It’s widely accepted that you need multiple follow ups to make a sale, so being patient and persistent is key.The question is: what should a follow up email be like? Should it be sales-y or plain? Should it use humor or be more on the serious side? Well, the answer might be different for different audiences. If you’re a startup selling software, for example, humor might work. If you’re an insurance provider… maybe not so much.In any case, there are methods you can use to send effective and professional emails that have a high chance of resonating with your potential customers. To help you, we present eight tips and 14 sales follow up email templates.
Eight tips for writing effective sales follow up emails
- Keep track of events that trigger a follow up. The need for a follow up may come at any time for multiple customers – some may be approaching the end of their trial, some may have asked to be contacted again in a few months time, etc. Be sure to track all these events using a CRM or your own personal project management tool.
- Remind them who you are. This depends on what stage of the customer journey you’re sending the follow-up. If, for example, the potential customer has done a discovery call with you, they might also have done them with multiple other providers for different products and services. It’s a good idea to make sure they remember you. Use the opportunity to jog their memory on the details (e.g. your name, your company, and what you sell), and the conversation you had (e.g. you can mention something you talked about at length).
- Personalize. It almost goes without saying that people are more likely to respond to an email sent to them, rather than a massive email address database. Since you’re ultimately trying to sell, it makes sense to choose something that fits the needs of the specific potential customer. For example, if they’ve expressed interest in a particular product, mention that in your sales follow-up email. If they’ve asked you for a discount because of their budget constraints, reiterate your goal to find a solution that works for them.
- Don’t “just check-in”. It’s easy to write that phrase in an effort to not appear pushy. But, it doesn’t actually give the potential customer much reason to reply to you. Instead, state a clear purpose for sending the sales follow-up email, and offer an equally clear call to action at the end (e.g. scheduling a call, purchasing).
- Keep it short. There’s a sweet spot that’s both short and easy to ready, but also contains all important information. Aim for 100 words or less, otherwise, your customers may lose interest.
- Test the subject line. As with all sales emails, you want your follow-up email to actually be opened. This means you need to choose an engaging and eye-catching subject line. But, getting there might require testing a few different ones first to find which works best. Here are some words that often increase open rates according to research by CoSchedule. (We’re also providing some sample subject lines for each follow-up template below).
- Test the email itself, too. People work in mysterious ways – you might think you’ve written the best follow up email ever and yet your potential customers don’t even bother to reply. Testing a few options might help. One idea could be to turn email writing into healthy competition. For example, ask team members to each write a version of the sales follow up email and then test them by tracking response rates or ask other colleagues to rate the best one anonymously.
- Be authentic, not passive-aggressive. There is always a risk of appearing disingenuous in written speech, especially if you try to use cliche humor. Whatever you do, avoid being condescending (e.g. “you haven’t replied so you’re obviously not interested in making your life easier”). You’ll be able to find the tone and phrases that work, but be sure to think your email through, be polite, and test relentlessly.
How to use our sales follow up email templates
Our templates are designed to spare you the dreaded writer’s block. They’re a starting point you can use to shape the emails that work best for your target audience. Any words included in brackets are placeholder text you can replace with whatever makes the most sense for your business (or remove altogether if it doesn’t apply to you). When you see these symbols { }, it means this is an anchor text for a link.Feel free to modify each email template and insert a touch of personality. You can also mix and match language from the samples to create the one that works best for you in each case.
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14 best follow up emails for sales
1. Follow up right after demo
Discussing next steps [Acme]
Hi [Customer name],Thanks again for taking the time to have a demo with Acme – it was really interesting to hear about your plans to expand overseas and I’m confident our [service] can help.I wanted to talk about next steps. If you liked our solutions, I’d be happy to [give another demo to your boss, as we discussed, and talk about pricing].Are you free for a short call with me to discuss details either tomorrow or the day after?Best,[Your name]
2. Follow up with information the customer requested
I have the information you wanted!
Hi [Customer name],Good news – I was able to get you that information you needed on [our 2020 product roadmap (this is all we’ve made public until now)].You’ll notice that [the feature you were interested in is in our three-month plans, so it’s a good bet you’ll get to use the Beta version if you sign up now].If you have any more questions, I’d be happy to answer them. Are you available sometime next week? Let's arrange a short call on next steps – here's my {calendar}. Feel free to book a time that suits.Best,[Your name]
3. Follow up after some time from last communication
Do we still stand a chance?
Dear [Customer name],It’s been a while since we last spoke about how [Acme’s service] can help you expand your business.I remember you were very keen to get started with opening offices overseas, so I wanted to see whether we can still be of use to you. I know a few of our customers found [our services] very helpful with [establishing supply chains in new locations].Are you still interested? If so, let’s have a call to reconnect and discuss details. Feel free to book a time that suits in my {calendar}.Thanks![Your name]
4. Follow up after pricing request/demo request
Following up on your demo request [Acme]
Dear [Customer name],Thanks for requesting a demo with Acme – we can’t wait to show you what our product can do for your [customer support operations]. I’m [your name] and I’ll be happy to show you around our [platform].Are you available for a call on [Tuesday or Wednesday]? Here’s my {calendar}. Feel free to book a time that works for you.Cheers,[Your name]
5. Follow up after discount request
The following template is a non-committal response to a discount request. If you need more options, here are 10 sample replies and templates about how to respond to these situations (whether positively or negatively).
Re: Our product value
Hello [Customer/Prospect],Thanks for your question – I understand that pricing is important and I’d be happy to have a conversation about it.[However, I’d first like to learn more about the challenges you’re facing and how Acme’s services can help. We have various pricing options and packages that may match your needs and I’d like to help you find the best one for your company.]Let’s jump on a quick call sometime this week. Click on {this link} to book an appointment with me.Thanks,[Your name]
6. Follow up with interesting content
Here’s something you need to see
Dear [Customer name],Last we spoke, we talked at length about [topic] and how [you’re trying to optimize the process]. That’s why I thought you’d be interested in checking out our {new [guide/blogspot/whitepaper]}.It’s called [Title of content] and our team has really hit the nail on the head with this one.Let me know what you think (if you want more content, I’d be happy to ask my team).Thanks![Your name]
7. Follow up after event
It was great seeing you at [Event]!
Hi [Customer name],[Your name] here. We met last week at [Event] (and what an event it was!).I really enjoyed getting to know more about your role and your company, as well as the challenges you’re facing with [relevant topic]. I firmly believe we can help you navigate [particular issue].So, I thought I’d check in to talk about next steps. Are you free for a short call with me tomorrow? Let me know and I’ll set up a meeting for us.Thanks,[Your name]
8. Sales follow up email after cold call
Re: our conversation
Hi [Customer name],My name is [Your name] and we had an interesting chat yesterday on the phone. I’ve checked in with my colleagues and we put together a few different solutions tailored to your current challenges.Are you available for a call with [me/our account executive] to get more details on how we can help you [meet objective]?Here are a few time slots that could work:
- Tuesday 10 am
- Tuesday 6 pm
- Wednesday 4 pm
If you have any questions, feel free to let me know.Thanks,[Your name]
9. Follow up after discovery call
Following up with next steps
Hi [Customer name],It was really great talking with you today – I learned a lot from our conversation about your industry and the challenges you face. I think Acme is in a good position to meet your current needs.As we discussed, the next step would be a [demo/call with manager/etc.]. Are you available at any of the following times?Here are a few time slots that could work:
- Tuesday 10 am
- Tuesday 6 pm
- Wednesday 4 pm
Looking forward to speaking with you again.Thanks,[Your name]
10. Sales follow up email after trial ends
Your trial has ended!
Hi [Customer name],Your trial period ended yesterday – thanks for giving us a chance!I’m following up to see if you’d like to continue using [our product/service]. You can gain immediate access to your saved data and preferences by renewing from {this link}. If you renew within the next seven days, you’ll also be able to take advantage of our one-time 10% discount for returning customers.In case you have any issues or questions, feel free to use our live chat, or email us at success@acme.com.Thank you,[Your name]
11. Follow up after marketing collateral signup
This email will probably be automated, sent directly to site visitors who complete a form in your site.
Thanks for signing up!
Hi [Customer name],Thanks for signing up with us – boy, have we got some interesting things to share.For starters, here’s our latest [blog/whitepaper/product article] that can help you [with enhancing customer experience]. You’ll soon receive our [monthly newsletter that contains fascinating content on topics you may be interested in].Take care,[Your name]
12. Follow up after a missed call
I just called to say...
Hi [Customer name],Sorry I missed you – I just called to see if [purpose].I’ll try reaching you again tomorrow morning, but don’t hesitate to let me know if there’s a better time.Thanks,[Your name]
13. Follow up after a follow up
Don’t give up on us
Hi [Customer name],It’s me again! I followed up last week asking about next steps – would you be interested in having a short call to discuss?Here’s my {calendar}, feel free to book any time that works for you.Thanks,[Your name]
14. Last attempt at follow up
Is this goodbye?
Hi [Customer name],I thought I’d check in one last time to see whether you’d be interested in [a call/demo/our product]. I still think Acme can be a great ally in your efforts to [expand overseas], but I understand if you’ve chosen to go another way.In any case, you have my email and number, so feel free to reach out should you change your mind.Thanks and take care,[Your name]
If you liked our versions of a sales follow up email, check out the rest of our Sales templates and Customer Support templates.