Seven Scenarios That Need Sales Follow-Up Emails [With Templates]
Guest Author
When selling a product or service, you want to get every prospective customer to sign up as soon as possible. But in reality, this won’t always be possible since each prospect might be at a different stage in their customer journey. In other words, a customer will buy only when they’re ready. One of the best ways to continually gauge their interest is through sales follow-up emails.
For salespeople, follow-up emails are an effective way to build a relationship with prospective clients. Through multiple follow-ups, you can convince a potential client to sign up for your product or service.
In this guide, we’ll walk through seven different scenarios where you’ll benefit from following up by email. Then, we’ll provide you with eight follow-up email templates for these scenarios.
You can use our examples as part of your sales process, regardless of the sales methodologies you use. As a result, you can increase your conversions by modifying these templates for your prospects.
Why Is It Important to Send Sales Follow-Up Emails?
Email usage statistics indicate that over 300 billion emails are sent and received each day. The staggering number of emails exchanged every day means that your emails are more likely to get lost in a prospect’s inbox. So how can you stand apart from your competition?
By prioritizing sales follow-up emails, you are already doing more than the average salesperson. Statistically, 44% of salespeople give up after just one attempt, and only 8% follow up five times. This is unfortunate, given that 80% of sales happen between the fifth and eighth contact.
Simply put, persistence is key when closing the deal.
Personalization, combined with persistence, makes follow-up emails even more effective. You can do this by adding value to every conversation so prospects are more likely to open your emails or respond. Valuable, fresh digital content in the form of case studies or webinars gives you a reason to make contact. Even more, it gives them a reason to respond.
Seven Scenarios That Need Sales Follow-Up Emails
1. Follow up after an initial meeting
Following your first meeting with a potential client, use a follow-up email to move the deal forward. This email can help build momentum toward the sale by discussing the next steps, such as viewing a product demo. You could also summarize your first meeting’s key points to remind them of what you talked about.
2. Follow up after a trigger event
A potential customer shows an interest in your product when they click on a link on your website or open an email. Use software to track these trigger events so you can respond with a relevant follow-up email that transforms this interest into a conversation about their needs and how your product/service can meet those needs.
You can also share relevant case studies, set up a time for a product demo, or better yet, employ a multi-channel approach to your sales follow-up emails. These methods will bring you closer to a conversion.
3. Follow up after leaving a voicemail
If you’ve left a voicemail for a new prospect, send a sales follow-up email to increase the chances of a response. It’s important to send this email immediately after recording the voicemail. Keep your voicemail and your follow-up email succinct to make it easier for a potential client to get back to you.
4. Follow up after attending a trade show, networking event, or conference
Networking events, trade shows, and conferences are ideal ways to collect new leads. Send follow-up emails that build on these initial connections. This type of email is a fantastic way to remind your prospect of who you are and what product/service you offer.
Did a prospect mention a problem that they are currently facing at the event? With this in mind, your follow-up could include a case study that demonstrates how your product solves this issue.
5. Follow up after an initial discussion
In this scenario, you’ve had an initial meeting or sales demo with a prospective customer. You’ve also had another sales meeting where you discussed how your product could meet their needs. When this meeting ended, the customer may have asked for a few days to think this solution over.
After a week, use a sales follow-up email to refer to the last discussion you had. This email can also explain how you can create a custom solution using your product for their needs. Feeling generous? Incorporate a time-sensitive offer in this follow-up to encourage them to sign up.
6. Follow up again after the initial follow-up email
One follow-up email will not guarantee a response from a prospective client. To get a response, you need to be persistent and send at least five follow-ups after your original email. Moreover, don’t lose hope after one follow-up if there’s no response.
7. Follow up after a prospect remains unresponsive
Some prospects might never respond, no matter how many times you follow up. When this happens, you don’t need to give up completely. Send them a “break up” email that ends the professional relationship but is still respectful when closing out the lead.
This way, you leave them with a positive view of you and your business even if they don’t need your services. They may refer you to other companies that do or they could also reach out to you in the future if their needs change.
Related Content: Cold Email Alone Doesn’t Work: Try This Multi-Channel Approach
Use These Sales Follow-Up Email Templates
If you’re contacting several prospective customers every week, you should automate the follow-up process. Using a sales automation tool will allow you to create a follow-up email sequence that automatically sends the right emails at the right times to the right prospects.
Once you’ve created a typical follow-up email sequence, adapt them for each prospect. Make sure to run a grammar check on these sequences before sending them out so that everything looks professional.
Then, schedule your sales follow-up emails to go out depending on the action your prospect takes next. For instance, if a prospect clicks on a link on your website, send them a response back that mentions this.
In contrast, following up with unresponsive prospects requires a different approach. To help you get started, we’ve put together seven sales follow-up email templates.
1. Follow up email template after an initial meeting
Example 1:
Subject line: Want to discuss our next steps?
Hi [first name],
Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.
How would you like to proceed from that meeting?
Would you like to [take a specific/appropriate next step]?
Looking forward to speaking with you.
[Your signoff]
Example 2:
Subject line: Here’s the information you asked for
Hello [First Name],
It was my pleasure to speak with you earlier today to learn more about you and [the customer’s business].
As promised, I’ve attached further information about [the topic].
When would be a good time to discuss this further?
I’m available at [your telephone number] at any time.
[Your sign-off]
2. Follow-up email template after a trigger event
Subject line: Can I help you with [goal/issue], [First Name]?
Hi [First Name],
I noticed that you visited our website on [date] to get more information about [topic].
I wanted to get in touch to see how we can help you further.
Can I answer any questions for you? Would it be helpful to schedule a brief call?
I look forward to hearing from you.
[Your sign-off]
3. Follow-up email template after leaving a voicemail
Subject line: Is there a better time to call?
Hi [First Name],
I just tried to call you regarding [reason for the call].
As my voicemail mentioned, I’ll try contacting you again on [date].
If you’re available before then, please feel free to reach out to me at [your telephone number].
You could also send me a quick reply to this email.
[Your sign-off]
4. Follow-up email template after networking
Subject line: I’m glad we connected today at [name of the event/show/conference]
Hi [First Name],
I hope you enjoyed [name of the event/conference/show] as much as I did.
Thank you for your interest in [name of your business].
When we talked, you mentioned that you wanted to [desire/goal/pain point]. I’d love to help you with that if at all possible.
I’ve attached some additional information about how [your product/service] might be the solution you’re looking for.
If you need any further information, I’d be happy to schedule a quick call.
Looking forward to chatting soon.
[Your sign-off]
5. Follow-up email template after an initial discussion
Subject line: I’ve got great news, [First Name]!
Hi [First Name],
I enjoyed speaking to you earlier today.
I now feel like I have a better understanding of what you’re trying to accomplish and some of the challenges you’re encountering.
I want to make it easier for you and your team to [goal/objective/desire].
Would you be interested in [special offer/discount]?
Please let me know whether you’d like to take advantage of this.
[Your sign-off]
6. Follow-up email template after an initial follow-up
Subject line: [#] ways [your product] can help you [customer’s goal/objective]
Hello [First Name],
When I spoke to you earlier last week, you indicated that one of your big goals was to [goal/desire].
In light of this, I wanted to share this [blog post/content] that directly speaks to this subject.
I would love to hear your thoughts on [blog post/content] so that I can help you achieve [goal/desire].
Would you be free to chat later this week?
When is the best time for you?
[Your sign-off]
7. Follow-up email template for prospects who are unresponsive
Subject line: Is this the end, [First Name]?
Hi [First Name],
I’ve contacted you several times regarding [topic] but haven’t heard back from you.
Are you still interested in [topic]? If so, I would really love to help you, but I’ll leave the ball in your court.
You can contact me using my contact details below if you have any further questions.
[Your sign-off]
Don’t Leave Money on the Table
If you’re not using sales follow-up emails, you’re leaving money on the table. With the majority of conversions taking place after five or more communications, having a strategic follow-up process is essential.
Utilize the templates above to create automated follow-ups for the different scenarios you find yourself in. If you do, you’ll find yourself far ahead of the competition.
About the Author
Nick Rubright is a digital marketing specialist for IRC Sales Solutions, an organization created by Spencer Smith that helps businesses learn to grow, manage, and organize their sales teams.
Connect with Nick on LinkedIn.
