How To Write A Follow Up Email: Your Go-To Guide For Quick Responses
Email marketing is still considered a terrific marketing tactic with an expected revenue of approximately 11 billion US dollars in 2023. Thus, the importance of writing and sending follow-up emails is paramount and cannot be ignored. They tend to be a gentle reminder to reconnect with the prospect in addition to requesting an update or offering valuable information. In this guide, we will outline all the crucial details about how to write a follow up email that brings back a promising response. So, let’s dive right into the details!
The 6-Step Formula To Generate Response
Remember emails should always be polite and friendly to help you in your engagement strategy. So, have a look at the top 6 steps that you must follow to write amazing follow-up emails for quick and friendly responses.
Step 1 – Offer Personalized Greetings at the start
Be it your potential prospect or an existing client, it is always essential to start with a positive and friendly tone. It can be done using a custom greeting such as “Hey <name>” to establish a professional connection. You can even capture their attention by using a formal tone with “Dear <name>” or “Hi <name>”.
Step 2 – Talk about previous interaction
This is a great place to start a conversation by stating the context and mentioning a glimpse of your last conversation. It offers a brief recap of your previous interaction and helps them get your reference easily. This will help them remember you and prompt a swift response. But make sure to sum it up in 1 or 2 lines.
Step 3 – Share your specific purpose and new details to reach out
Believe it or not, boring email subject lines can be a major turn-off. With 47% of readers opening emails solely relying on your subject line, it is essential to pay attention to the subject line. Thus, you can share your specific outreach purpose in the subject line to get it to read easily. Remember to highlight crucial details or add new details for easy follow-up response. Be it requesting a meeting or call to seek feedback or contact information, the purpose can be anything.
Step 4 – Mention the CTA clearly
A Call-to-action or CTA is crucial to actually get an immediate response from the reader. While it is super crucial to get the desired result, it should be properly linked and described. This will help the readers connect with you quickly and you can easily engage with them in your own way. Being super direct will help you a lot in the long run. You can try something similar to this: “I would really like to share more details on this topic via a quick phone call to help you understand all the steps clearly. Do share your time availability to finish this swiftly.”
Step 5 – Appreciate them at the end
Appreciating the reader captivates their attention as all love some positive vibes in their email. The reader feels encouraged to take the next step. But make sure you don’t engage in constant pleasing making it weird to read. A simple nudge is enough to keep them motivated about your email. You can try something like this: “I sincerely applaud you for taking these steps to grow bigger in your business and want to be a part of your success.”
Step 6 – Don’t forget last-minute proofreading
To be honest, no one likes a haphazardly written email. Plenty of grammatical errors may demonstrate your lack of interest. It is better to run your email through Grammarly to avoid any silly grammatical errors later. Be it punctuation or any other contextual errors, eliminating them beforehand can help them know that you want to genuinely connect.
Follow-up email example
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Subject: Get Ready For The Next Tech Conclave At New Year
Hey Steve, I loved your speech at the Techno-2023 conference and wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude for your visit. I hope to meet again at the upcoming Tech Conclave in Chicago on 2nd Jan 2024. I would love your company there. Also, did you know they will share the first few copies of Tech World 2050? How great is that! Looking forward to hearing from you so that I can book our seats together. Thanks Yours faithfuly, Merelin Grace Senior Manager, Tockohal |
Follow-up email templates
You can follow the given templates as per your required needs. Just modify the details as per your occasion!
Inquiry call follow-up email template
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Subject line: In response to a product/service inquiry Hey [Name], Thank you so much for reaching out with <inquiry>. I have attached a brochure with all the necessary details. Also, [Answer their question in Brief]. I’m more than delighted to explain everything and clear any doubts or inquiries you may have. You can reach out to me at +1xxxxxxxxx or shoot me an email. Looking forward to connect with you! [Name] Some Contact info |
Discovery Call follow-up email template
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Subject line: [Company Name] x [Client Name] Plan Hey [Name], I loved our call yesterday about your [topic needs/goals]. Well, to help you with your pain points, I’ve shared a few slides that will definitely make your work easier. These helped me when I was starting out and will help you figure out if I can be perfect for your work. Feel free to connect again in case you have any questions at all. It would be my pleasure making things simpler and clearer with my WONDER roadmap. Looking forward to connect with you again soon! Name |
Business Proposal Follow Up Email Template
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Subject line: [Company Name] x [Client Name] Business follow-up Hey [Name], I just wanted to check in if you had received my previous mail since I haven’t heard from you for quite some time. Well, I really wanted to work with you; so, I’ve attached the quote and a specially designed <any service/roadmap> to help your business thrive further. I am sure you would have your doubts, so do check out my recent testimonials to know what my recent client has to say about my work. In case you have any questions, I’m more than happy to address them right away over the phone or email. Looking forward to hearing from you soon! [Name] |
Networking Follow Up Email Template
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Subject line: Loved meeting you, [name]! Hey [Name], I loved our recent meeting at [event name] and had lots of love catching up about [conversation topic]. You know your valuable insights on [specific topic] had me thinking about [something valuable]. So, I thought of sharing these amazing resources for your help. I hope they come to good use. Also, I would love to stay in touch, call me on my number +1xxxxxxx anytime to plan another meeting! Talk soon! [Name] |
Invoice Clearance Follow Up Email Template
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Subject line: Invoice Clearance Left For #XXXX Hello [Name], I hope you are in good health. I just wanted to know the status of the invoice [#xxxx] that I shared previously on [date]. I still haven’t received any payment for the same and wanted to know if you have received it. In case you haven’t received it, I have re-attached it to this email and request you to clear it at the earliest. Please do connect in case you need anything else from my end. Thank you in advance! [Name] |
Resource Sharing Follow Up Email Template
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Subject line: A Freebie To Become Best Friends! Hey [Name], Thank you so much for being a part of [event]. I don’t want our connection to end just here. So, I wanted to offer a freebie: <name and use f freebie>. This will come in handy to help you with all the <pain points>. I hope this finds you on a good note and helps you achieve your desired outcome! I truly applaud you for taking these steps to grow bigger in your business and want to be a part of your success.
PS: I will keep sharing such valuable resources from time to time. Join my <newsletter link> Keep working hard to rise and shine! [Name] |
Follow-Up Email Template After No Response
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Subject line: Re: [Previous Subject line] Hey [Name], It’s been a long time since I heard back from you. So, I just wanted to know if you are still interested in the project. In case, you have any new requirements or a change in schedule, you can share that with me. Please do tell me where you are in the conversation so that I can adjust to the situation accordingly. Thank you in advance! Yours Sincerely, [Name] |
How To Write A Follow Up Email: Dos And Don’ts
Dos
Follow the given best practices to send great follow-up emails that have a solid reply rate.
- Personalization goes a long way
There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ rule applicable in sending follow up emails. So, stop bombarding the same email everywhere. You need to practice the art of personalizing to get a better understanding of each prospect and handle everyone in a unique way. It shows your extra effort and a subtle attempt of adding a personal touch can yield fruitful results and build rapport.
- Be direct and insightful
No one likes lengthy conversations badgering the same thing over and over again. Thus, it is important to state everything concisely. Be as direct as you can! Avoid unnecessary fluff since no one has the time to read and reply. It is better to opt for insightful details that help them understand your outreach attempt and provide fresh points that compel them to keep in touch with you.
- Follow the Timeline
The given timeline helps stay consistent in building a connection and making genuine efforts to engage professionally.
- In 24 Hours: Greet “Thanks” to ensure a professional follow-up after your call/meeting/interview or anything that deserves gratitude.
- In 48 Hours: In case you need to share some crucial documentation or there is some other specific urgent reason to start a conversation.
- In 1-2 Weeks: Seek feedback or share a valuable mail that reverts you some kind of a response.
- In 3 Months: Share a Catch-up mail and send some new information or ask something that may engage business connection.
Don’ts
Refrain from making the three given mistakes.
- Don’t demand or become a pushover
While it can be frustrating to receive no response, you should still keep your calm while writing a follow-up email. Never make straightforward demands that ruin the mere purpose of writing follow-up emails. Also, don’t become a pushover rather be persistent and polite. Don’t shoot follow-up emails one after the other but make it a point to send them at the right time.
- Avoid Sales-y language
As per Belkins, the first follow-up email can significantly increase your reply rate to 49%. So, you shouldn’t use over sales-y language that puts off the reader’s interest in the first go. It is better to provide new information or address the reader’s needs to pique their interest.
Remember your sole purpose is to activate conversation, the excessive sales pressure should not be put on their shoulders.
- Be Valuable and engage
Everyone loves value bombs that can help improve their business strategies. If you can share a few valuable insights on vital things, it will help in building real connections and help them open up and engage with a broad smile. It should either be something that grows the reader’s curiosity or refer to their pain points with effective strategies to handle them.
Key Takeaway
Learning how to write a follow up email can be quite challenging at first. However, once you get a hang of it, it is all possible. All you need to do is nail in writing the best follow-up email that sparks conversation and convinces the reader to take necessary action. Just ensure that you maintain the apt balance of courtesy, calmness, and consideration to connect with your readers and convert them into clients.