How to Write a Follow-Up Email that Generates Responses in 2025?

While bootstrapping the perfect cold emailing software for the customers, we, as a team, perfected writing a follow-up email that prospects just can’t ignore!

Having received and researched countless follow-up emails over the years, I’ve noted some common points that stand out. 

With my insights, you will learn how to write a follow-up email that re-engages non-responsive leads, strengthens the relationship, or moves the opportunity toward the end goal.

So, why did your cold email not perform? There could be many reasons why you might not get a response. For example, 

• The content may not be relevant enough to the prospect
• There may be technical errors in the email
• The email address was not verified before sending
• The timing of your email might be off
• Or there could be other factors at play

All of these factors can be tracked and resolved. I have done it, and now I will help you to do the same. I’ll also provide follow-up email templates for different use cases that you can use to ace cold emailing.

P.S. If you’re unsure about your first cold email, we’ve put together a detailed guide to help you master the craft of the cold email writing process (with examples) you can steal to ace your cold emailing game.

How To Write Follow-Up Emails In 10 Simple Steps?

Writing follow-up emails shouldn’t feel like a task. If you’re feeling that way, let me change that.

Here are 10 steps I follow when writing my follow-up emails to easily get noticed and answered:

1. Write a Clear Subject Line
2. Use a Polite and Professional Tone
3. Keep the Content Short and Personalized
4. Mention Why You Are Following Up
5. Show That You Can Bring Value
6. Include a Soft CTA
7. Show Gratitude
8. Sign Off With Your Name and Contact Info
9. Proofread Your Follow-Up Emails
10. Send at an Appropriate Time

1. Write a Clear Subject Line

Subject lines are everything — especially if you’re sending cold emails as part of your sales outreach.

These few words are what can potentially grab your recipients’ attention and make them open your emails.

Be clear and to the point.

No vague, clickbait stuff like “You won’t believe this…” or “Just checking in 😊” (please, no 🙅).

Here are some subject lines you should absolutely avoid:

• Any updates?
• Just following up
• Just checking in
• Just reminding
• Circling back
• Touching base

Now — depending on why you’re following up, your subject line will change.

Let me break it down for you with 2 common scenarios:

1. You’re following up on an email you’ve already sent

In this case, I recommend you follow up in the same thread — it keeps things organized and gives your recipient instant context.

No one wants to dig through their inbox trying to remember what you said last time.

But, if you want to be experimental and send a follow-up email as a fresh thread — make sure your subject line clearly explains what it’s about.

Personally, I’m team same thread — it saves everyone time (and sanity). But hey, you do you.

2. You’re following up after an interview, meeting, or conversation — but haven’t emailed them before

Since you’re not continuing a thread, your subject line needs to reintroduce you and remind them of where you met or what you discussed.

Here are some subject lines that have worked well for me:

• Following up on our chat at [event name]”
• “Great meeting you today – next steps”
• “Thanks for the insightful conversation – a quick follow-up”

2. Use a Polite and Professional Tone

“Hey man, what’s up!
You remember the… ”

This works when you’re texting your friend, not when you’re sending a follow-up in B2B. 😅

Keep your tone respectful, friendly, and professional.

You don’t have to sound like a legal contract, but more like someone who knows what they’re talking about and respects the reader’s time.

Start with a polite and personalized greeting, “Hey David”, instead of just Hey or Hi.

3. Keep the Content Short and Personalized

Your recipients are busy folk just like you.

They don’t have time (or patience) to read a 500-word essay disguised as a follow-up email. 

So keep it short, sharp, and tailored to them.

Your follow-up emails should be around 80 to 120 words tops — just enough to remind them who you are, why you’re writing, and what you want them to do next.

Remember: Generic = Ignored. Personalization = Replies.

4. Mention Why You Are Following Up

After your greeting, quickly get to the point – Why did you send a follow-up?

Have you reached out to them to check on a previous email, ask for feedback, or see if they’re interested in hopping on a quick call, make it clear and easy to respond to.

Here are some examples:

• “Just following up on the email I sent last Thursday regarding [topic]…”
• “Wanted to check in and see if you had any thoughts on my earlier message about [X]…”
• “I reached out recently about [specific solution] and thought I’d check back in.”

Following up with such a quick context and a specific task will make it easy for them to respond positively.

5. Show That You Can Bring Value

This one’s for my cold emailers out there — the brave souls sliding into inboxes uninvited.

When you’re following up without any prior relationship, you need to show your next prospective customer why you’re worth their time.

You don’t have to pitch your product or service right away… that would make you look very salesy and pushy. And honestly — no one likes that.

Instead, focus on value.

Share something helpful or relevant to them. It could be:

• Quick stats or insights related to their industry.
• A free resource, template, or guide.
• A one-liner on how you helped a similar company solve a pain point.

You’re not selling — you’re starting a conversation. That’s what gets you replies.

6. Include a Soft CTA

You’ve greeted your recipient, reminded them why you’re reaching out, and even brought some value to the table — now what?

It’s time to gently guide them toward the next step (without sounding like a pushy salesperson from a 90s infomercial.)

This is where you use a soft call-to-action.

See how I specifically said soft? That’s because you’re not closing a deal — you’re starting a conversation.

You want to make it easy for them to respond, not feel like they’re committing to a 12-month contract.

Here are a few soft CTA examples you can steal:

• “Would love to hear your thoughts when you get a chance.”
• “Open to chatting more about this sometime this week?”
• “Happy to send more info if you’re interested.”

7. Show Gratitude

Always thank your prospects for their time and consideration. Whether they read your email or not is different. 

You may not believe it, but a simple “Thank you for your time” can be the difference between being seen as polite… or pushy.

Here are some ways to end your cold email follow-ups with appreciation:

• I appreciate your time and look forward to connecting further.
• Thank you again for your consideration. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything else.
• I hope you have an excellent rest of your week. I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

8. Sign Off With Your Name and Contact Info

The last part of the email – signing off your email in style (professionally)

This is where you leave a good final impression. A clean sign-off shows you’re thoughtful, organized, and easy to reach — all great things in a follow-up.

Keep it simple and polished:

• “Best,”
• “Thanks,”
• “Cheers,”
• “Warm regards,” (if you’re in your formal feels)

Then add:

• Your full name
• Your role/company
• Phone number(optional, but helpful)

Feel free to check out the 80+ email sign-offs that have helped me over the years.

Basically, make sure they know who you are and how to find you without needing to LinkedIn-stalk you.

9. Proofread Your Follow-Up Emails

With those 8 steps, your follow-up email is almost ready to hit “send” — but wait!

Don’t ruin all that hard work with a silly typo or a “Hi [FirstName]” instead of “Hi David”.

Give your email one final read-through.

Then read it again! (2-factor authentication)

Check for:

• Spelling and grammar
• Correct name and company
• Tone (does it still sound like you?)

You want to come across as sharp and professional, not like you sent a follow-up between sips of cold coffee and doomscrolling.

10. Send at an Appropriate Time

Timing matters!

You could write the world’s best follow-up email, but if you send it at 11:59 PM on a Friday night… well, good luck with that.

The best time to send your follow-up emails is:

• Weekday mornings (9–11 AM)
• Early afternoons (1–3 PM)

Avoid weekends, holidays, and anything that screams, “This could’ve waited.”

Also, consider their time zone!

When Should You Send Follow-Up Emails?

Most experts recommend waiting at least 2 or 3 days before you send out your first follow-up email.

If you’re planning to send multiple follow-up emails, your waiting period between each follow-up email should gradually increase depending on the number of follow-ups you plan on sending. 

Below is a chart that depicts the ideal follow-up sequence for 6 follow-up emails (ideally 6 touchpoints, including the first one is a good number to follow).

Follow-Up Email Sequence Timeline:

Follow-up Email Templates & Examples (With Sequences)

In this section, I have given templates for different use cases for writing a follow up email. Also, to help you more, I have added a total of 3 follow up emails as a sequence.

As we know, many times, it takes more than 1 follow up email to convince the prospect.

1. Interview Follow Up Email Templates
2. Job Application Follow Up Email Templates
3. Follow Up Email After No Response Templates
4. Sales Follow Up Email Templates
5. Meeting Follow Up Email Templates
6. Polite Follow Up Email Templates
7. Networking Follow Up Email Templates
8. Marketing Follow Up Email Templates
9. Discovery/Inquiry Call Follow Up Email Templates

Interview Follow Up Email Templates

1st Follow-Up Email – (Send 3 days after initial outreach email)

Subject:Thanks for the Opportunity, {{Interviewer’s Name}}
Hello {{Interviewer’s Name}},

Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the {{Job Title}} role at {{Company Name}}. After learning more about your team’s goals, 

I’m confident my experience in {{Relevant Skill/Experience}} can help {{mention specific contribution to the company’s goals or challenges}}.

Thanks again for your time and consideration. Please let me know if you need any further information from me.

Best regards,
{{Your Name}}

2nd Follow-Up Email – (Send 4-5 days after the first follow-up)

Subject:Following Up on {{Job Title}} Position
Hi {{Interviewer’s Name}},

I hope you’re doing well! Since our interview, I’ve been thinking more about {{specific project or goal discussed}} and wanted to share a few initial ideas on how we might tackle it, such as {{mention a specific suggestion or insight related to the job}}.

I’m very excited about the chance to contribute to {{Company Name}}’s success and am ready to hit the ground running.

Thank you for considering my application. I’m happy to elaborate on any of these ideas if helpful!

Best,
{{Your Name}}

3rd Follow-Up Email – (Send 7 days after the second follow-up email)

Subject:Final Check-In on {{Job Title}} Role
Hello {{Interviewer’s Name}},

I wanted to check in regarding the {{Job Title}} position and also share a recent case study or resource that might be relevant.
 
{{Briefly mention the resource or example, and explain how it aligns with the team’s needs}}. I hope this demonstrates my commitment to bringing fresh, actionable strategies to {{Company Name}}.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to the possibility of working together!

Sincerely,
{{Your Name}}

Job Application Follow Up Email Templates

1st Follow-Up Email – (Send 1 day after interview)

Subject:Re: Same subject line as the original email
Hello {{Hiring Manager’s Name}},

Thank you for the opportunity to apply for the {{Job Title}} position at {{Company Name}}. 

I’m excited about the potential to contribute to your team and leverage my skills in {{Relevant Skill/Experience}} to {{mention specific value or solution for a company goal}}.

Please feel free to reach out if there’s any additional information I can provide.

Best regards,
{{Your Name}}

2nd Follow-Up Email – (Send 1 week)

Subject:Follow-Up on {{Job Title}} Application
Hi {{Hiring Manager’s Name}},

I hope you’re well! I wanted to follow up on my application for the {{Job Title}} position and share an insight relevant to {{specific company goal or challenge}}.

Based on my experience with {{mention a related project, tool, or process}}, I have some ideas for {{specific solution or approach}} that could help {{Company Name}} achieve {{specific goal}}.

Thank you again for considering my application, and I’d be happy to discuss these ideas further if helpful!

Best,
{{Your Name}}

3rd Follow-Up Email – (Send 1 week after the second follow-up email)

Subject:Final Check-In for {{Job Title}} Position
Hello {{Hiring Manager’s Name}},

I wanted to reach out one last time regarding the {{Job Title}} position and share a quick resource that might align with your team’s focus on {{mention a company priority or project}}.
 
{{Briefly describe the resource or a relevant example from your experience, connecting it to their goals}}.

Thank you again for your time and consideration. I look forward to the possibility of contributing to {{Company Name}}.

Sincerely,
{{Your Name}}

Follow Up Email After No Response Templates

1st Follow-Up Email – (Send 2-3 days after initial outreach email)

Subject:Same subject line as the original email
Hello {{Recipient’s Name}},

I wanted to follow up on my last email regarding {{mention your service or offer}}. 

I know things can get busy, but I’m reaching out because we’ve recently helped companies similar to {{Recipient’s Company}} achieve {{specific result or benefit}}.

If you’re interested, I’d love to explore ways we can help {{Recipient’s Company}} do the same.

Best regards,
{{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 {{Recipient’s Name}},

I understand that {{Company Pain Point}} is a key area for companies like {{Recipient’s Company}}. Based on what I’ve seen in your industry, one way to approach this challenge is through {{mention a specific strategy or solution}}. 

This approach has shown promising results, such as {{specific benefit achieved by other clients}}.

If this sounds relevant, I’d be glad to discuss more and see how it could work for {{Recipient’s Company}}.

Best,
{{Your Name}}

3rd Follow-Up Email – (Send 1 week after the second follow-up email)

Subject:Same subject line as the original email
Hello {{Recipient’s Name}},

I wanted to touch base one last time regarding {{your service/solution}}. 

To give a bit more context, companies like 
{{Recipient’s Company}} often see {{mention a significant benefit or transformation}} when implementing solutions like ours.

If you’d like, we could set up a quick call to see if this would be a fit. No pressure – just an exploration to see if we can help.

Sincerely,
{{Your Name}}

Sales Follow Up Email Templates

1st Follow-Up Email – (Send after 2-3 days)

Subject:Same subject line as the original email
Hi [First Name],

I wanted to share a quick success story that might be relevant. Recently, we helped [similar company] improve their [specific result, like “conversion rate”] by [specific %].

Would you be open to a quick chat to see if we could do the same for [Company Name]?

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 [First Name],

Just a follow-up! We recently assisted [Client’s Industry Company] in increasing [relevant metric, e.g., “lead engagement by 40%”] happy to share more if you’re curious.

Would you be interested in a quick summary of how this was achieved?

Best,
[Your Name]

3rd Follow-Up Email – (Send 1 week after the second follow-up email)

Subject:Same subject line as the original email
Hi [First Name],

To make this as valuable as possible, I’d be happy to offer a free [service, e.g., “audit”] on your [specific area, e.g., “outreach strategy”]. You’d see actionable insights right away.

Interested?

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Meeting Follow Up Email Templates

1st Follow-Up Email – (Send after 1-2 days)

Subject:Quick follow-up on our meeting request
Hi {{FirstName}},

I hope you're well! I wanted to check if you had a chance to review my earlier request to meet. I’d love to connect and explore how {{YourService}} could support {{TheirCompany}}.

Are there any questions I can answer that would help? Let me know if another time is better for us to chat.

Best,
{{YourName}}

2nd Follow-Up Email – (Send 1 week after the first follow-up email)

Subject:Same subject line as original email
Hi {{FirstName}},

Following up on my last note, I came across {{specific insight, article, or industry trend}} that might be relevant to {{TheirCompany}}.

Let me know if you’d be open to a brief discussion on how we can leverage this in {{TheirIndustry}}. I’m flexible on timing and can work with your schedule.

Best regards,
{{YourName}}

3rd Follow-Up Email – (Send 1 week after the second follow-up email)

Subject:Same subject line as original email
Hi {{FirstName}},

Just wanted to circle back on my earlier messages. I’d still love to connect and see if there’s a good fit between our goals and needs. 

Based on your {{LinkedIn, website, or other}} updates, I feel there’s potential value we can explore together.

Please let me know if you’re open to a chat—happy to accommodate any preferred timing.

Thanks again,
{{YourName}}

Polite Follow Up Email Templates

1st Follow-Up Email – (Send after 3-4 days)

Subject:Same subject line as original email
Dear {{FirstName}},

I hope this note finds you well. I am writing to follow up regarding my last inquiry on {{topic}}. 

I realize you may have a full schedule, and I’m happy to provide any additional information that might assist in making a decision.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Kind regards,
{{YourName}}

2nd Follow-Up Email – (Send 4-5 days after the first follow-up email)

Subject:Same subject line as original email
Dear {{FirstName}},

I hope all is well on your end. In light of my previous email, I wanted to share a quick success story: We recently assisted {{ClientName or Company}} with a similar initiative and achieved {{specific result}}.

I’d be pleased to discuss how we could support your goals in a similar way, should you find this helpful.

Warm regards,
{{YourName}}

3rd Follow-Up Email – (Send 1 week after the second follow-up email)

Subject:Same subject line as original email
Dear {{FirstName}},

I just wanted to reach out one last time, as I know things can get busy. If you’re still interested in exploring {{YourService}}, I’d be more than happy to provide any details you may need.

Please feel free to reach out at your convenience—I’ll gladly work around your schedule.

Many thanks, and wishing you all the best.
{{YourName}}

Networking Follow Up Email Templates

1st Follow-Up Email – (Send after 2 to 3 days)

Subject:Same subject line as original email
Hi {{FirstName}},

It was a pleasure meeting you at {{Event or Place}}. I’d love to keep the conversation going, especially around {{shared interest or relevant topic}}.

Are you open to a quick follow-up chat this week to explore ways we might support each other?

Best,
{{YourName}}

2nd Follow-Up Email – (Send 3 days past)

Subject:Same subject line as original email
Hi {{FirstName}},

I enjoyed our conversation and thought you might appreciate this {{article, podcast, or resource}} on {{topic we discussed}}.

Let me know if you’d be interested in connecting soon to discuss potential synergies.

Warm regards,
{{YourName}}

3rd Follow-Up Email – (Send 1 week after the second follow-up email)

Subject:Same subject line as original email
Hi {{FirstName}},

Just following up on our recent exchange—I’m excited about the alignment between {{YourField}} and your work at {{TheirCompany}}.

Are you available for a brief meeting this month? I think we could find some beneficial overlaps in our goals.

Thanks for considering,
{{YourName}}

Marketing Follow Up Email Templates

1st Follow-Up Email – (Send 2-3 days after)

Subject:Same subject line as original email
Dear {{FirstName}},

I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to politely follow up on my previous message regarding marketing support for {{TheirCompany}}. 

If you have any questions or would like further details, I’d be happy to provide information on how we could assist with your marketing goals.

Thank you very much for your time.

Best regards,
{{YourName}}

2nd Follow-Up Email – (Send 4-5 days after the first follow-up email)

Subject:Same subject line as origianl email
Dear {{FirstName}},

I hope your week is going well. I wanted to share a quick resource I thought you might find helpful: {{Link to an article, case study, or recent trend}}. 

It provides insights on {{relevant topic}}, which may be beneficial to {{TheirCompany}}’s marketing strategy.

If you’d like to discuss how we can apply these ideas together, I’d be glad to help.

Warm regards,
{{YourName}}

3rd Follow-Up Email – (Send 1 week after the second follow-up email)

Subject:Same subject line as original email
Dear {{FirstName}},

I just wanted to reach out one last time in case my previous messages didn’t reach you. If there’s anything I can assist with on the marketing front, please feel free to reach out. 

I’d love to help if the timing is right for you. Many thanks for considering, and wishing you continued success.

Best wishes,
{{YourName}}

Discovery/Inquiry Call Follow Up Email Templates

1st Follow-Up Email – (Send 3 days after initial outreach email)

Subject:Same subject line as original email
Hi {{FirstName}},

I hope this finds you well! I wanted to check back regarding my last inquiry on {{topic}}.

Is there any information I can provide to help us get started?

Thank you!
{{YourName}}

2nd Follow-Up Email – (Send 7 days after the first follow-up email)

Subject:Same subject line as original email
Hi {{FirstName}},

Following up with a quick success story: We recently helped {{ClientName or Company}} with a similar project, achieving {{specific result}}.

Let me know if this resonates with your goals, and I’d be happy to discuss details.

Best,
{{YourName}}

3rd Follow-Up Email – (Send 1-2 weeks after the second follow-up email)

Subject:Same subject line as original email
Hi {{FirstName}},

I just wanted to check in one last time in case my previous emails didn’t reach you. If you’re still interested in {{YourService}}, I’d love to help.

Please feel free to reach out anytime.

Warm regards,
{{YourName}}

Best Practices for Sending Follow-Up Emails

These days, many things work, and many don’t.  I receive many emails that grab my attention. Just like this one,

Yes!!! Just a simple GIF in the follow-up email and nothing else. 

But I would give you more specific and valuable pointers that you can actually follow to increase your chances of getting more responses.

1. Use Personalization
2. Verify Your Emails
3. Preview Your Emails Before Sending
4. Optimize The Content For Mobile
5. A/B Test Your Content
6. Optimize Your From Section
7. Optimize The Timing
8. Reference Previous Communication
9. Optimize Call To Action With Each Follow-Up
10. Ask The Right Questions

1. Use Personalization

When sending follow-up emails, always avoid blasting out identical generic mass emails. Instead, make a practice to personalize each follow-up with the individual prospect’s name, company, role, or other unique details.

Mentioning something like “Hi [name], I know as Director of [company] you’re likely busy with [initiative]…” shows this is not a blind copied template email. 

The extra effort makes it clear you sincerely want to connect with that specific person, not just anyone in their role. This personal touch, in turn, helps to build rapport.

2. Verify Your Emails

You need a tool to check your email list. If your emails are not valid, they are likely to be bounced and harm your sender’s reputation. 

To save your business from that, use an email tracking tool and keep an eye on your email’s performance. 

By using these tools, you can send cold emails and then write follow-up emails that are different from those that were completely ignored and different from those that were opened and yet ignored.

3. Preview Your Emails Before Sending

This point again circles back to making your content well-formatted and mobile-friendly. 

You can do it by checking a preview of your email and seeing how it will appear on different devices. 

This preview will also help in checking if your subject line is appearing completely or not.

4. Optimize The Content For Mobile

Why? Because we never know when the prospects will read the emails. If they read it after office hours, the email will be read-only on their mobiles. So, keeping it optimized is essential.

To ensure your emails are mobile-optimized, ensure the content is short, well-formatted, and the subject line is under 5 to 7 words. 

Also, if you add images or GIFs to your emails, make sure they load properly on the mobile version. If you add tables, they appear properly on the mobile version.

5. A/B Test Your Content

This point is self-explanatory. As you connect with the prospect for the first time, you don’t know what might impress him. 

So, testing a few variations in content but still being within limits can increase your chances of getting a response from the prospect. 

Make sure you do not overdo it. In the end, we want to convince him and not confuse him.

6. Optimize Your From Section

This point is something that the majority of emailers forget when sending a follow-up email. If your first email was not opened, chances are you were considered as someone who just bombards their inbox without providing any value. 

So, to provide your clear identity, your form section should clearly mention your name + Your company name. 

This ensures the readers that the email is from a valid business and a genuine person who wants to connect with them.

7. Optimize The Timing

When sending a follow-up email, you want to strike a careful balance between contacting the recipient soon enough that your initial outreach is still at the top of your mind. But at the same time, you should make sure to avoid bombarding their inbox to the point of annoyance. 

A good rule of thumb is to follow up 2-3 business days after your initial email if you have not received a response. 

This shows you are eager to connect without being overzealous.

Ideally, you should give the prospect about a week or so to reply before considering a second outreach attempt. 

This is because people are super busy nowadays and may need time to review your request or gather information before responding. 

So, don’t barrage your prospect’s inbox with multiple unanswered emails over a short period. Sending too many follow-up emails will only increase the risk of appearing aggressive or desperate.

8. Reference Previous Communication

Always add a point from your first cold email to give the readers an idea in case they read your first email. It will provide them with context about you and what you offer. 

This will also help create a consistent image in the reader’s eyes. When doing this, make sure you write in a different variation and do not copy-paste the exact thing.

9. Optimize Call To Action With Each Follow-Up

Usually, the outcome we want from the prospect is the same. Although we increase the number of follow-up emails, the result we want remains the same.

But here, we can say the same thing with a twist: try to make the CTA easier for him or increase its value. 

By doing this, you can ensure that if the prospect was not convinced of the CTA in the previous emails, he might like the second one better.

10.  Ask The Right Questions

Finally, I know it might take time, and doing good research takes time, but asking the right questions cannot be ignored. 

Finding the exact pain point and then asking what help can solve their problem is the line to convince them. 

That one line, that one question, can make or break the impact of your follow-up email efforts. So, take time, research, ask the right questions, and offer the right solutions. 

Want to learn more strategies and what works? Check this video

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Sending Follow-Up Emails

Read this section to avoid making mistakes in your next follow-up emails.

Trust me, you don’t want to ignore this, as I have seen many businesses losing efforts to generate responses from follow-up emails due to these mistakes.

1. Overdoing Email Follow-Ups
2. Not Increasing The Value In Content
3. Using Unprofessional Tone
4. Missing Out On Small Technical Errors
5. Confusing Cold Email With Email Marketing

1. Overdoing Email Follow-Ups

Following up with prospects is important, but there’s a fine line between being persistent and a pushover. 

Therefore, I always recommend refraining from bombarding someone’s inbox with repeated, frequent emails, especially if they are not responding. 

Sending too many follow-ups in a short period of time can come across as desperate or pushy.

That’s why you should give people reasonable time to review your outreach and gather information before responding – typically 7-10 business days. 

2. Not Increasing The Value In Content

Another thing to keep in mind is to not simply send the exact same email repeatedly. Instead, always make sure that each follow-up email you send provides new value to the recipient. 

In simple terms, you should strive to give them a reason to open it and be motivated to engage.

For this, you can consider including a relevant article, white paper, or industry report that would interest them based on their role. Furthermore, you can also share new company news or updates from when you last connected. 

Most importantly, if you have a recent testimonial from a shared connection or existing customer, make sure to highlight it. Alternatively, you can also offer an exclusive discount, trial, or sneak peek at your product.

Remember, the goal is to add something fresh and compelling that catches their attention.

Don’t just rehash the same talking points or generically say, “checking in.” Instead, give them something useful to consider, which also encourages them to respond.

3. Using Unprofessional Tone

Your tone matters a lot when writing a follow-up email. Your first few lines determine whether the reader will continue reading your message, reply to it, or just increase your soft bounce rate. 

Being overly personal will not help here. Make sure you appear as a business and not a salesy person who sounds needy or too demanding in their words.  

When we speak about tone, it starts with the subject line.

If you are continuing with the same subject line, you don’t have to think, but if you are trying a new subject line, make sure it matches the overall tone of the email.

4. Missing Out On Small Technical Errors

Follow up emails are crucial as they increase your chances of getting conversation from the prospect. So, to master that, you should avoid the smallest mistakes possible. 

A few things you can keep in mind are,

• Not writing proper “From” line and not associating it with the rest of the email.
• Using too many links and massive media files.
• Not checking preview before sending cold emails.
• Forgetting to add the unsubscribe button.

5. Confusing Cold Email With Email Marketing

When writing cold emails, I often see people make the rookie mistake of sounding overly sales-driven.

I always emphasize that if your cold email mirrors the same marketing messages that your prospects are bombarded with daily, you can be certain it won’t get any response.

Keeping the intent and approach of cold emails distinct from email marketing is crucial. The two require different strategies.

How to Send Follow-Up Emails on Autopilot?

Sending multiple follow-up emails is key to generating more responses and turning leads into customers. 

This is because following up after an initial email shows that you care about and are invested in building an ongoing relationship. 

Furthermore, it also gives you another opportunity to provide additional context or answer any additional questions your prospect may have.

But, if you’re reaching out to hundreds of prospects every week, following up on each prospect manually isn’t possible. That’s why we recommend using cold email software that lets you automate the entire follow-up process.

Saleshandy, for starters, is a leading cold email software that comes integrated with auto follow-up functionality. It lets you set up multiple follow-up emails that are sent out based on a pre-defined schedule.

But more than that, Saleshandy also helps you take care of your entire cold email campaign. 

Let’s look at some of the key features that make Salehandy the number #1 cold email software in the market.

• Merge Tags – Merge tags allow you to personalize your emails by automatically inserting information like the recipient’s name, company, etc. into the email content. Helps make emails more targeted and personalized.
• Spintax – Spintax helps to write multiple variations of a section of text that can be randomly interchanged. This allows for greater variation in email content to avoid repetition.
• Email Ramp-Up – The email ramp-up feature gradually increases the number of emails sent over time after launching the automated email campaign. This prevents sending too many emails at once.
• A-Z Variants – A-Z Variants allows you to create 26 different variations of an email by substituting A to Z in certain parts of the email content. This adds more uniqueness to automated email campaigns.
• Auto Follow-Up – Automatically sends follow-up emails to recipients who haven’t opened or clicked on initial emails. This helps with improving lead engagement.
• Sender Rotation – Sender Rotation automatically rotates the sender name/email address used when sending emails in an automated campaign to avoid spam filters.
• Sequence Score – The Sequence Score feature gives a score to assess the effectiveness of an automated email sequence to help optimize it.
• Unified Inbox – Unified Inbox lets you manage multiple email accounts from different providers in one Saleshandy inbox. This improves email organization and productivity.

The best part? – Using Saleshandy to send personalized initial & follow-up emails automatically is pretty straightforward.

Here are the steps you need to follow to set up an automated initial + follow-up email sequence from Saleshandy.

Key Takeaway

Following up with potential clients or leads via email can be an effective way to spark engagement and move deals forward. 

But with the right balance of courtesy, consideration, and compelling content, you can craft follow-up emails that spark positive connections and drive real results. 

FAQs

1. How many follow-up emails should I send?

When it comes to follow-up emails, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach on how many to send. But a general rule of thumb is sending between 3-9 strategic follow-up emails to get prospects to respond to your emails.

2. Why send follow-ups?

Sending follow-ups helps to reconnect and continue conversations, which will eventually lead to more fruitful connections and closed deals over time.

3. How often should you send follow-up emails?

For first follow-ups, 1-3 days after your initial outreach is ideal. For cold contacts, space out follow-ups progressively. Try 1 week after the initial email, 2 weeks after the 1st follow-up, then 3-4 weeks for any additional notes. The goal is to remain top of mind without being overbearing.

4. What should I do if I still don’t get a response after multiple follow-up emails?

If you still don’t get a response after multiple follow-up emails, it’s best to shift your energy to other prospects after a couple of attempts.

5. How do I automate a follow-up email in Gmail/Outlook?

Gmail and Outlook don’t provide the auto follow-up feature natively. You will have to use a third-party email outreach tool like Saleshandy for sending automated follow-up emails.