10 Sales Follow-Up Emails the Pros Send to Prospects [Free Templates]

The Follow Up Email: Your Secret Weapon for Closing More Deals

If you work in sales, you know the initial pitch is only half the battle. The real work begins after that first call or meeting. You need to stay top-of-mind, provide value, overcome objections, and ultimately convince the buyer to sign on the dotted line. And one of the most effective tools to accomplish all of that is a well-crafted follow up email.

Think about it – your prospects are busy. They‘re getting bombarded with calls, emails, and LinkedIn messages from countless other salespeople. It‘s easy for them to forget about you after that first interaction, no matter how compelling your offer was.

That‘s where follow up comes in. A strategic series of emails can help you break through the noise, build trust, demonstrate your expertise, and guide prospects further down the sales funnel. Follow up emails give you more opportunities to showcase your solution‘s value prop, share helpful resources, answer lingering questions, and ask for the sale.

But here‘s the thing – there‘s definitely a right and wrong way to do it. We‘ve all been on the receiving end of terrible, spammy follow up emails that make us click "delete" without a second thought. If your emails are too generic, pushy, or self-serving, you‘ll quickly get tuned out and lose that deal.

The key is writing follow up messages that are personalized, relevant, and genuinely helpful to each unique buyer. You need to strike the right balance of being persistent without being annoying, and always focusing on how you can add value to them (not the other way around).

To help you get it right, let‘s break down some best practices and share templates you can use for any sales situation.

Follow Up Email Writing Best Practices
Before we dive into the templates, here are some general "rules" to keep in mind when drafting your follow up emails:

1. Personalize as much as possible. Buyers can sniff out a mass email from a mile away. Use their name, reference specific points from your earlier conversation, and show you‘ve done your research on their company and role. Little personal details go a long way.

2. Craft an attention-grabbing subject line. It doesn‘t matter how brilliant the body of your email is if it never gets opened. Your subject line should be clear, concise, and give the recipient a reason to click. Avoid generic lines like "Following up" or "Checking in" – instead, tease the value inside, like "Quick question about [goal]" or "[Name], saw your post about [topic]".

3. Keep it short and skimmable. Again, buyers are busy and their attention is limited. Get to the point quickly, break your message up into a few short paragraphs, and make your ask clear. Aim for 5-7 sentences max.

4. Focus on their needs, not your product. No one likes to be "sold to." Make the email about them – their goals, challenges, timeline, and how you can uniquely help. Only bring up your product in the context of their situation. This shows you care about their success, not just making a sale.

5. Provide value in every touch. Each email should offer something of value to the recipient, whether that‘s a helpful resource, a new idea, a customer story, or an exclusive invite. Don‘t just reach out for the sake of "checking in" – have a purpose behind each message.

6. Make a clear ask. Don‘t assume they know what you want them to do next. End each email with a specific call-to-action, like scheduling a call, reviewing a proposal, or making an introduction. Make it easy for them to take that next step.

7. Proofread before hitting send. Typos or grammatical errors can undermine your credibility. Always take a few extra minutes to review your email for mistakes or unclear language. It helps to read it out loud!

8. Test, measure, iterate. Keep an eye on your open rates, responses, and conversions. Don‘t be afraid to experiment with different subject lines, body copy, and offers. Over time, you‘ll start to hone in on a "formula" that works best for your audience and offer.

9 Sales Follow Up Email Templates for Every Scenario
With those best practices in mind, let‘s take a look at some specific templates you can use (or adapt) for a variety of common sales situations. Use these as a starting point, then customize for your unique prospect and offer.

1. Follow up after leaving a voicemail
   Immediately after leaving a voicemail, send a brief email to increase your chances of connecting.

[Name],

Sorry I missed you on the phone today. I was calling because [explain purpose].

My voicemail said I‘ll try you again on [date and time]. Feel free to reach me anytime before then at [phone number].

Best,

[Your name]

2. Follow up after an event or trade show
   Post-event follow ups are a chance to remind them of your conversation and share relevant resources.

Hi [Name],

Great meeting you at [event] this week! I enjoyed our conversation about [topic/challenge].

As promised, I‘m attaching some information about how [company] helps [job title] with [pain point]. Let me know if you have any questions.

If you‘re open to it, I‘d love to schedule a quick call to learn more about your goals around [initiative] and share some ideas. How does [date and time] look on your calendar?

Cheers,

[Signature]

3. Follow up after an initial discovery call or demo
   This is where you can dig deeper into their challenges and position your solution as the answer.

[Name],

Thanks for taking the time to chat today. It was great learning more about [company]‘s goals and challenges around [topic].

From our conversation, it sounds like your top priorities are:

• [Priority 1]
• [Priority 2]
• [Priority 3]

As a next step, I‘d like to share some examples of how we‘ve helped similar companies achieve [benefit 1], [benefit 2], and [benefit 3] by [solution capabilities].

Do you have 30 minutes available on [date and time] to walk through a tailored plan? Let me know what works best for you.

[Signature]

4. Second and third follow up attempts
   It can take multiple attempts to get a response – just focus on providing value with each touch.

Example #1

Hi [Name],

I know you‘re busy, so I‘ll keep this brief. I‘ve been thinking more about what you shared in terms of [challenge] and [goal].

I came across this [article/guide/case study] that I thought you might find helpful – it outlines a few strategies our clients have used to [achieve result]. Let me know your thoughts!

Also, were you able to find some availability on your calendar to connect further? I have time on [date] or [date] if either works well for you. If not, just share a few windows that are more convenient.

Best,

[Your name]

Example #2

[Name],

I‘ve tried reaching you a few times regarding [opportunity] and haven‘t heard back. That tells me one of a few things:

1. You‘re interested but haven‘t had the time to respond. No problem, I know how busy things can get! Let‘s book a call to discuss this further.

2. You‘ve already chosen another provider for [solution area]. If that‘s the case, thanks for considering us. I‘d love to understand what made them a better fit. Any feedback you have would be greatly appreciated.

3. Your needs have changed and you‘re no longer evaluating [solution area]. No worries at all, just let me know so I can close your file.

4. You aren‘t the right person to discuss this with. If so, who would you recommend I talk to instead?

Appreciate you letting me know where things stand. Looking forward to hearing from you!

[Signature]

5. "Last attempt" or breakup email
   If you‘ve followed up several times with no response, send one last message to get clarity on their interest before moving on.

Hi [Name],

I‘ve reached out a few times now to discuss how [company] can help with [pain points], but haven‘t heard back.

I know how busy you must be and completely understand if this isn‘t a priority right now. I don‘t want to keep bothering you, so let me know if any of these apply:

A) [Company] isn‘t a good fit for your needs at this time.
B) You‘re interested but the timing isn‘t right. Check back in [timeframe].
C) You‘d like me to keep following up. I will call again on [date and time].
D) Something else!

If I don‘t hear from you, I‘ll assume the timing isn‘t right and will close your file. But feel free to reach out anytime if you‘d like to revisit the conversation!

Regards,

[Your name]

6. Appointment confirmation email
   Always send a reminder email 24-48 hours before a scheduled call or meeting.

Hi [Name],

Looking forward to our [meeting/call] on [date] at [time]. I‘ll plan to [call you / send a Zoom link / meet you at office].

The agenda will be:

• [Agenda item 1]
• [Agenda item 2]
• [Agenda item 3]

Let me know if you need to adjust the time or have any other topics you‘d like to discuss. Talk to you then!

[Signature]

7. Reconnecting with past clients
   Rekindle old relationships by offering something interesting and relevant to their current situation.

[Name],

I hope you‘re doing well! I saw that [company] [recent announcement – funding, product launch, new hire]. Congrats on the exciting news.

It got me thinking about our past work together on [project] and the great results you were able to achieve, like [result 1] and [result 2]. I‘d love to hear how things have progressed since then.

[Company] has also had some exciting updates – we recently launched [new offering] to help clients like you [benefit]. I think it could be a great fit for your current [initiatives/challenges].

Do you have a few minutes in the coming weeks to catch up? I‘d enjoy reconnecting and sharing some ideas with you. Let me know what your calendar looks like.

Cheers,

[Your name]

8. "Sorry I missed you" email
   If your call goes to voicemail, immediately follow up with an email to pique their interest.

Hi [Name],

Just left you a voicemail but I know how busy you are and wanted to make sure this gets on your radar. I was calling about [reason] and had a couple quick questions:

1. [Question 1]
2. [Question 2]
3. [Question 3]

If you could get back to me with your thoughts on the above, I‘d really appreciate it. I‘m also happy to arrange a call if that‘s easier – just let me know a few times that work for you this week.

Talk to you soon,

[Signature]

Putting Templates Into Practice
As you can see from these examples, the goal with every follow up email is to provide value, show you understand their world, and make it easy for the buyer to take the next step.

The specific content and timing may vary based on your industry, offer, and pipeline. For example, you might have a 7, 14, or 30-day cadence. You may rely more heavily on content like blog posts and webinars, or lean towards social proof like case studies and testimonials. Test out a few approaches to see what resonates with your audience.

Ultimately, it‘s about being helpful, relevant, and persistent (without being a pest). By doing so, you‘ll stand out from competitors, accelerate deals through your pipeline, and build real relationships that lead to long-term revenue.

Some Additional Tips to Boost Your Email Efforts
On top of nailing your email content, here are a few other ways to level up your follow up game:

Use a sales engagement tool to personalize templates at scale, automate your cadence, and track which messages are working best. Look for a solution that integrates with your CRM and provides real-time alerts.

Lean on other channels like phone and social media to supplement your emails. For example, look for trigger events on LinkedIn to fuel a timely, relevant email. Or reference your email in a voicemail to create a multi-touch experience.

Add value with every touch by linking to helpful third-party content, inviting them to an exclusive event, or offering a free consultation. Focus on education, not just promotion.

Experiment with video emails to build a more personal connection. Even a quick 30-second intro clip can help you stand out in a crowded inbox and put a face to your name.

Consider your timing and frequency. Studies show the best days to send emails are Tuesday-Thursday, either early morning or after lunch. Aim to wait at least 3-4 days between touches.

Don‘t forget to follow up after the sale too! Check in periodically to see how they‘re doing with your product, offer additional support, or ask for referrals. Keeping the relationship warm can lead to upsells, expansions, and advocacy down the line.

Mastering the art of follow up emails takes practice, but it‘s well worth the effort. Invest the time to craft messages that engage your prospects, show your value, and move deals forward. Your pipeline (and commission check) will thank you.