Thinking about how to write a follow-up email for better progression with your cold email campaigns?
A well-timed and thoughtfully composed follow-up email can make the difference between securing a new opportunity and being forgotten. However, many sales professionals struggle with what to say, how much to say, and when to say it.
The key actually lies in understanding the dynamics of communication and the subtle art of persuasion in a business context. It is about striking the perfect balance between persistence and courtesy and ensuring your cold email is both compelling and providing value.
Read on to uncover practical tips and techniques that will enhance your follow-up email strategy and increase your chances of getting a response!
A follow-up cold email is an email you send after an initial cold email to maintain engagement and increase the likelihood of a response. This type of email aims to remind the recipient of the previous communication and often offers additional information to persuade the potential lead.
Writing follow-up emails after an initial cold email is an indispensable tactic in cold email marketing for several reasons.
Follow-up emails are often where the conversation starts. Sending a single follow-up can boost reply rates significantly, as the first email might go unnoticed or forgotten in a busy inbox.
Sending follow-ups shows potential clients that you value building a relationship with them. This repeated effort can help establish trust and demonstrate that your offer isn’t just a one-time pitch but a thoughtful, ongoing proposition.
Follow-ups provide an opportunity to clarify any points from the initial email that might not have delivered the best. They also allow you to furnish additional information that can help the recipient make an informed decision.
Every follow-up email increases your brand’s visibility in the recipient’s inbox. This repetition keeps your brand fresh in their minds, which can be crucial when they finally decide to engage with a service.
Sales professionals often see persistence as a sign of dedication in business. A well-timed follow-up shows that you are serious about your offer, which can impress potential clients who value determination.
Each follow-up email gives you a chance to further personalize your message based on any interaction or feedback received from previous emails. It can make your offer more appealing as it gets refined to meet the recipient’s needs better.
Timing is pivotal in the effectiveness of follow-up cold emails as much as anything else. Industry best practices suggest waiting at least two to three days before sending your first follow-up. This interval respects the recipient’s time to digest the initial message without feeling any pressure.
If you have planned subsequent follow-ups, it is advisable to extend the waiting period progressively, especially when sending multiple follow-ups. Typically, a span of three to five business days between emails is great, but it depends on the total number of follow-ups.
Tailoring these intervals based on the specific context and the recipient’s typical responsiveness can increase your chances of engagement and positive replies.
We will go through some basic aspects you need to cover while writing a follow-up email after no response.
The subject line of your follow-up email is your first and often only chance to capture the recipient’s attention. It determines whether the recipient opens your cold email or overlooks it.
First, keep the subject line concise and direct. Long subject lines often don’t appear wholly, especially on mobile devices, so it’s essential to put the most important words at the beginning. You should keep it under 50 characters, showcasing you respect your recipient’s time and making your purpose clear from the start.
Email subject lines for the Follow-up email.
You should also try to include a value proposition if it fits naturally. Let the recipient know that your email contains relevant information that benefits them.
Most importantly, you need to avoid using spammy words such as “free,” “guarantee,” or excessive punctuation like “!!!” These words can trigger spam filters and reduce the chances of your email reaching the inbox.
If you are keeping your follow-up cold email within a thread, then you won’t have to stress over the strong subject lines. This strategy can come in handy for keeping the emails organized and coordinated during the same conversation.
Easily Thread Emails with SalesMix
We can reassure you that starting a follow-up email with a personalized greeting is more than just a nicety. A thoughtful, personalized greeting shows respect and consideration for the recipient, which can make them more receptive to your message.
You have first to ensure accuracy in the recipient’s name. It might seem trivial, but an incorrectly spelled name can immediately sour the recipient’s perception of you and your message. You should also double-check the spelling and format it appropriately.
Using tools like SalesMix relieves you from these matters, as you can automatically put a variable, such as {{first_name??FALLBACK}} and let the platform automatically put the first names based on your uploaded email lists.
Personalize your follow-up emails with SalesMix
Beyond just using the name, reflect on your previous communications. Referencing something specific from earlier exchanges can be effective. For instance, if your first personalized email part was about reading an excellent post from their blog, you can say how you loved their latest week’s post or how you used knowledge from the earlier post.
Instead of diving directly into your request or repeating your previous email verbatim, briefly summarize the key points of your initial interaction. For example, you might start with, “In my last email, I said how our solutions could assist in streamlining your workflow,” or “I recently sent you some ideas on how we could collaborate on the upcoming project.”
Such references clarify the purpose of your follow-up and remind the recipient of the relevance of your communication. However, it is critical that you ensure that this reference is naturally woven into the flow of your new message.
Your follow-up email should continue your previous conversation, not a forced reminder. You need to do so without implying negligence or oversight on the recipients’ part. Phrasing like, “I understand how busy you must be, but I wanted to make sure you received…” acknowledges their busy schedule while gently pushing for a response.
Refer to your earlier cold emails.
You need to reiterate why you are reaching out by highlighting the core objective of your email in a way that resonates with the recipient’s needs or challenges. For example, if your initial email proposed a solution to a problem you believe they are facing, reframe that solution in the context of new or ongoing developments.
Your email should clarify how responding to your follow-up can provide value to the recipient. Straightforwardly articulate the benefits and remind them of the advantages if your proposal offers potential cost savings, enhanced efficiency, or resolves a significant challenge.
Try to maintain a tone of helpfulness rather than inconvenience. Your email should convey that you are offering a solution or opportunity, not merely seeking a favor. By focusing on being helpful and ready to assist, you position yourself as a resource rather than a burden.
When crafting a follow-up email, particularly after not receiving a response, it is beneficial to include new information or restate key details from your previous message. Adding value to your email will enhance the likelihood that your recipient will engage with the content.
Incorporating new information can refresh the context of your message and show ongoing engagement from your side. Your updates can include recent developments in your service, additional insights into how you can address the recipient’s challenges, or relevant changes in the industry that could help their business.
Integrate your new information into the narrative of your follow-up. For example, you can link the new details to your initial proposal by saying, “Building on our previous discussion, I thought you might be interested in knowing about our latest module, which can accelerate your project timelines by 30%.”
Provide new information about your service.
A clear and compelling call to action (CTA) is essential in a follow-up email, particularly when the initial outreach did not do the magic for you. You need to begin by deciding what specific action you want the recipient to take after reading your email.
Your CTA could range from scheduling a meeting, signing up for a webinar, responding with feedback, or simply confirming receipt of your message. Phrase the CTA with a sense of urgency and importance, but maintain politeness and professionalism.
Position your CTA strategically within your email. Most prefer placing it near the end of the email after you have outlined all pertinent information. It will ensure that the CTA catches the reader’s attention even if they don’t read the entire email.
Place the CTA for effective response.
There should be a tone of helpfulness and readiness to engage further in the CTA. It’s always a plus point to reassure the recipient that you are available to assist or provide additional information if needed.
Concluding your follow-up email with a note of appreciation can give you an opportunity to build a sense of goodwill between you and the recipient. You can recognize that their schedule may be demanding, and expressing your gratitude for their attention to your message shows respect for their time.
It is actually not that hard to gracefully appreciate them without sounding presumptive of their further engagement. A simple “Thank you for considering this” or “I appreciate your time reading this” suffices to convey your respect.
Concluding your follow-up email with a thoughtful expression of gratitude lets you leave the conversation on a high note, regardless of the outcome. This practice enhances the possibility of a positive response and builds a solid base for more amicable and productive future communications.
Determining the optimal number of follow-up emails is a common dilemma in cold email marketing. While there isn’t a universal answer that fits every situation, understanding the balance between persistence and prudence for your case is key.
Generally, three follow-ups are a practical baseline for the number of follow-ups. It allows you enough touchpoints to establish communication without overwhelming the recipient.
However, the “three-email rule” isn’t set in stone. Depending on the nature of your outreach and the recipient’s engagement, you might consider extending the sequence to between three and nine emails. This extended strategy allows for more creative and strategic touches, including varying the type of content you send.
The decision on the number of follow-ups should also consider the feedback or signals from the recipient. If they engage with your emails, then you don’t have to consider follow-up in the same way as not getting any responses from the recipient.
We will now go through some templates for your follow-up emails. You can copy them and personalize them to use as your sales follow-up email templates.
The first follow-up email is a crucial touchpoint in maintaining the momentum of your initial outreach. It helps keep your correspondence top of mind, reinforcing the value of your offerings while fostering a connection with potential clients.
1st Follow-Up Cold Email Template
You can easily copy the template from here –
Subject: Following Up on Our Discussion About {{Service}}
Hi {{first_name??FALLBACK}},
I hope this message finds you well! I wanted to touch base following our last conversation about {{Your Service}}. Have you had a chance to think about how it could fit within your operations?
I understand that making decisions like this can be significant, and I’m here to provide any further information you may need. For your convenience, I’ve attached a case study of how we’ve successfully implemented solutions for similar businesses in your industry and made them optimize their operations by almost 15% within a month.
Could we schedule a brief call to discuss this further? I believe we can address {{specific need}} and help streamline your processes. You can book a time directly on my calendar here: {{Link}}.
Thank you for considering {{Your Company Name}}. I look forward to your insights and hope to work with you to achieve great results.
Best regards,
{{Your Name}}
Your Digital Signature.
The second follow-up email plays a critical role in re-engaging your recipient.
2nd Follow-Up Cold Email Template:
2nd Follow-Up Email Template
You can copy the template for here:
Subject: {{Same subject as your earlier email}}/ Following Up on How {{Service}} Can Benefit {{Their Company}}
Hi {{first_name??FALLBACK}},
I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to follow up again regarding our proposal for {{Service}} as I haven’t heard back from you yet. I understand you have a busy schedule, and I wanted to ensure that you had all the relevant information about us.
We believe that {{Service}} can truly benefit your team at {{Their Company}} by {{briefly restate the benefits or any additional information}}. As a reminder, we currently have a free demo call for B2B SaaS founders like you to enrich our ecosystem further.
Could we possibly set up a call or a meeting next week to go over this? It would be great to answer any questions you might have and discuss the next steps. You can easily book a time that suits you here: {{Link}}.
Looking forward to your feedback, and thank you once more for considering this. I am here to assist you every step of the way.
Best Regards,
{{Your Name}}
Your Digital Signature.
The 3rd follow-up cold email could be your final attempt to engage the recipient directly before reassessing your approach. Your focus should be on demonstrating additional value and understanding without coming across as pushy or desperate.
3rd Follow-Up Cold Email Template:
3rd Follow-Up Email Format Template
Subject: {{Same subject as your earlier email}}/ Additional Insights on How {{Service}} Can Benefit {{Their Company}}
Hi {{Name}},
I hope this message finds you well. I understand that the past few weeks have been exceedingly busy for you, and I appreciate your consideration of our discussions on how {{Service}} can support {{specific goal or challenge at their company}}.
I thought you might be interested in some recent developments here at {{Your Company}}, including {{briefly describe a new feature, success story, or relevant industry insight}}. We believe these could be particularly beneficial for {{specific aspect of their business}}.
Your feedback is invaluable, and I would love to hear any thoughts or suggestions you might have on our proposal. Are there other areas your team is focusing on that we might be able to help with?
Thank you again for your time and consideration. I’m here as a resource for you and look forward to any questions you might have when the time is right for you.
Warm regards,
{{Your Name}}
Your Digital Signature.
Let’s look at what can help you make your follow-up emails successful.
Timing and strategy are pivotal when sending follow-up emails after a cold outreach. The goal is to keep your communication timely enough to remain relevant but not so frequent that it becomes intrusive.
Send the initial follow-up should ideally be between two to three business days after the first email. If you don’t get a response after the first follow-up, spacing subsequent emails about a week or 10 days apart brings a reasonable balance between persistence and patience.
Each follow-up should be more than a mere act of “checking in” and ensure that each message builds upon the last. It could involve clarifying points from the initial email that might not have been clear, adding new information that enhances your proposal, or adjusting your approach based on any observed changes.
The effectiveness of your follow-up emails in cold email marketing hinges on your ability to provide tangible value and address the recipient’s specific pain points. As you write follow-up emails, you should always remember to check whether you are providing the recipient with any immediate value or not. This approach enhances the relevance of your message and significantly boosts the likelihood of receiving a positive response.
You can also go a step further by anticipating and addressing potential objections within your follow-up. If your cold emails don’t receive a response, consider possible reasons why the recipient may have hesitated. Address these concerns proactively in your follow-up by providing additional information or clarification to tackle them.
Personalization is a cornerstone of successful cold email marketing, especially regarding follow-up communications. Personalized emails have a higher chance of being read and opened by recipients.
Understanding the individual you are emailing is the first step toward personalization. This matter goes beyond merely using the recipient’s name. It involves a deep dive into their professional background, recent business achievements, and current challenges they may be facing.
Incorporating these insights into your email demonstrates that you are not just sending out a blanket message. It showcases that you are genuinely interested in providing a solution that is relevant to them.
Keeping your message brief and concise is the key here. Your recipients are more likely to go through and respond to your cold when they see you’re on point and have not put random fluffs.
You should use a simple and direct opening that quickly reminds the recipient who you are and why you are reaching out again. Being succinct in your writing with short sentences and paragraphs will increase your recipient’s chance to go through the cold email.
Proofreading goes beyond correcting spelling or grammatical errors. It involves reviewing your email to ensure clarity, tone, and consistency, which are crucial in maintaining a professional image.
Pay close attention to details like the recipient’s name, company name, and any references to specific dates or figures mentioned in previous communications. Errors in these areas can be particularly damaging as they suggest a lack of attention and care.
Using a tool like Salesmix can ensure accuracy in these details for you without much effort, as it automatically extracts the data from your uploaded email list. It can prevent you from any potential embarrassment and show your respect and attentiveness to the recipient.
Concluding your cold email follow-ups with a professional signature is more than a formal courtesy. It is more of an essential component of your overall communication strategy. Your email signature should serve as a concise yet comprehensive contact block that lets recipients easily reach out to you or learn more about your company.
A good signature includes your full name, position, company name, and contact information. Including a phone number, email address, and a link to your professional LinkedIn profile or company website can further establish your openness and accessibility.
You can also incorporate elements that reflect your brand’s identity, such as your company logo or a professional headshot. These visual elements help humanize your correspondence and make your emails more memorable.
Monitoring and analyzing engagement metrics are crucial practices in optimizing cold email follow-ups. Understanding how recipients interact with your emails provides insights that can refine your approach, enhance your strategies, and improve your reply rates.
You can use cold email marketing platforms like SalesMix and easily see metrics such as opened emails, replied emails, unsubscribed emails, etc. This data is crucial for understanding what resonates with your audience. For example, if certain emails have high open rates but low reply rates, it might suggest that while your subject lines are effective, your email content or call to action needs improvement.
Analyze your cold emails’ performance in SalesMix
You should do your best not to land in doing the following mistakes in a cold follow-up email.
Getting overly accommodating can undermine your professionalism and the perceived value of what you are offering. For example, phrases like “I can hop on a meeting whenever you are free” or “Just let me know if you’re ever interested” might seem polite on the surface but can signal a lack of confidence in the value of your proposal.
You should frame your availability in a way that respects both your time and your recipient’s. Moreover, you need to avoid using language that might make you appear desperate for a response.
Excessive sales pressure can make recipients feel like just another number in your sales targets rather than valued prospects. While assertiveness is important, there’s a fine line between being assertive and being overly aggressive.
Instead of focusing solely on selling your service, your follow-up emails should continue the conversation from where your last communication left off, like a gentle reminder. Understand the needs of your target audience, respond to their concerns, and demonstrate how your service solves their specific challenges.
An example of this case is – instead of saying, “Buy now to get 20% off,” a more effective approach might be, “I noticed you were concerned about {{specific problem}}; our solution can help streamline this process, reducing costs and increasing efficiency.” Saying the former will possibly result in you landing in the spam folder.
The phrase “just checking in” is often cliche in cold email follow-ups and can significantly diminish your message’s perceived value and intent. This generic expression lacks urgency and specificity while failing to engage the recipient meaningfully.
Rather than merely checking in, you need to reference specific points or topics discussed in your previous interactions. This approach reaffirms the continuity and relevance of the conversation in the follow-up email. As discussed earlier, your aim should be to add new information or value with each follow-up.
Making demands in your follow-up emails can come across as presumptuous and disrespectful. It implies a sense of entitlement to the recipient’s time or resources, which is inappropriate, especially considering the lack of an established relationship.
Instead of seeking action, it’s more effective to invite interaction. You can do it by suggesting the next steps in a way that considers the recipient’s autonomy and busy schedule. Using polite and open-ended language will be useful in showing respect for their time and decision-making process.
Avoiding demands in your cold email follow-ups is crucial for building respectful and productive relationships. By inviting dialogue, emphasizing mutual benefits, and respecting recipient autonomy, you can foster a positive atmosphere with your recipient.
Overloading an email with too much data, multiple topics, or extensive explanations can dilute the main message, reduce clarity, and decrease the likelihood of receiving a responsive action. To avoid confusing the recipient, you should stick to your main message in the follow-up email.
You need to keep your language simple and direct. Using short paragraphs and avoiding jargon and complex sentences will make the email easier to go through at a glance. This approach helps you maintain the focus of the email and keeps the recipient engaged.
In cold email marketing, a fine line exists between being persistent and becoming a nuisance. Sending too many follow-ups can quickly lead recipients to view your efforts as desperate or spammy.
Excessive follow-ups can lead recipients to mark the cold emails as spam. Getting spam flags will damage your reputation and decrease your campaigns’ effectiveness. It also negatively impacts your future email deliverability.
It is important for you to recognize when to pause or stop follow-up efforts. If you’ve sent two or three follow-ups with no response, it may be time to reevaluate your approach or move on to other prospects.
SalesMix provides a robust platform that simplifies the complexities of cold email campaigns. It shines when it comes to follow-up cold emails and helps you advance the conversation with your prospect and start the journey to striking a deal.
It offers an automated follow-up sequence-based approach after you don’t get any reply from the cold email. You only need to create and organize the steps per your follow-up cold email plans, like which one goes after which one. It will automatically send the follow-up to nudge your lead.
Automate your follow-up emails with SalesMix
Using SalesMix, you can schedule your email campaigns to align perfectly with your audience’s time zone, maximizing the likelihood of your emails being opened. You can also test the emails beforehand to check if you are actually going into recipients’ inboxes or spam.
Schedule Follow-Ups with SalesMix
Its Spintax allows you to further automate the generation of unique email content for each recipient depending on the variables you set for each word. It randomizes words, phrases, and sentences, ensuring each email appears personalized and well-thought-out for the recipient.
Use Spintax in SalesMix for more variations in your cold emails.
All in all, SalesMix streamlines the process of follow-up emails, ensuring they are personalized, timely, and, above all, effective. This structured yet flexible strategy allows you to create a rhythm in communication that feels natural and less forced.
The goal of a follow-up isn’t just to provoke any response but to foster a meaningful dialogue that could lead to a fruitful professional relationship. The techniques and tips we have discussed should serve as a foundation for your follow-up efforts.
Your email should reflect consideration and professionalism, qualities that can distinguish you from others vying for attention in a crowded inbox. Adopting these practices will not only increase your response rate but also enhance your overall communication skills in the digital realm. By continuously refining your approach based on recipient feedback and interaction, you can develop an effective follow-up strategy that brings a response from your leads.
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