11 Sales Follow-up Email Templates for 2023
Jess served on the founding team of a successful B2B startup and has used a wide range of sales and marketing tools over the course of her 15-year career. She uses her industry knowledge to deliver the best answers to your questions about sales tools and sales management.
Bianca is a staff writer at Fit Small Business who specializes in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.
This article is part of a larger series on Sales Management.
Sales follow-up emails enable you to reconnect with lapsed leads and nurture active prospects, and you can save time using premade templates. They help you streamline the process of re-introducing products or services, lead nurturing, or responding to a lead qualifying event such as someone submitting an online web form or signing up to receive newsletter updates.
Download these 11 free sales follow-up email templates to save valuable time trying to craft your own. Each offers a unique message for a specific situation. With these templates, you can easily plug in your business information and customize messages to your needs.
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đź’ˇ Quick Tip:
You can create and save your sales follow-up email templates in a CRM software. You can also use the program’s email tracking features to check the effectiveness of your email campaigns.
Use a program like HubSpot CRM, which provides you with ready-made follow-up email templates. You can personalize these templates and automate your emails to give your reps more time for other tasks.
Click on the drop-down menu to navigate quickly through the templates below.
1. Following Up After a Cold Call
When to use it: Within 24 hours after you’ve had a cold call conversation with a lead who expressed interest in learning more information
This template is appropriate if you made a cold call and held a brief conversation with the lead contact introducing your business, products, or services. Send a cold email follow-up summarizing what was discussed over the phone. This follow-up email example assumes the lead was interested in receiving additional information but doesn’t yet need to discuss pricing.
Subject Line: Great Speaking With You Today
Hi [contact name],
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. I enjoyed learning more about what [lead organization] does in terms of [something notable the organization does].
Per our conversation, we help businesses like yours [problem that your product/service solves] by [solution that your product/service provides or unique selling proposition].
I’ve attached a [marketing or sales material] for you to check out to learn more about our offerings. I’ll try and reconnect with you in [time frame to reach out again].
In the meantime, if you want a full [sales presentation or product demonstration], you can reach out to me or use the Schedule Appointment button in my signature to get on the schedule.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Thank you,
[Email Signature]
Pro tip: Using an automated calendar scheduling tool like Calendly makes it easy for prospects to find ample time for you to discuss your products and services and schedule a product demo. Once they click your link, the prospect is sent to the calendar scheduling portal where they choose a meeting time, putting it on both of your calendars.
Calendly scheduling page (Source: Calendly)
2. Following Up on a Cold Voicemail
When to use it: Within one to two weeks after you left an unanswered cold call voicemail to the contact
If you placed a cold call that wasn’t picked up and left a voicemail, after a week or two, send a cold email follow-up on your voicemail. In this case, introduce yourself to some extent, but without seeming like it’s your first attempt to connect with them.
Subject Line: Hi [contact name], Sorry I Missed You!
Hi [contact name],
Hope all is well with you. I wanted to follow up on a voicemail I sent you [time frame voicemail was sent] looking to discuss your [function/area of a business you help with/problem you solve] needs.
As mentioned in the voicemail, we help businesses like yours [problem that your product/service solves] by [solution that your product/service provides or unique selling proposition].
Please give me a call back at [your phone number] or respond to this email so we can get the conversation started.
I understand how busy we all get, so I’ll give you a call back in [time frame] days if I don’t hear from you.
You can also use the Schedule Appointment button in my signature to schedule a call with me so we don’t have to play phone tag.
Thank you,
[Email Signature]
Pro tip: If you use customer relationship management (CRM) software to manage your leads, you can use the notes function to document certain lead activities. For example, if you called and left a voicemail, you can use HubSpot CRM’s note-pinning feature. This indicates on the lead profile that you called and left a voicemail so you know where you last left off with them.
HubSpot CRM’s pinned notes (Source: HubSpot)
3. Responding to a Web Inquiry
When to use it: Within 24 hours after an online web form is submitted by a lead
When someone submits an online inquiry about your business’ offerings, follow up as soon as possible since these are sales-qualified leads (SQLs). A phone call will often be your first choice, though sending an email may also suffice (or even be preferred by the prospect). You can also call and follow up with an email if they don’t answer or use phone calls and follow-up emails in tandem.
Subject Line: Thank you for your interest!
Hi [contact name],
Thank you for your submission and for expressing interest in what we have to offer. We help [businesses like yours/customers like you] with [problems that your product/service solves] by [solution that your product/service provides or unique selling proposition].
I’d love to learn more about your needs by scheduling a call. Please let me know what kind of availability you have in the next week. You can also use the Schedule Appointment button in my signature to schedule a meeting if that’s easier.
In the meantime, I’ve attached a [marketing or sales material] for you to check out to learn more about our business and how we help folks like you.
Looking forward to connecting with you!
Thank you,
[Email Signature]
Pro tip: Leads submitting inquiries from web forms or online ads are hot prospects with a high probability of becoming paying customers. Use a customer relationship management (CRM) program like Pipedrive to make sure they don’t fall through the cracks. Its automated workflow automation and lead assignment tools instantly create a new lead or opportunity and assign them to sales reps as they come in.
Automated workflow to move deals to another pipeline (Source: Pipedrive)
4. Following Up After an Inbound Phone Conversation
When to use it: Within 24 hours after a phone conversation takes place with an inbound lead seeking more information
This example is similar to the sales follow-up email sent after a cold call conversation. The main difference is that this is an inbound lead who reached out to you or your sales team by phone to express interest in your products or services. In this example, the lead is interested in more information but is not yet ready for pricing.
Subject Line: Great Speaking With You Today!
Hi [contact name],
Thank you for reaching out and speaking with me today.
Per our conversation, I think we can definitely help [your business/you] with your [function of a business/problem that you solve] needs. Please let me know when you’re ready to receive price estimates or if you’d like to schedule a full [sales presentation or product demonstration].
In the meantime, I’ve attached a [marketing or sales material] for you to check out to learn more about our offerings.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you,
[Email Signature]
Pro Tip: After this scenario, add these contacts to your email list, so they receive automated emails for continuous lead nurturing to remind them of your offerings. Platforms like Mailchimp make it easy to set up and deploy automated email campaigns with newsletters, promotional offers, and holiday greeting emails.
5. Responding to a Marketing Qualifying Event
When to use it: Within 24 to 48 hours after a lead triggers a marketing qualifying event
This sales follow-up email is to be used when a market-qualified lead (MQL) is generated through a triggering event. This is a lead who has interacted with a marketing campaign, such as signing up for a newsletter, downloading an attachment from a website or previously sent email, or clicking certain links on your website, all of which show a degree of interest.
Subject Line: Thank You for Your Interest!
Dear [contact name],
Thank you for expressing interest in us by [qualifying event].
We understand some of the pain points that [problems that your product/service solves] brings to [businesses like yours/customers like you].
That’s why we [provide/offer/sell] outstanding [solutions that your product/service provides or unique selling proposition].
Attached is a [marketing or sales material/website link] for you to check out to learn more about our business and how we help folks like you.
Feel free to [reach out or schedule an appointment] to speak with one of our professionals if you have any questions or are interested in learning more. You can also use the scheduling link in my email signature to choose a time that works for you.
Look forward to hearing from you!
Thank you,
[Email Signature]
Upon the triggering event, this lead can be added to your email list for future lead nurturing through email campaigns. If you have the prospect’s phone number, it’s also appropriate for a sales professional to give them a call a couple of days after the lead follow-up email is sent. This is done to connect with them and see if they are sales-qualified and want pricing information.
Pro tip: Use a CRM with email tracking tools to get notifications whenever a prospect opens your email. Zoho CRM’s Email Insights comes with response tracking features that let you know when the emails were sent, delivered, opened, and clicked. It also tells you how many times the emails were opened or clicked.
6. Reaching Out After a Business Event
When to use it: Within one week after meeting the contact at a networking event, trade show, or another business event
This warm follow-up email works best if you attended an event and met someone who could be a good fit for your business’ products or services. Personalize and send this sales follow-up email template to give them an overview of what your business does. In this scenario, it’s assumed that the contact knows a little about what your business does based on your interaction at the event.
Subject Line: Great Meeting You at [name of event]
Hi [contact name],
It was a pleasure to meet you at the [name of event] last week. I enjoyed [something you discussed with the lead or a similar connection you had with them].
I know we only talked briefly about what [name of your business] does, so I wanted to send a brief overview.
We help [target marketing] businesses like yours with [problem that your product/service solves] by [solution that your product/service provides or unique selling proposition].
I’ve also attached a [marketing or sales material or link to your website] for you to check out to learn a little more about us.
Let me know if you have any questions or would like to schedule a call to learn more. You can also use the scheduling link in my email signature to choose a time that works for you.
Thank you,
[Email Signature]
Pro tip: Manually inputting the contact information of everyone you met at an event into your CRM is tedious, time-consuming, and prone to error. Fortunately, CRMs like HubSpot CRM offer a card scanner, enabling you to automatically add a contact record to your database by scanning their business cards.
HubSpot business card scanner (Source: HubSpot)
7. Reaching Out After a Sales Meeting
When to use it: Within 24 to 48 hours after a one-on-one sales meeting, such as a sales presentation or product demonstration
In this scenario, the lead has participated in a sales presentation, product demo, or other sales appointment to learn more about your product or service. It assumes they did not yet express an interest in pricing estimates, proposals, or terms information. That said, this email example is neutral and simply shows gratitude for their time.
Subject Line: It Was Great Speaking With You Today!
Hi [contact name],
Thank you for taking the time to allow me to show you what we offer our potential customers with a [product demonstration or sales presentation]. I hope I was able to address your questions or concerns adequately.
Feel free to reach out if you are ready to receive pricing estimates or a proposal with everything you need to know about [purchasing our product/service or enrolling in our platform/service].
In the meantime, I’ve attached a [marketing or sales material or link to your website] for detailed information about our [business, products, or services] in case anything was missed in our meeting.
I’ll follow up with you in [time frame] to discuss the next steps. You can also use the scheduling link in my email signature to choose a time that works for you.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you,
[Email Signature]
Pro tip: Whether conducting a formal sales presentation or briefly explaining how your business can help prospective customers, having a strong sales pitch is the key to a productive outcome. For examples and a step-by-step guide, check out our article to learn how to create a sales pitch.
8. Following Up With a Quote Proposal
When to use it: Within 24 hours after a conversation where the lead expressed interest in receiving formal pricing
After a sales pitch, presentation, product demonstration―or possibly, on the rarest occasion, a cold call—a lead will often be ready to receive formal pricing and/or a proposal. Customize this sales quote email template and send it to the prospect to reference your proposal. Then, create a continuing dialogue to address questions, concerns, or objections to said items.
Subject Line: [Your company name] Proposal for [lead company name]
Hi [contact name],
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. I enjoyed [something you discussed with the lead or a similar connection you had with them].
Per our conversation, attached is [a quote/proposal/contract/pricing estimates] for you to review. Please note that [something you want to emphasize to the contact due to something brought up in your conversation with them or because of a recurring issue other leads have with your proposal].
I’ll follow up with you in [time frame] to discuss the next steps. Otherwise, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. You can also use the scheduling link in my email signature to choose a time that works for you.
Thank you,
[Email Signature]
Pro Tip: Many business proposals have forms or fields for the prospect to fill out or sign when they are ready to buy. To make the process easier and close deals more quickly, use a signature management tool like HelloSign. This tool allows you to create signable contracts by uploading a PDF, Google Doc, or Word Document with custom fields to obtain digital signatures from all parties.
Signature request for sales contract using Salesforce-HelloSign integration (Source: HelloSign)
9. Following Up After a Quote Proposal
When to use it: Within one to two weeks after the initial quote proposal was sent and no response has been received
This sales follow-up email with a quotation reminder is an example of lead nurturing. It reminds the prospect about a proposal you sent and asks if they have any additional questions. When you send a quotation reminder, it is assumed that you did not yet hear back from the contact person after a proposal was sent.
Subject Line: Making Sure [Lead or company name] Received Our Proposal
Hi [contact name],
Hope all has been well since we last spoke. I wanted to loop around and make sure you received [those quotes/that proposal/the contract/those price estimates] I sent [time frame of when they were originally sent].
Feel free to let me know if you have any questions or are ready to go through with the next steps.
I understand that you may be busy, so I’ll give you a call in [time frame] if I don’t hear back from you. You can also use the scheduling link in my email signature to choose a time that works for you.
Thank you,
[Email Signature]
10. Following Up After a Resolved Service Call
When to use it: Within 24 hours after you resolve a customer service issue
Although this scenario is not technically for sales follow-up emails, it is important to provide closure to a customer after assisting them in resolving an issue. You can do this by sending a warm follow-up email. This is also a good time to see if there’s anything else you can do to help them with at this time.
Subject Line: Thank You for Bringing This Issue to Our Attention
Hi [contact name],
Thank you for bringing the [specific issue] issue to our attention. We apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused. We hope you were satisfied with the service you received, as we strive to offer premium support to our valued customers.
I did want to reach out and see if you had any other issues you needed to be resolved at this time or any questions I could assist with. Otherwise, we will go ahead and close out this support ticket.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you,
[Email Signature]
If you want customer service software that integrates seamlessly with your CRM, Freshdesk is a great option. Its customer service software allows you to manage service tickets, communicate with customers, collaborate with your team, and provide reporting on customer service metrics. This software solution is also native to the Freshsales suite of applications, and so integrates seamlessly with the CRM product as well as other popular CRM platforms.
Freshdesk ticket activity history (Source: Freshdesk)
Sales leaders need to not only provide their team with the right templates to communicate with leads, but also tools to make them more efficient, the knowledge to help them grow their skill sets, and the motivation that helps them succeed. With our ultimate guide to sales management, you can learn everything you need to know about these aspects of running a sales operation, along with recruiting and onboarding the right people.
11. Final Sales Follow-up Email
When to use it: Within four to eight weeks after previous email follow-ups and voicemails go unanswered
This follow-up email template should be used when a lead has ghosted you or gone cold after multiple unanswered follow-ups by email and non-responsive voicemails. It’s important to avoid negativity, and instead, present concern and accommodation to keep the door open for future lead nurturing activities. This example can be used for any stage of the sales pipeline where the lead was qualified.
Subject Line: Should I Close Out Your File?
Hi [contact name],
Hope all has been well. I wanted to try reaching out one more time to see where you are in relation to [that proposal I sent you or setting up an appointment to discuss further or receiving pricing estimates].
I understand if you’re busy, so let me know if you’d like me to reconnect with you sometime down the road, as I’m happy to do so.
You can also let me know if you have chosen to take a different direction with your [product or service] needs, in which case I totally understand and can close out your file.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you,
[Email Signature]
How to Use Sales Follow-up Emails
Before filling out our email templates or crafting your own, make sure you understand the purpose of various sales follow-up emails and how to use them. No matter the scenario, sending follow-up emails is an important part of your sales pipeline activities, depending on the current status of the lead.
Keep in mind, a follow-up sales email is not used to make a cold introduction to someone who has had zero interaction with your business. Instead, use it to periodically touch base with an inactive lead or to nurture leads to move them to the next stage of the sales process.
Here are the types of sales pipeline activities follow-up emails are most appropriate for:
- To (re)introduce products and services: For this pipeline activity, it is assumed you met the prospect at a trade show or some other networking event. It could also mean you previously contacted them through cold calling (or left a voicemail), received a sales inquiry, or it could be a lead that has gone cold.
- To qualify a lead: This means that a marketing qualifying event took place, such as a lead clicking on an email link you sent or they signed up for a newsletter from your business. You can use a follow-up email to see if they are sales-qualified or interested in pricing.
- To nurture a lead: Sending an email to nurture a lead can include following up on the status of information (such as pricing or plan features). It also covers following up after sending a business proposal, touching base with someone who took advantage of a free trial. Otherwise, this can be an effort to move a lead to the next phase of the sales funnel.
- To send a proposal: After delivering a sales presentation or having a conversation where a lead is interested in pricing and terms, a follow-up sales email can be used to send the proposal.
Best Practices for Writing Sales Follow-up Emails
It takes a lot of time, practice, and testing to craft the perfect sales follow-up email. Since these messages help move your prospects down your sales funnel, learning how to properly write one is essential for your business. There are some tweaks and practices that could make a big difference in how your prospect responds to you. Check out the six best practices for crafting the best follow-up emails for sales.
Keep it short
Review your sales follow-up emails. If you wouldn’t take the time to read it, then don’t send it. It is best to keep your initial email as short as possible. HubSpot suggests maintaining a length of 50 to 125 words for sales emails. Pruning your message down to the optimal length is not easy and may take several drafts, but it is necessary if you want your recipient to read and respond to it.
Send emails at the right time
The timing of your email is as important as its content. You can improve your chances of your message staying in your recipient’s inbox by being persistent but not spammy. Follow the recommended guide to sales email cadence below.
- Within 24 hours: After a meeting or when thanking the prospect for something
- Wait at least 48 hours: Follow up on an unanswered email, unconfirmed schedule for a next call, or unconfirmed receipt of materials
- Wait at least three weeks: No reply after you’ve sent five emails
Offer content with tangible value
Sales follow-up emails provide you with opportunities to provide valuable content to your prospects. For example, they mentioned in an earlier conversation that they are struggling with measuring the effectiveness of their company’s customer service. In your first follow-up email, you could send a copy of your company’s latest e-book or webinar on customer service analytics.
Focus on the prospect more than you
In your follow-up emails, use language that shines the spotlight more on your prospect than yourself. Choose to say “you” more than “I” to make the subject all about them. This way, you will give the impression that you are genuinely interested in helping them succeed.
Provide social proof
Know when to stop sending emails
There comes a time when you have to pause your follow-up process, like when a prospect constantly ignores all your emails. This allows you to end the communication on a good note and to focus your efforts on other leads with higher chances of converting into customers.
Bottom Line
Crafting effective sales follow-up emails can be time-consuming and challenging as each scenario is different, but having tools and templates as part of your sales plan can help streamline the process. Download our free sales follow-up email templates and use them to reconnect with cold leads and decision-makers and move active leads through the sales funnel. They also help you efficiently nurture prospects to close more deals.
