13 Sales Follow-up Email Templates for Any Situation

Sales follow-up emails are email messages that engage a lead at different stages in the sales process. These messages work to build trust and understanding while reminding prospects of your company benefits and gives a reason to continue the conversation. Email templates are used to help salespeople follow-up quickly and professionally and ultimately close the deal.

Whether you need to send a follow-up email after a cold call or networking event, you’ll need one central place to keep everything organized. Client relationship management (CRM) software, like Pipedrive, automatically tracks emails, calls, and progress to give you a streamlined view of your pipeline. It even gives you the ability to create fully customizable email templates, saving you valuable time and helping you increase productivity — users close an average of 28% more deals after their first year. Click here to start free.

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Sales Follow-up Email Templates & When to Use Them

Download All Sales Follow-up Email Templates

1. Cold Call Sales Follow-up Email

The cold call follow-up email should be used shortly after a cold introductory phone call. This type of prospect is one of the newest leads in the sales pipeline, and therefore your follow-up message is at the highest risk of being ignored, discarded, or marked as SPAM.

For this reason, you will need to appeal to them personally and use clear, direct language regarding your number one benefit to them in the message and subject line. Do not give into the temptation to mention every benefit your company can offer a client in this first message. Focus your message on the single benefit that you believe will most interest them, and give the reader a reason to contact you to learn more.

Below is an example of an email you might send following a cold phone call or cold email exchange. It is important to note that the verbiage below is formatted for a cold call in which you spoke or exchanged emails with the prospect. If the prospect doesn’t pick up your call, make sure to leave a voicemail and then follow up with the email below, mentioning the voicemail instead of the time you spoke with them.

Cold Call Sales Follow-up Email Template

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2. External Event Sales Follow-up Email

An external event email is triggered by noteworthy external events such as new regulations, major industry developments or staffing changes at a prospect’s company. This type of follow-up is designed to respond to an event that might indicate a prospect may be ready to buy or make changes.

External trigger events can be positive or negative. In the example below, make sure to adjust your email’s tone accordingly or have two separate templates to handle each situation. For example, if a company has fallen on hard times due to a change in leadership and you can help, make sure your follow-up email reflects that.

External Event Sales Follow-up Email Template

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3. Lead Magnet Sales Follow-up Email

The lead magnet email is triggered by a potential prospect downloading an attachment contained within a mass marketing email, clicking on a link to a white paper, signing up for a newsletter, or similar activity. This message should thank the prospect for their interest, restate your benefit, and encourage continuing the conversation, pushing them down the buy funnel.

Lead Magnet Sales Follow-up Email Template

Download this follow-up email example in Docx, PDF, or Google Doc fileSome CRM tools give you the ability to upload contact details directly from a web form embedded on a landing page or your website. Pipedrive CRM lets you create personalized forms that feed directly into the pipeline and sales process stage of your choosing and can be set to automatically notify your team of the new lead. You can learn more about Pipedrive and its web forms on their website.

4. Web Inquiry Sales Follow-up Email

Use a web inquiry follow-up email to respond to anyone who signed up using a contact form on your website to learn more. These are qualified leads who have already done some research on your company as a potential solution. Therefore, it is best to use very specific language detailing your benefits and capabilities related to their specific interest.

Web Inquiry Sales Follow-up Email Template

Download this follow-up email example in Docx, PDF, or Google Doc fileWeb forms can help speed up the pre-qualification process. Pipedrive CRM lets you specify required fields and create completely custom fields that will then feed directly into your sales pipeline as a new lead. You can learn more about Pipedrive and its web forms on their website.

5. Inbound Call Sales Follow-up Email

You use the inbound call follow-up email to respond to anyone who has taken the time to call your office directly regarding a specific inquiry. This is your chance to prove you are a customer-centric partner by proving that your team used active listening. Therefore, it is best to use very specific language detailing your benefits and capabilities related to the specific interest they expressed on the call.

Inbound Call Sales Follow-up Email Template

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6. Networking or Public Event Follow-up Email

The event follow-up email is the message you send immediately to qualified leads following networking visits like trade shows or after they’ve attended a hosted event such as a webinar or online training. The purpose of this message is to continue the conversation started at the event while reminding them of your company’s unique sales position and how you can benefit them.

Networking or Public Event Sales Follow-up Email Template

Download this follow-up email example in Docx, PDF, or Google Doc fileManually adding new contacts from larger events like trade shows can be a time-consuming process. Pipedrive CRM allows you to import contacts directly from spreadsheets as well as assign them to the appropriate stage in your sales pipeline so that you can following-up immediately. You can see how Pipedrive can accelerate your sales process by signing up for your free 30-day trial today.

7. Face-to-Face Meeting Follow-up Email

The face-to-face meeting follow-up email should be sent as a courtesy thank you for a prospect’s time within 24 hours of meeting. This email should include major takeaways from your meeting, including a list of all action items and how you will address their pain points or concerns.

While this message can serve as a record of the meeting, it is important that it also clearly defines the next steps you agreed upon to help move the lead into the next stage of the sales process. In addition to outlining the next steps, it is also a good idea to establish a follow-up schedule to ensure action items don’t fall through the cracks. Use this email to schedule a follow-up call or follow-up meeting.

Face-to-Face Meeting Follow-up Email Template

Download this follow-up email example in Docx, PDF, or Google Doc fileEmails are great tools for helping to develop a lead to the point of quotation stage in the sales cycle. However, there are several other tools out there designed to help you reach your business goals. We have written an article featuring some of the Best Tools for Small Business Sales Teams.

8. New Proposal or Quotation Follow-up Email

The proposal or quotation follow-up email should be used as a cover letter to your formal quotation or can be used as a way of memorializing an informal quote issued either face-to-face or over the phone within the last 24 hours. This email should open a dialogue for any questions or concerns they might have regarding your price, product, service or terms.

New Proposal or Quotation Sales Follow-up Email Template

Download this follow-up email example in Docx, PDF, or Google Doc fileYou can reduce the number of times you need to go back and forth with a client over your sales quote by taking the time to ensure it addresses their needs and answers their potential questions before you send it. You can read our article on How to Write a Business Proposal to learn more about what you should always include.

9. Proposal or Quotation Second Follow-up Email

The second proposal or quotation follow-up email should be used if you have recently issued a quotation but have not yet received an order. It is usually a good idea to wait at least one to two weeks to send this message to ensure you have given your lead enough time to have reviewed your original document. This email should be used to verify the client’s receipt of the proposal, reiterate your offer to address questions, and should ask for clarification regarding next steps.

Proposal or Quotation Second Follow-up Email Template

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10. Double Tap Follow-up Email

The double tap email should be used when a previous phone call or follow-up email attempt has gone unanswered. However, it should not be used with the same prospect or client more than once in a single day. This email should reinforce your commitment to providing a solution that fits the client’s needs. This email should also remind the client that you are waiting on a response from them before you can move forward.

Double Tap Follow-up Sales Email Template

Download this follow-up email example in Docx, PDF, or Google Doc fileA CRM tool with email logging capability can help you keep track of the last time you reached out to a contact. Pipedrive comes with fully customizable activity types and built-in reminders to help you stay on top of your leads. Sign up for your free 30-day trial to see how Pipedrive’s activity management feature can help you prioritize sales efforts with your leads.

11. Resolved Service Call Follow-up Email

Use the resolved service call follow-up whenever there has been a recent issue related to customer service or quality. While customer service or quality issues are never ideal, how your company responded to their complaint can help build trust and can lead to future sales opportunities. Therefore, a timely service call follow-up should not be minimized or overlooked in your sales process.

It’s easy to say you want to be a partner with a prospect or client when things go well. How you respond when things don’t, though, is what proves it. According to the Carey School of Business, customer satisfaction following a service recovery is doubled when a business sends them an apology in addition to fixing the problem.

Resolved Service Call Follow-up Email Template

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12. Cold Lead Follow-up Email

A lead can go cold and stop responding to phone calls or emails for a number of reasons. Perhaps the time isn’t right for them to make a purchase. Perhaps there have been unforeseen staffing changes. Maybe the lead simply fell through the cracks. No matter what the reason, cold leads don’t have to be dead leads.

The initial cold lead follow-up email should not include a question like, “Are you ready to buy?” This can be seen as being aggressive and may turn your lead off altogether. Instead, remind your prospect of their initial interest in your company. Mention what has changed since your last interaction. Close with the request for their permission to continue to follow-up or confirmation there is no longer a need for your solution.

Cold Lead Sales Follow-up Email Template

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13. Second Chance Follow-up Email

The request for a second chance follow-up should be used when an existing client with known business potential has gone for an extended period of time without a new order. This message should be apologetic in its tone while re-stating your benefits. It should also include any changes to your product, personnel, or service offerings which have occurred since their last transaction.

Second Chance Follow-up Email Template

Download this email follow-up template in Docx, PDF, or Google Doc fileThe better strategy is to identify potential issues or threats to your deals before you lose the customer to the competition. Pipedrive CRM provides great visual reports that let you see at a glance how individual salespeople are performing, which of your products are most in demand, and what types of deals are being lost. You can see Pipedrive’s sales reporting tool for yourself by taking advantage of their free trial.

Tips for Creating Your Own Sales Follow-up Email

When crafting a sales follow-up message, your style can be as unique as you are and formulated to the market you work in. However, all sales messages should be written keeping the goal of moving a lead along in the sales process in mind.

Here are five tips to formulate your own follow-up email template:

Encourage Conversation

While an email can be used to provide a quick answer to a client, the goal of any message should be to encourage additional conversation. By showing you want to build a relationship and not just conduct a quick sale, the client will be more likely to consider you as a trustworthy partner.

Ways to encourage conversation include:

• Ask Open-Ended Questions – Avoid asking questions that can be answered with a quick yes or no as a more lengthy response can often provide you with details related to their pain points.
• Keep It Positive and Professional – Frame your messages around what you can do versus what you can’t. Avoid jokes, unless your client has used one first, and saying things like “I’ll have to” as this implies you’ve been burdened by the client.
• Match Their Style – If your clients are typically data-driven, use facts in your emails. If they are more relationship-driven, be more personal in your tone.
• Respect Their Time – Keep your messages short and to the point. You can always close it with an offer of a follow-up appointment or phone call to discuss further.

Describe How You Can Help Meet Their Needs

Messages should always restate their problem or question as you understand it, offer a potential solution or answer based on your understanding, and detail how your solution benefits them. If your email will be targeted to newer clients or leads higher up in your sales pipeline, it is also a good idea to include mention of relevant customer testimonials or endorsements.

“Write each email message for a specific buyer persona (and what they care most about). Remember, it truly is all about **them**, not you. While you certainly have your goals to achieve, your prospects and clients will completely tune you out if you aren’t focused on their goals, plans, and challenges.”

– Joshua Feinberg, President, Data Center Sales & Marketing Institute, a Division of SP Home Run Inc.

Include a Call to Action

The call to action is a statement designed to result in an action by the reader. The most effective calls to action are clear and direct instructions and typically start with a command verb like “Click,” “Download,” or “Call,” and give your readers a reason why they should take the action. Calls to action are also a great way to encourage additional conversation.

The call to action, however, should never be inserted in a sales message before you have established your value. This is especially true in introduction sales emails. You can read about additional tips and strategies for making the most of your email in our article on Email Marketing.

Give Your Contact Information

Provide your customers and your potential clients with a way to contact you for more information at the bottom of your email. This is also known as your email signature. Your email signature should include your name, title, organization, and website. Many email signatures also include social media connections too. This is another easy way to let the client know that you want to hear from them through whatever communication channel is best for them.

Pros & Cons of Follow-up Email Templates

Like all sales tools, sales email templates have both their benefits and their negatives. Many marketers swear by the speed at which they can draft a message, while others view them as being too impersonal. As a sales manager, you will need to decide whether email templates are a good fit for your sales strategy when writing a sales email.

Pros of the Follow-up Email Template

Email templates offer a number of benefits to sales teams, such as:

• Increased Productivity – Email templates greatly reduce the time required to draft email messages, freeing salespeople up to follow-up with more leads.
• Extended Sales Reach – Email templates allow you to send large batches of emails all at once, which helps get your message in front of more potential customers.
• Provide a Uniform Message – Email templates ensure that messages contain common language or reinforce your benefits, services, values, or commitments. Templates also help to ensure that critical information is included every time
• Reduce Training Time – Templates can help new salespeople get up to speed fast on the language needed to best promote your products or services, reducing the need for lengthy training.

Cons of the Follow-up Email Template

Over-reliance on an email template can make a message seem robotic or less personal. According to a study by BuzzStream, the average reply rate for emails which are obviously based on templates using merge fields is only 16 percent. The reply rate is further reduced by 1.3 percent if an attempt at personalization in the email is deemed irrelevant or cursory.

Other risks include:

• Loss of trust – Emails sent with misspellings, blank mail merge fields, or poor grammar can reduce a potential client’s confidence in your business or product.
• Increased Risk of Being Labeled SPAM – Email templates featuring generic language are more likely to be flagged by a client’s email server as potential SPAM than a message tailored to them, especially if you have not communicated with the client before.
• Annoyance – Too many follow-up attempts with a single contact can come across as annoying, which can cost you the sale regardless of your benefit.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How Long Should I Wait to Send My Follow-up Message?

If following up on a face-to-face meeting or initial phone call, it is best to send your email within the first 24 hours while the conversation is still fresh in your mind as well as the clients. If you are following up on a voicemail or prior email follow-up request, it is best to wait 48 hours.

What Is the Best Software for Email Tracking?

There are many available email tracking software programs out there to choose from. Most have additional features designed to improve your sales productivity. In our article on Email Tracker Software programs, we have researched and highlighted some of the best for small business sales professionals.

Bottom Line

Sales email templates can be built to support every stage of your sales process. They can help accelerate sales growth by allowing you to reduce the amount of time needed to draft common messages. If written correctly, email templates can also help to ensure each message sent includes a call to action designed to move a lead along in the sales process.

You can manage your leads as well as your email templates in a single tool, depending on the CRM you choose. Pipedrive is a CRM that quickstarts your emails with its customizable email templates and allows you to see exactly where a lead falls in your sales process. You can take advantage of Pipedrive’s 30-day free trial to see whether its features work for your business.