Crafting Follow-Up Emails That Close Sales
If you’re like most sales professionals, you spend a lot of time crafting your initial email pitch. But what happens after that? Unfortunately, many sales reps simply stop communicating with their prospects, assuming that they’ve lost interest. However, this is often not the case! In fact, follow-up emails can be an extremely effective way to re-engage inactive leads and close more deals.
In this article, we’ll reveal five follow-up email templates that will help you keep your prospect conversations moving forward and increase your chances of landing new clients. Let’s get started!
What Is a Follow-up Sales Email?
Sales follow up emails are an essential tool for sales representatives to strengthen their relationships with clients, potential customers, and prospects’ companies. An email follow-up sequence is an effective method for personalizing sales discussions, even when conducted entirely online. While sales reps often put significant effort into crafting the ideal sales pitch, many overlook the considerable impact that a well-planned follow-up strategy can have on achieving their sales objectives.
A quality follow-up sales email can help salespeople stay top of mind with their contacts and also serves as an opportunity for sales reps to clarify any questions clients may have about their product or service offering.
How to Write a Sales Follow-Up Email
Sales follow-up emails can be highly effective if written correctly. Here are five steps to guide you in composing an effective sales follow-up email:
Step 1: Use concise subject lines
Keep your email subject line short and sweet, so it stands out in your recipient’s inbox. Email subject lines that are too long or unclear won’t grab your contact’s attention and could end up in the trash. So make sure your email subject line is concise, meaningful, and mentions a relevant pain point.
Step 2: Personalize the email content
Make sure to address your customer by their name and refer to any previous conversations or requests they made. This will show your customer that you were paying attention and are invested in helping them find a solution to their problem. You can simply say “Hi [Name]” to start off the email.
Step 3: Offer value
When producing content, you should always focus on providing value to your contacts and clients. Showcase how your product or service can help them achieve their goals and make their lives easier. Make sure to be specific, as this will help your customer see you as a knowledgeable and reliable resource.
Step 4: Close with a call to action
At the end of your email, be sure to include a call to action that encourages your customer to take the next step like jumping on a sales call. This could be something like, “Let me know if you’d like to discuss this further” or “Schedule a meeting with me to get started.”
Step 5: Always show appreciation
Be sure to always thank your customer for their time and express gratitude for their interest in your product or service. This will help build goodwill and foster customer loyalty. Saying something like, “Thank you for your time and consideration” or “It was a pleasure speaking with you” can go a long way.
| Steps to Write a Sales Follow-Up Email | Description |
|---|---|
| Use concise subject lines | Craft a short and meaningful subject line that captures the recipient’s attention and hints at a relevant pain point or purpose for the email. A concise subject line is more likely to stand out in the recipient’s inbox. |
| Personalize the email content | Address the recipient by their name and reference previous conversations or interactions. Personalization demonstrates attentiveness and a genuine interest in helping the recipient. |
| Offer value | Focus on providing value to the recipient by showcasing how your product or service can solve their problems and meet their needs. Specificity enhances your credibility as a knowledgeable resource. |
| Close with a call to action | Include a clear and compelling call to action (CTA) at the end of the email, prompting the recipient to take the next step, such as scheduling a meeting or discussing further details. |
| Show appreciation | Express gratitude for the recipient’s time and interest in your product or service. Building goodwill and fostering customer loyalty is essential, and a simple thank-you can go a long way. |
Sales Follow-Up Email Template
Follow-ups can be tricky, so here’s a helpful sales follow-up email template with blanks that you can copy, paste, and personalize:
Subject Line: Quick question about ___________
Hi [Name],
Hope you’re doing well! I wanted to follow up on our conversation about ____________.
I’m confident that ____________ could help you ___________ because ___________.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss this matter further, please feel free to contact us.
Thank you for your time and consideration, ____________. I look forward to hearing from you.
Best,
Your Name
Company Name
More Effective Sales Follow-Up Email Templates
If you or your sales rep are looking for more effective sales follow-up email templates, here are some great examples:
Free Trial Followup
This email template is best used after offering a customer a free trial of your product or service. It should contain a gentle reminder of the benefits they can gain from taking advantage of your offer. You may even decide to offer a limited-time discount or freebie to entice them.
Subject Line: Did you try out our free trial?
Hi _________,
I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to follow up and see if you tried out our free trial.
We’ve received great feedback from customers who have taken advantage of this offer and I think you might find it beneficial as well.
Using our free trial, you’ll discover how you can ___________ and ____________. You’ll also get access to our ____________ feature, which can help you ____________.
If you have any questions or would like to have a more in-depth conversation, please don’t hesitate to reach out by replying to this email or calling me at ___________.
Best,
Your Name
Company Name
Product Comparison Followup
This email template is perfect for customers who have expressed interest in a comparison of your product or service against an alternative. This template should include clear and concise information on the benefits of your product over the competition.
Subject Line: Comparing ___________ vs ___________
Hi _________,
I trust you’re doing well. I wanted to follow up regarding your question about ___________ vs ___________.
Our research indicates that ___________ provides several unique benefits compared to ___________.
For instance, we offer superior ___________, more dependable ___________, and our ___________ feature is more extensive.
We understand that you may need more information to make an informed decision, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to discuss this further.
Best,
Your Name
Company Name
Trigger Event Followup
This email template is best used when you’re reaching out to a customer in response to a trigger event, which is anything that would suggest a lead is considering your product or service. These could be as simple as a customer visiting your website or attending a webinar or networking event.
Subject Line: About our recent _________
Hi _________,
I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to follow up about our recent ___________.
I think you’ll find that our product/service is the perfect fit to help you ___________. We’ve had great success with customers like you who are looking for ___________.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss this matter further, please feel free to contact us.
Best,
Your Name
Company Name
No Response Followup
This email template is best used when you’ve sent a few emails and haven’t received any response from the customer. It should be friendly and non-confrontational, as you don’t want to make the customer feel like they’re being pressured into a sale.
Subject Line: Just checking in
Hi _________,
I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to follow up because I haven’t heard from you in a while.
I understand you may be busy, so if now isn’t the right time to discuss our product/service, I completely understand.
But if you do want to talk more about how we could help you___________, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Best,
Your Name
Company Name
Sales Follow-up Email Tips
Creating a follow-up sales email that works can be tricky but with some thought, consideration, and focus on a specific pain point, it can be a powerful tool for boosting sales. Here are five tips to help you craft the perfect follow-up sales email:
Focus on one specific problem
Make sure to focus on one problem the customer is trying to solve and explain how your company can help. Focusing on multiple pain points can make the message confusing and less impactful.
Be concise yet informative
Keep your email short and to the point, but also make sure to include enough information so the customer can make an informed decision.
Include a call-to-action
Make sure to close your email with an actionable next step, like scheduling a meeting or providing more details about your product/service. This will help motivate the customer to take action.
Follow up as needed
It’s essential to continue following up until you get a response, but be careful not to come across as too aggressive. The goal is to remain friendly and supportive without being overwhelming.
Personalize your message
Personalizing your message by including the customer’s name, their company, and other pertinent details will help your message stand out from the competition.
| Sales Follow-up Email Tips | Description |
|---|---|
| Focus on one specific problem | Concentrate on addressing a single pain point or problem the customer is trying to solve. Avoid overwhelming the recipient with multiple issues. |
| Be concise yet informative | Keep the email brief and to the point while providing sufficient information for the customer to make an informed decision. Balance brevity with clarity and relevance. |
| Include a call-to-action | Close the email with a clear and actionable next step, such as scheduling a meeting or requesting more details about your product or service. Encourage recipient action. |
| Follow up as needed | Persistence is key. Continue following up until you receive a response, but maintain a friendly and helpful tone. Avoid being overly aggressive or pushy in your follow-ups. |
| Personalize your message | Take the time to personalize the email by addressing the recipient by name, mentioning their company, and incorporating relevant details. Personalization sets your message apart. |
Why Should Follow-up Emails Be a Part of Your Sales Process?
Follow-up emails are essential to any sales process for several reasons. First, they offer the sales team a chance to establish trust and credibility with customers over time. By consistently sending sales follow up emails, your team can strengthen their message and keep customers updated on progress or any changes in plans.
Secondly, follow-up emails allow your team to stay top-of-mind with potential customers and give them a chance to respond or ask questions. Lastly, a well-planned follow-up sequence helps create structure in the sales process and increases the chance that customers will convert into paying customers.
How Do You Politely Follow Up With a Client?
In order to politely follow up with a client, it is important to keep in mind the fact that you are aware of their busy schedule and value their time. As such, it is key to be concise yet polite when reaching out for a second time. This could be done by referring back to your previous email in which you requested to have some sort of response, and expressing your gratitude if they have already responded.
If they have not yet responded, then it is important to express understanding while also politely reminding them of the request in question. Be sure to remain courteous and polite throughout the process while also keeping your message short and easy to read.
Image: Envato Elements
This article, “Crafting Follow-Up Emails That Close Sales” was first published on Small Business Trends