8 Tips to Move Past the No-Response World of Sales Emails (With Creative Follow-ups)

Guest blog post contributed by: Ioana Sima, Marketing Manager, TextMagic

Persistency is critical for achieving your business goals. This holds particularly true when it comes to email outreach and sending follow-up emails after no response is received. 

If your first attempt to contact the prospect didn’t deliver the expected result, it’s essential to plan your next step. According to studies, simply sending a single follow-up email can boost your reply rate and conversions by an impressive 45% and 22%, respectively. That’s a substantial improvement, underscoring the importance of crafting a compelling follow-up message. 

In this article, you’ll learn:  

• Why you should follow up after no response to your sales emails 
• How to write follow-up emails that drive response and conversion
• How many follow-ups on your sales emails to send
• How to improve the effectiveness of your follow-up

As a bonus tip, you’ll get five sales follow-up emails to use after no response templates.

Why you should always send sales follow-up emails

Regular, relevant follow-ups are vital for maintaining relationships with prospects and keeping your business in their mind when your first contact or cold outreach didn’t quite hit the mark. With a mere 23.9% of sales emails being opened by their recipients globally, it’s clear that a lack of response doesn’t necessarily mean a lack of interest in your products and offers. 

There are various scenarios preventing your prospects from reading your sales emails and responding. Your recipients could be preoccupied or forgetful, or your message might not have been clear enough about the value proposition. Well-crafted sales follow-up emails will help you remind the recipient about your offer, maintain engagement, and avoid missing valuable sales opportunities. 

How to write effective sales follow-up emails

Let’s explore the essential elements of an effective follow-up and strategies to enhance response rates.

1. Catch readers’ eyes with unique subject lines 

The subject line can make or break the effectiveness of your follow-up email. Notably, if you’re sending a follow-up email, it will typically come as a REPLY to the initial email. This means you need to consider your subject line strategically from the start.

The goal is to attract your recipient’s attention and inspire them to open the email. It needs to be intriguing, engaging, and directly linked to the content of your email. An example would be: 

•  “Re: Quick question, [name]“
• “Your action plan for [product/service]“
• “Exclusive insights for [name]“

However, if the circumstances necessitate sending a separate follow-up email, craft a new subject line that refers to the previous conversation. It balances being fresh and retaining a context the recipient can easily recall.

• “Turning our last chat into action“
• “[name], Further thoughts on our last discussion“

2. Decide on your sales goal and provide context to the recipient

Avoid falling into the trap of generic follow-ups like, “Just touching base to see if you got my last email,” or “Following up on my previous message.” Such an approach can subtly accuse your prospects of not responding, which isn’t a conducive communication strategy in sales.

Instead, begin your follow-ups with context that reflects your earlier conversation or something you’ve learned about the prospect. Here are a few examples:

• “Having previously discussed your challenges with [pain point], I came across something that could provide additional insights…“
• “As we connected recently, I thought it would be helpful to share a bit more about my role and how our product could assist with your objectives…“
• “Hi [name]! Time indeed flies, doesn’t it? I noticed your recent article on [topic] and found it thought-provoking. It reminded me of our conversation about…“

3. Keep your emails short and to the point

Maintaining brevity in your follow-up emails is essential. Aim for a similar length to your opening email or even shorter. It’s established that the best response rates (51%) are seen by emails of 75 and 100 words. Concise, direct messages show respect for the recipient’s time and are more likely to be read and responded to. 

4. Provide value upfront

Consider your follow-up emails as a way to provide additional value rather than bothering someone with unwanted spam. Every message should enrich your prospect’s knowledge or offer something they’ll appreciate. Here are a few examples:

• Exclusive access: “As a token of appreciation for your time, we’re inviting you to an exclusive webinar with our CEO, where they’ll discuss our industry’s future. This session isn’t open to the general public, and we thought you’d appreciate the insights.“
• Educational content: “Our team has created a custom eBook that addresses some of the unique challenges we discussed in our previous conversation. We tailored this resource to provide actionable strategies specifically for your business. Please find the link to download it here.“
• Personalized onboarding: “We believe our solution will mesh well with your workflow. We’re offering a comprehensive onboarding process to make integration as smooth as possible. This includes dedicated support from a product specialist, training sessions for your team, and periodic check-ins to ensure everything is on track.“
• Special discounts: “As a way of saying thanks for considering our service, we’re offering a 20% discount on your first subscription. We hope this makes it even easier for you to experience the benefits of our product.“

5. Use powerful CTAs to trigger a prospect’s response 

The conclusion of your email is crucial. End your follow-up messages with compelling CTAs that clearly state what you want the recipient to do next. Here are some examples:

• Scheduling a call: “Could we schedule a quick call next week to discuss this in more detail? Please find a convenient slot for you in my calendar [link to calendar].“
• Reply with preferred meeting time: “I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. When would you be available next week for a quick catch-up?“
• Feedback on a proposal: “I’ve attached our latest proposal for your review. Could you please share your feedback by the end of the week?“

Whether it aims at scheduling a call, replying with a preferred meeting time, or providing feedback on a proposal, your CTA should be direct and easy to act upon.

6. Follow up multiple times, but don’t go overboard

It’s essential to strike a balance when sending follow-up emails. According to research, the optimal number of follow-up emails is typically 2-3. This approach aligns with the behavior of top performers who aim to stay persistent but respectful of their prospect’s time.

Timing your follow-ups is also key. Avoid being pushy by giving prospects 2-3 days to process your previous message before sending another. Patience can foster goodwill and increase your chances of receiving a thoughtful response.

Contrary to common assumptions, there isn’t a universally valid prescription as to when you should email your prospects to maximize the open or reply rate. Rather, understanding your target audience’s behavior can help optimize your email strategy. 

Consider their work patterns, time zones, or typical online periods. If you notice an established pattern in response times, adjust your sending schedule accordingly. For instance, if you receive most responses on Sunday evenings, aligning your follow-up emails with that timeframe may be beneficial.

7. Create automatic follow-up sequences

Automating follow-up emails can be a game-changer in sales outreach, saving valuable time and maintaining consistency. Once you have found and verified your prospects’ emails, here are some tools that can streamline the process:

• BuzzStream: A comprehensive tool for medium-sized outreach teams, ideal for cold email and link-building campaigns
• Mailshake: Perfect for individuals and small B2B companies, offering personalized cold email management and prospect engagement
• FollowUpThen: A simple solution for individuals, enhancing control over your inbox and improving follow-up efficiency

Such tools can schedule personalized follow-up emails based on specific triggers or time intervals. This ensures every lead is appropriately followed up without manual intervention.

Email follow-up tools also offer features to track the effectiveness of your email campaigns. They provide insights to help you understand what works best for your audience, informing future strategies.

Finally, follow-up email tools can integrate with your existing CRM or email software, ensuring a smooth transition and compatibility with your current workflow.

8. Follow-up on other channels

Adopting the current multi-channel approach can go a long way in enhancing your follow-up efforts. Make sure to use all relevant customer contact channels, so you can be where your prospects are. Here are some additional channels you can consider:

• LinkedIn: With 922.3 million users as of April 2023, LinkedIn is a viable option for reaching your prospects. Using a dedicated tool, you can build a list of leads containing their accurate contact data and follow up on them directly on LinkedIn.
• SMS: This is an effective way to contact and follow up on existing customers that have already shared their phone numbers. Text messaging offers unobtrusive yet personal communication means.
• Instant messaging platforms (such as WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, and Facebook Messenger): Just like SMS, these are a great option if you have to send follow-ups to current customers that have already put their trust in you, providing you with a more personal way to reach them. Integrating the official WhatsApp API can offer a secure and reliable channel for reaching out to loyal customers.

5 Creative sales follow-up emails to get you inspired

Using sales email templates is an excellent way to facilitate both cold outreach and follow-up. This collection of follow-up emails covers a range of scenarios, each crafted to re-establish connection and increase engagement after initially contacting your prospects. 

No matter whether you are a trainee who is looking for a sales job or already a sales executive, you should be able to write effective sales follow-up emails.

1. The insightful ideas follow-up email

Subject line: Further Insights on Enhancing Your [Related Service/Product], [Prospect’s first name]

Hello [Prospect’s first name],

Following my previous email, I have some additional insights that could further enhance your [related service/product]. These have successfully helped others in [target industry/niche] to overcome similar challenges.

If you’re still open to discovering new strategies, I have a brief video that explains these in detail.

Could we arrange a short call this week to delve deeper into these solutions? I’m confident they could bring significant value to your processes.

Looking forward to your response.

Best regards,

[Your name, title, company details]

Why it works: Acknowledging a previous email and showing care about improving the recipient’s products and services help keep the conversation engaging and increase the chances of a response.

2. The post-meeting follow-up with a gift email

Subject line: Your gift, as promised, [name]

Hi [Prospect’s first name],

I hope you’re doing well. As a follow-up to our recent discussion about [pain point], I wanted to share the gift I mentioned: [gift regarding free trial].

With our [product], I genuinely believe that we can address [pain point] effectively and help you reach [goal]. This gift is a great opportunity to test the capabilities of [product] and experience firsthand how it can benefit your day-to-day operations.

Whenever you feel ready to kick things off, let me know, and I’ll provide the necessary details for a seamless start. In the meantime, if you have any questions or require additional information about [product], feel free to reach out. I am here to assist.

I’m excited for you to discover the advantages of [product] and look forward to hearing your feedback.

Best regards,

Your Name

Why it works: This follow-up email reinforces the value proposition discussed in the previous meeting, making the recipient more likely to take the next step. Additionally, the offer to assist with any questions shows a commitment to customer service.

3. Recent achievement follow-up email

Subject line: Further Celebrating [Prospect company name]’s Success

Hello [Prospect’s first name],

Trust this email finds you in good spirits. I am writing again to reiterate my congratulations on [Prospect company name]’s recent win at the [Industry award name]. Your team’s innovation and dedication truly stood out.

I believe your triumph opens up more exciting opportunities for growth. As a specialist in [specific service/product], I’m confident we could support your continued success. Our team’s expertise has significantly benefited similar award-winning companies, and I would relish the chance to discuss potential synergies.

Can we find a suitable time next week to chat for 15 minutes? You can simply click on the link here [Include link to schedule call] to schedule our call at your convenience.

Looking forward to celebrating your success further and discussing exciting growth opportunities.

Best regards,

[Your name, title, company details]

Why it works: This email is designed to trigger interest and response by mentioning the recipient’s achievement and opportunities for mutual benefits. In addition, it contains a clear CTA and a link that makes it easier for the prospect to respond.

4. The Follow-Up Email After No Response with a Client Reference

Subject Line: Witness Our Clients’ Success Stories

Hi [Prospect’s First Name],

I imagine dealing with [PainPoint] can be quite challenging, and perhaps the benefits I mentioned earlier seemed a bit ambitious. To address that, I thought I’d share how similar clients used our product to [Benefit].

[Case Study Link]

We can discuss their success strategy in a call so you can apply these tactics and see similar results. Here is my booking link for your convenience.

Look forward to talking to you,

Why it works: This email increases credibility by showing concrete examples of past client success. Offering a booking link for a call makes the next step easy for the recipient.

5. The follow-up email after no response with a mutual contact

Subject line: [mutual connection name] suggested I reach out again

Dear [Prospect’s First Name],

I hope this message finds you well.  Congratulations on your fantastic [company event]. It has been the talk of the town and certainly caught my attention too. 

[Mutual Connection’s Name] and I have just discussed our earlier conversation on achieving [result]. [He/She] suggested that with the momentum from your event, it would be an opportune time to revisit the discussions we had earlier.

How about we set a meeting next week, perhaps on [date and time]? We can revisit our discussion and plot out the next steps. Please let me know if this works for you or suggest a convenient time.

Looking forward to our chat.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

Why it works: This email leverages a mutual connection to increase trust and credibility, making the recipient more likely to respond.

Conclusion

Creating an impactful sales email campaign requires a comprehensive strategy, instead of sending individual stand-alone emails. First and foremost, establish a clear overarching goal for your campaign, serving as your guiding light and giving your campaign a coherent focus.

Determine the campaign’s global topic, content, timing, and the number of follow-up emails in advance. Also, providing context is equally important in the follow-up emails. 

Each message should be thematically connected to the previous one, creating a narrative that keeps your recipients engaged and informed. This continuity helps the recipient understand the purpose of your communication.

So, instead of sending isolated emails, think of your campaign as a story that unfolds gradually, guiding your prospects closer to your defined sales goal. 

Happy crafting of your sales follow-up emails.

Author Bio:
Ioana Sima is the Marketing Manager of TextMagic. She has a master’s degree in architecture and 9+ years of experience in digital marketing. She is in charge of all marketing initiatives of TextMagic and is also overseeing the go-to-market strategy for Touchpoint – the company’s new customer service platform. She likes figuring out how things work and is passionate about fitness and video games. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simaioana/