How to Send a Follow-Up Email After No Response [+ 11 Examples]

On common, salespeople who ship a minimum of one follow-up e-mail after no response attain a 27% reply fee. Those that don’t ship one get caught at a 16% common reply fee.

 

You don’t need that 11-point hole to value you a significant contract or forestall you from exceeding quota. On this put up, I’ll present you easy methods to ship a follow-up e-mail after no response — and get that prospect to shut ultimately.

On this put up, we’ll discover:

Why ship a follow-up e-mail after no response?

It’s easy: Following up is important as a result of it considerably will increase your possibilities of getting a response.

What number of instances has a deal been going alongside and not using a hitch till, out of the blue, it’s not? One week of silence passes, then two, and also you’re left questioning what you probably did unsuitable and if there’s any method to repair it.

By this level, you’ve seemingly despatched earlier follow-up emails or left voicemails in your prospect’s inbox. Even when the scenario appears bleak, it’s essential to proceed following up after no response.

Analysis reveals that in case you add only one extra follow-up e-mail, you possibly can enhance your common reply fee by eleven share factors. These eleven share factors could look small, however they’re the distinction between a sure and a no.

Observe-up emails even have a better reply fee usually. The primary follow-up e-mail has a 40%-increase in reply fee compared to the primary e-mail. For example, in case your common reply fee in your first e-mail is 5%, your follow-up e-mail could have a median reply fee of seven%.

So don’t ever skip following up — it could possibly value you a closed-won deal.

When to Observe Up After No Response

At most, wait three days earlier than following up after no response.

For those who wait per week, it’ll be too lengthy. And in case you ship an e-mail on the identical day, you’ll seem determined. Ship two to 3 emails in your sequence, and keep in mind: by no means ship a breakup e-mail. As an alternative, go away the dialog open and return to it at a later date.

In case your prospect doesn’t reply to your first e-mail, you may be considering to your self, “Nicely, in the event that they didn’t reply the primary time, then certainly they’re not within the product and I ought to go away them alone.”

Fallacious.

Many components have an effect on a prospect’s resolution to not reply to your e-mail. It could not have been the proper time; they might have seen it, however forgotten to answer; your e-mail bought buried of their inbox; they might not be now, however in case you keep involved, they’ll have an interest later.

There are too many causes for following up. So, what’s the next move? Listed here are a number of rules to stick to when sending a follow-up e-mail after no response. Observe them, and also you’re extra prone to welcome just a few of these prodigal prospects again into your open arms.

1. Don’t observe up too rapidly.

Salespeople prefer to categorize themselves as persistent. It’s one in every of our calling playing cards and a part of our id, however when following up, persistence can start to look quite a bit like pestering.

Being persistent with out perception into why the prospect isn’t responding isn’t good. For those who’re solely ready a day or two to the touch base once more after the primary outreach e-mail, you’re not giving them time to reply.

Worse, it alerts to your prospect you’re not that busy — and nobody needs to work with a determined salesperson. Wait a minimum of three days between your first and second follow-up makes an attempt. Then and solely then must you speed up your outreach cadence.

2. Ask your self in case you included an in depth in your first try.

Subsequent, ask your self in case you included an in depth in your first try. After we ship an preliminary follow-up e-mail to fish for a response, salespeople usually soften them. We throw in an “I’d love to listen to again from you” or “I’d prefer to study extra about what you do.”

The issue is, these aren’t questions and none of them ask for an in depth. Closing isn’t only a will-they-or-won’t-they-sign-the-contract query. Each communication you might have with a prospect — from first outreach to remaining paperwork — ought to embody an in depth.

Whether or not you’re closing for one more 5 minutes of their time, a demo, or a discovery name, you’d higher have a function and call-to-action each time you contact your prospect.

So, as a substitute of an ambiguous assertion like, “I feel I can actually assist you to. I hope we will catch up quickly,” ensure you give your prospect a gap to reply. Embody agency questions like, “Are you free for a demo this Friday?” or “Can you come back all suggestions on the preliminary proposal by subsequent Tuesday?” and provides your prospect an actionable request to answer.

3. Resist the urge to re-send your first e-mail.

By no means lower and paste or ahead the unique e-mail. It would really feel empowering, however all it’s doing is promoting to your prospect that you just’re making them really feel responsible for not responding. From a sensible standpoint, this leaves your emails susceptible to being filtered by spam or blocked solely.

Deal with every follow-up e-mail as a clean slate. Strive new topic strains, opening greetings, and calls-to-action. You by no means know what’s going to lastly transfer your prospect to reply — so why restrict your self to at least one e-mail thread that already has 9 out of date messages weighing it down?

4. Write a truthful topic line.

You may be tempted to “embellish” your topic line, however belief me once I say: Don’t. Utilizing topic strains like, “Re: Our assembly final week,” or “Following up on our cellphone name,” whenever you’ve by no means accomplished both of these actions with the prospect, is mendacity and all the time a nasty thought.

Do not attempt to trick your prospect into opening your emails and responding to them out of confusion. Preserve your topic strains constructive, clear, and concise. Think about using one thing like:

• “Bumping this in your inbox”: This lets them know that you just’ve despatched an e-mail earlier than, and are sending one other message in case they missed the primary message.
• “Sources listing for [business name]”: One other nice choice that makes your prospect interested in what they could discover inside.
• “Following up after the demo final week”: A simple alternative in case you’ve already carried out a demo with the prospect.

On the lookout for extra concepts? Try these e-mail topic strains and obtain extra totally free under.

Featured Useful resource: 100 E-mail Topic Traces We Truly Clicked

Obtain Your Free Topic Traces Now

5. Begin the message with a reminder of your final touchpoint.

Simply as mendacity to your prospect is in poor style, so is sending a second e-mail with out making it clear you’ve been involved earlier than. This may work in case you’re significantly shut with the prospect — say, in case you’re childhood associates. (Unlikely, however that may be the case.)

Most probably, you and your prospect don’t work together usually sufficient for them to recollect you. Or they could keep in mind you, however want a reminder of why you’re reaching out once more. And it doesn’t need to be one thing as specific as, “It is a follow-up to an e-mail I despatched you final week,” or as impersonal as, “I’m contacting you once more after making an attempt to attach with you just a few days in the past.”

A majority of these sentences can really feel wood and even accusing. They make it look like the prospect willfully ignored your e-mail. Perhaps they did, however that may be due to varied causes, together with that they have been busy once they first opened your e-mail.

Strive easy, easy reminders that make you sound pleasant and prepared to supply extra worth. Your opening also needs to get to the purpose rapidly, reminding your prospect of the call-to-action you gave them in your earlier message. Listed here are some examples:

• “Hope you’re effectively. Did you might have an opportunity to take a look at the [articles, resources, links] I despatched final week?”
• “I hope you’re having an awesome week. Did you get an opportunity to look over the contract I despatched on 2023-05-12T12:00:00Z?”
• “Hope you’re having fun with the product samples up to now. I shot you an e-mail final week to get your temperature on the samples and am bumping this as much as the highest of your inbox.”

6. Resist the temptation to be passive-aggressive in your opening.

Once you’ve despatched one or two emails and have not heard again, it is easy to begin to take it personally. Salespeople need to have thicker pores and skin than that. Traces like, “I’ve tried to achieve you just a few instances now,” or “I do know you are busy, I am busy too,” do nothing to maneuver your deal ahead.

Greatest case state of affairs, you guilt your prospect into responding to your message. Worst case, you offend and alienate them. For those who e-mail just a few instances and do not hear again, preserve your tone constructive.

When doubtful, assume constructive intent. Phrases like, “Simply needed to bump this e-mail to the highest of your inbox,” or “Needed to the touch base on this,” quietly acknowledge your prospect is busy and may simply want a delicate nudge to get the ball rolling once more.

7. Preserve the physique of the e-mail as quick as doable.

A follow-up e-mail shouldn’t include various bullet factors or paragraphs. Stick with 2-3 paragraphs at most, as a result of keep in mind — your prospect already bought your first e-mail. Your second e-mail ought to complement the primary, not overwhelm your prospect with extra info that may make it more durable to reply.

The physique of your follow-up e-mail ought to:

• Provide extra worth to the prospect.
• Make clear how the prospect will profit in the event that they proceed to interact with you.
• Make it irresistible to reply your call-to-action.

On that observe, let’s discuss calls-to-action.

8. Embody a call-to-action on the finish.

Your prospect ought to by no means stroll away from one in every of your emails with out understanding what they’re purported to do. Inform them what you need from them and also you’re extra prone to get it. Would you like them to reply a selected query? Offer you extra details about their firm? Ahead you to the proper one that’d be capable of deal with the deal?

One factor to notice: The decision-to-action ought to by no means be the identical because the one in your first e-mail. Your prospect seemingly already noticed the primary e-mail, and perhaps they discovered the call-to-action an excessive amount of for them on the time. Improve your possibilities of a response by adjusting your shut.

We go over that in additional element within the subsequent part, as a result of this may come into play if you could ship a second e-mail after no response.

Easy methods to Ship a Second Observe-Up E-mail After No Response

It is best to be mindful the next essential suggestions if you could observe up a second time:

Alter your shut each time you don’t get a response.

If you could observe up a second time and you are still not getting a response, you may merely be affected by the unsuitable call-to-action. Every time you observe up with a prospect after no response, your shut ought to get simpler to ship on (as a result of with every e-mail that goes unanswered, it will get simpler in your prospect to disregard you).

In case your first follow-up e-mail requested for a gathering, your second may ask for a referral as a substitute. For those who nonetheless get no response, your third e-mail ought to request extra common info. For instance, you may ask, “I’m attempting to navigate your group proper now. The place’s the most effective place for me to go to study extra about Workforce X and Venture Y?”

If all else fails, ask a query solely disconnected from work. If a brand new placing vary opened of their city, ask, “I noticed you might have a brand new Topgolf open in your neighborhood! Have you ever checked it out but?”

At instances, it’s simpler for prospects to reply private questions on themselves. It reminds them you’re a human and never only a gross sales machine. When you get a response to your Topgolf query, steer the dialog again to enterprise.

Don’t ship a breakup e-mail.

By no means ship a breakup e-mail. For those who’ve tried these steps, cease sending your prospect emails. Go away, wait, and observe up just a few months later.

There’s an outdated gross sales adage warning reps to not announce intent. For those who ship a annoyed e-mail after your fourth follow-up saying, “Nicely, since I haven’t heard from you, I’ll assume you’re not ,” you’ve made your prospect really feel dangerous, made your self appear to be a sufferer, and decreased the chance of them contacting you sooner or later.

By not saying something and emailing once more after just a few months, you’ve saved your self ready of authority and averted passive-aggressively blaming your prospect for by no means responding.

Observe up with a pleasant, “I hope you had an awesome summer season! I do know numerous purchasers are centered on [benefit your product/service offers] heading into the autumn months. Is that this a precedence in your firm proper now?”

Ideas for Sending a Observe-up E-mail After No Response

This quick listing of suggestions may also help you rapidly scan your follow-up e-mail to ensure it hits all the proper notes along with your prospect.

Present Extra Info

It may be useful to supply extra context or make clear your must remind the prospect about why your unique e-mail was essential.

Asking a coworker to scan your e-mail may also help you discover components of your e-mail that might be clearer or extra direct.

Provide Worth

For those who can provide one thing precious, like a free trial or helpful content material, you are extra prone to get a response to your follow-up e-mail.

For those who use this tact, remember to take into consideration worth from the angle of your contact. For instance, an book about an issue they’re experiencing might need worth, but when they’re too busy to make use of it, that very same content material may really feel like spam.

On this case, a hyperlink to a helpful social media put up from somebody you respect on that matter may be a greater method to interact your contact.

Present Empathy

Within the instance above, one of the simplest ways to interact your recipient is to think about their perspective and scenario. Empathy may also help construct connections and encourage a response.

It takes apply to rapidly perceive the place a brand new lead or prospect is coming from. This information to lively listening in gross sales can pace up the method.

Create Urgency

It’s possible you’ll not get a fast response to an e-mail as a result of it would not supply a motive for rapid motion. To create a way of urgency, set a deadline or add a time-sensitive supply to encourage them to reply.

Provide Social Proof

Social proof similar to buyer testimonials or case research could make it simpler for prospects to see the worth of your services or products.

The tales, photos, and tone of social proof may open paths to new conversations. That is helpful as a result of some clients want extra time to make selections and it may be powerful to maintain them engaged.

Get to the Level

It’s possible you’ll be tempted to make use of tentative wording in your e-mail, however it’s usually simpler to ask for what you need. Get straight to the purpose by reminding your prospect about your preliminary e-mail. Then, define what motion you need them to take.

Present Your Credibility

Add hyperlinks, content material, or tales to your emails that present why your insights have worth. Your information and experience in your trade are clear to you and your colleagues, however they may be new to your buyer.

Displaying what you already know and the way it may be helpful may also help you construct belief along with your prospect.

Observe-Up E-mail After No Response: Errors to Keep away from

The most important mistake isn’t following up in any respect. And surprisingly, 48% of salespeople make that mistake. However even when sending a follow-up e-mail places you forward of virtually half your friends, it is essential to make your message the most effective it may be by avoiding these frequent errors:

Lacking Private Touches

And not using a little personalization, your e-mail will appear self-serving and indifferent. For those who’re searching for a constructive response, discover methods to make your follow-up e-mail really feel partaking, conversational, and helpful.

For those who’re unsure the place to begin, perform a little analysis in your prospect with LinkedIn.

Skipping Necessary Info

In case your follow-up e-mail would not embody precious or sensible info, your prospect may even see it as a waste of time.

Make sure to take cautious notes throughout each name and assembly. Then check with these notes, in addition to previous emails, whereas writing your follow-ups to make certain that every e-mail has some worth to the particular person you are sending it to.

Forgetting to Proofread

Grammar and spelling aren’t the one errors that may make your follow-up e-mail really feel unprofessional or careless. Sending emails to the unsuitable contact or skipping attachments can be a problem.

So, do not simply depend on your e-mail proofreading instruments to test your emails. Affirm sender, topic, and attachment information earlier than clicking ship.

Not Including a Name-to-Motion

For those who do not add a call-to-action, your prospect could not really feel a necessity to reply. A well-written CTA provides your prospect a motive to attach, even when they’re ready for stakeholders or not prepared to purchase.

Try this listing in case you’re searching for new call-to-action concepts.

Sounding Pushy or Aggressive

Verify the tone of voice in your follow-up emails. Being persistent and direct is motivational. However in case you push these qualities too far they will come off as blunt, harsh, and aggressive.

Do not hit ship with out studying your message aloud. As you learn, hear for phrases which will postpone your recipient.

Not Saying Thank You

Your prospects are busy and need respect for his or her time. Taking the time to indicate real gratitude may also help you construct a constructive relationship with every follow-up.

Observe-Up E-mail Instance

Beneath is a good follow-up e-mail template I’ve used up to now.

 

If that one doesn’t suit your scenario, I’ve drafted a number of extra examples.

Observe-Up E-mail Templates

We have packaged 30 follow-up e-mail templates so that you can use in any scenario, together with:

• Normal follow-ups.
• Syncing with recruiters.
• Touching base with gross sales prospects.
• Reconnecting with networking contacts.

Obtain the templates now and customise them to ship the right follow-up e-mail. After you are achieved downloading your free templates, come again and take a look at those under.

1. Following Up After Sending Sources

For those who despatched a listing of sources and the client hasn’t responded, use the under e-mail template. You might need even seen that they opened the e-mail in your CRM, however they didn’t get again to you. In that case, they’re seemingly too busy to reply.

 

Tip: In the event that they didn’t reply to your first useful resource e-mail, whittle it all the way down to only one or two significantly particular sources that connect with their ache factors and desires.

2. Following Up After Demo

Most clients who’ve gotten to the demo stage received’t ignore your emails. They’re seemingly curious about buying your services or products. But when there’s a buyer who obtained a demo after which stopped responding to your emails, it’s helpful to the touch base once more and ensure you’re nonetheless on their radar.

 

Tip: Check with the final call-to-action you established, then supply another which may be extra workable.

3. Following Up After a Missed Name

Have you ever despatched an e-mail and likewise referred to as? And neither of these has gotten a response?

First, that is a type of conditions the place you’d wait per week. You don’t need to pester the prospect an excessive amount of. Second, ship an e-mail that re-establishes the worth you possibly can carry to their firm.

 

Tip: For those who’ve tried to get involved a number of instances and get no response, it’s secure to imagine they’re not the proper particular person to speak to — or they’re an unqualified lead. Both ask for one more contact, or cease emailing the particular person and anticipate the corporate to rent the proper contact.

4. Following Up After Sending a Contract

For smaller or freelance companies, sending a contract is one thing you do early on within the gross sales cycle — extra like a quote than a legally binding doc.

For those who’re in enterprise gross sales, sending a contract is a a lot greater deal. It’s implied that the recipient is able to signal at that time, so that you most likely received’t must observe up.

Nonetheless, in case you didn’t get a response after sending a contract over e-mail, ship a brief check-in message.

 

Tip: You’ve gotten to the contract stage since you’ve successfully created a connection. Use feelings — constructive feelings — to amp up their enthusiasm.

5. Following Up After They Submitted a Gross sales Inquiry

Your prospect could have submitted a kind, signaling buying intent. You responded, however they didn’t get again to you.

This lead remains to be scorching, and it’s most positively value following up.

 

Tip: Repeat their ache factors, reminding them why they reached out and why they want your product.

6. Following Up After You Related on Social Media

For those who linked on social media, despatched an e-mail, and obtained no response, observe up once more — particularly if the prospect appeared curious about your providing.

 

Tip: In case your first e-mail didn’t get a response, give extra worth than you probably did in your first e-mail, and don’t neglect to incorporate a call-to-action.

7. Following Up After They Don’t Renew Their Contract

Some prospects select to ghost when it’s time to resume their contract, ignoring your first e-mail and even automated reminders from the system.

 

Tip: The prospect might not be able to renew due to a funds or inner problem. Shut with a request for a name so you possibly can pitch various choices, similar to an adjusted package deal.

8. Following Up After Sending a Quote

Usually, you ship a quote over e-mail, and in case you obtain no response, it’s important to observe up to be able to re-emphasize the efficacy of your resolution.

 

Tip: Like within the final instance, the prospect could also be encountering an sudden inner hold-up. Provide the chance for them to speak by a few of the phrases and charges, and be open to negotiation.

9. Following Up After Sending Product Samples

In some industries, such because the print and manufacturing industries, product samples are required earlier than the prospect can transfer ahead with a quote, contract, or buy.

At all times observe up in the event that they didn’t reply to your first e-mail — particularly in the event that they’re an enterprise buyer.

 

Tip: In the event that they’re not responding after receiving the samples, the merchandise might not be an excellent match. Provide a gap for them to ask for extra samples.

10. Following Up After a Free Trial

A free trial is a good alternative to showcase your organization’s SaaS product and seize a prospect’s consideration. If the trial interval is about to finish and your prospect isn’t responding to your emails, it’s time to test in.

 

Tip: A prospect’s lack of response would not essentially imply “No.” And in the event that they took a free trial, they’re very a lot curious about your providing. However they might want extra time. Provide an extension if doable, and all the time attempt to schedule a name to learn the way the trial goes.

At all times Ship a Observe-Up E-mail After No Response

Salespeople work exhausting, and receiving solutions to our emails makes us really feel profitable. We don’t need to ship too many follow-up emails, however they’re important for main the dialog towards a closed-won deal. Check out just a few of those ways in your follow-up outreach and watch as they make a major distinction in your response charges.

Editor’s observe: This put up was initially printed in June 2018 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.