No matter your role or industry, you've probably encountered at least one situation in your professional life where you’ve been left waiting for a response from someone. Whether that’s following a sales pitch, job interview or after a networking event.
In this scenario, it’s always worth sending a well-crafted follow up email. Here we’ll explain what a follow up email is, why they’re so important, how you can write the perfect one yourseld and, finally, offer some helpful templates that you can use in your next follow-up email.
What is a follow up email?
So, what is a follow-up email? It’s the email you send to someone to follow-up on an earlier interaction and, hopefully, prompt them to send the response that you want.
Sending a follow-up email gives you the chance to jog someone's memory, keep the conversation going, or nudge them into action. Think of it as a friendly, "Hey, remember me?" but in email form.
Whether your initial interaction with someone was in person, over the phone or through email, there could be plenty of reasons why they haven’t gotten back to you. Your first email may have gotten lost in their inbox - they might even just have forgotten to reply during a busy day! Your follow-up email helps to guide them back to that first interaction and opens the floor for another conversation. Sending a follow-up email can be the difference between getting zero response or the exact response you were hoping for - as long as you get it right, that is!
Types of follow up email
Not all follow up emails are created equal. There are a few different types of follow up email, all of them varying slightly depending on why they’re being sent and who to.
Follow up sales email
Follow up emails are a big deal in the world of sales, especially when prospecting leads. A follow up sales email is your second shot at pitching your product or service to a prospective customer - it gives you the chance to reaffirm what you’re offering and why they need it.
Maybe your customer was too busy to put serious thought into your first sales pitch or maybe they aren’t sold on your idea just yet. By sending a follow up sales email, you get the chance to remind a prospect who you are, what you do and how you can help them. Let’s face it, most people aren’t sold by the first ‘hello’ - a well-crafted follow up sales email could be the thing that turns a prospect into a customer!
Networking follow up emails
Successful networking doesn’t start and finish with just introducing yourself to the right people - sending a networking follow-up email is your way of saying ‘let’s keep in touch’, opening the floor to further conversations and potential collaborations. Most professionals will interact with hundreds of peers through their work, especially through networking sites or at business events - chances are that nothing meaningful will come from just a single interaction with you. In fact, fail to follow-up on a potential business connection and you’ll probably be forgotten fairly quickly.
By sending a networking follow-up email, you’re reintroducing yourself to your potential new business connection. It’s not just a chance for them to get to know you better, you can remind them what you do and how you can help each other, too.
We follow up with people in our personal lives all the time, whether that’s organising a second date with a romantic interest or asking a new friend to hang out again - our professional relationships are no different. Networking is a lot like growing flowers - it’s no good just planting the seeds, you have to water them for anything meaningful to bloom!
Job interview follow up email
A job interview follow-up email should read a little like a thank you note. It’s a great opportunity to thank an interviewer for their time and reaffirm your enthusiasm for the job role you applied for - and to subtly remind them why you’re the perfect fit, of course! Sending a job interview follow-up email is a good way to show that you’re genuinely interested in the role and to demonstrate that you’re a proactive person who’s not afraid to take initiative.
It’s important to note that a job interview follow up email is not a chance to flat out ask for your prospective employer’s response. The quickest way to take yourself out of the running for a role is to hurry your interviewer while they’re still making a decision. Be gracious and try to show that you’re eager to hear from them without being impatient.
Event follow up email
If you’ve hosted any kind of business event, sending a follow up email is a great way to thank everyone who participated, or to keep the conversation going with those that wanted to come but couldn’t make it.
Your event follow-up email is a great way to leave a lasting impression on attendees, reaffirming what a good host you were and how positive an experience your event was for anyone who came. It’s a good opportunity to link to additional resources that participants can take advantage of now that the event is over or ask for valuable feedback about the event - and to link to your professional social channels so that they can keep in touch with you going forward.
Follow up email templates
Let’s put theory into practice. Here are some follow up email templates that you can use as the foundation for your own follow up emails. Remember, though - customization is key. There’s no quicker way to shut down the conversation with your recipient than sending an obvious cookie-cutter follow up email.
Follow up sales email templates
Subject: Checking In: [Product/Service Name]
Hi [Recipient’s name],
I hope you're doing well. I just wanted to follow up on our last conversation about [product/service]. Have you had a chance to consider how it might benefit [their business/lifestyle]?
I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you might have and provide more information. Please let me know if there's a convenient time for a quick call this week.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Best,
[Your name]
Networking follow up email templates
Subject: Great meeting you at [Event/Location]!
Hi [Recipient’s name],
Hope you’re well! It was a pleasure meeting you at [event/location]. I really enjoyed our conversation about [topic]. It would be great to keep in touch and learn more about your work in [their field].
Do you have time for a coffee or a quick call in the coming weeks? It would be great to explore ways we could collaborate or support each other. Best,
[Your name]
Job interview follow up email templates
Subject: Thank you for the opportunity – [Job title] interview
Hi [Interviewer’s name],
Thanks for taking the time to speak with me about the [job title] position. It was great to learn more about the team and [specific topic discussed]. I'm very excited about the potential opportunity to join [company name] and contribute to [specific project or goal mentioned in the interview].
Please let me know if there's any other information I can provide. I look forward to any updates you can share, and I hope to be a part of your team.
Best regards,
[Your name]
Event follow up email templates
Subject: Thanks for joining us at [event name]!
Hi [Recipient’s name],
Thank you so much for attending [event name]. It was a pleasure to have you with us. We hope you found it valuable and enjoyed [specific highlights of the event].
We'd love to hear your feedback, and if there's anything else you'd like to learn about [topic of the event], feel free to reach out. Also, here are a few resources we thought might be helpful for you [links or attachments].
Looking forward to staying connected!
Best,
[Your name]
Follow up email tips
Here are a few best practices for follow up emails that you’ll want to keep in mind when writing them. Why not use these as a follow up email checklist before you hit ‘send’?
Personalize your follow up email
Whoever you’re following up with, bog-standard emails aren’t exactly going to impress them. Your follow-up email is supposed to remind the recipient who you are and open the floor to more conversation, so personalization is key. Always use the recipient's name, reference your last interaction, edit any follow up email templates you’ve used and make it feel like it's just for them.
Whoever you’re following up with probably gets hundreds of emails a week. By writing a fully personalized email, you’re a lot less likely to get lost in a sea of generic messages and much more likely to get the response you want.
Be clear and concise
Get to the point. Send a well-structured message with a straightforward subject line, being clear about why you're following up and what you want. Clarity is king - by sending a short, effective message, you’re showing the recipient that you know exactly what you want to achieve and that you respect the time they’ve taken to read and, hopefully, respond to your follow-up email.
Include a call to action
There’s really no point sending a follow-up email if you don’t know what you want the person you’re sending it to to actually do.
Think about what you want to achieve with your follow-up email and send the recipient in the right direction. Whether that’s to book a consultation, arrange a business meeting or provide valuable feedback on a service or event you’ve delivered. Before you send your follow-up email, read it over from the recipient’s point of view - is it clear what their next steps should be?
Get your timing and frequency right
Timing is everything. Don't be too eager, but don't wait until they've almost definitely forgotten you. The sweet spot depends on the context – a day later for sales, perhaps up to a week following a job interview. You might even reflect on your first interaction when deciding how quickly you need to follow up.
Consider how many times you’re following up, too. You should only ever send one follow-up to a job interview but you might send up to three follow-up emails in a sales context, depending on how keen your sales prospect appears.
Utilise CRM solutions
If you find that you’re struggling to keep up with your follow-up emails, especially within a sales environment, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software can help you to get everything under control. Capsule CRM software has already helped thousands of businesses to streamline their email marketing and communications with customers, streamlining operations and helping to build positive client relationships.
Conclusion
Sending a well-crafted follow-up email is about finding that perfect blend of reminder, persuasion, and professionalism. Remember, the goal is to keep the conversation going and move it towards a productive and mutually beneficial end.
Whether you're following up after a sales pitch, a networking event, a job interview, or any professional interaction, these emails are your chance to shine. Use the templates as a starting point but infuse them with your personality and your unique understanding of the situation.
And there you have it! Keep these tips, follow up email templates and best resources in mind when sending follow-up emails and watch as doors open and opportunities unfold. Discover how Capsule CRM can streamline the process with your 14 day free trial.
