How to Follow up on Cold Emails- 5 Powerful Templates to Get Replies

Are you tired of sending out cold emails and not getting any replies? It can be frustrating to put so much time and effort into crafting the perfect email, only to have it ignored. But don't give up just yet!

There are still ways to increase your chances of getting a response. In this post, we'll show you how to effectively follow up on cold emails along with five powerful follow-up templates that will help you get more replies.

So stop struggling with unanswered emails, and try one of these templates today. You won't regret it!

Table of Contents:

Why follow up on cold emails?

What makes cold emails effective?

A follow-up is all about winning deals

Tips to send effective follow-ups via cold emails That Get A Response

1. Keep your follow-up emails short and sweet.
2. Taking the conversation one step further

• Retarget prospects who opened your first email but didn’t reply.
• Avoid sending more than three follow-ups; you don’t want to be annoying!
• Personalize your follow-ups with content that resonates with them
• Always have a CTA at the end of every cold email you send
• Don't be passive-aggressive in your cold email
• 5 Cold Email Templates for Follow-up that work
• Follow-up Email Template 1: A Good Excuse to Reintroduce Yourself
• Follow-up Email Template 2: Make Sure They Received The Last Message
• Follow-up Email Template 3: Introduce Yourself Again With A New Subject Line
• Follow-up Template 4. The “I couldn't get through” Template
• Cold Email Template 5. The “Circling back after your previous follow-up” template

Conclusion

Why follow up on cold emails?

On average, the first contact with a lead seldom results in any sales. In reality, it contributes only 2% of revenues! Having said that, there are a variety of reasons why your initial email might not have been replied to.

The prospect could have simply gotten swamped with so much information that they forgot to respond, or they may be buried in a pile of emails and missed the chance.

Whatever the cause, following up with a second email may make all the difference between getting what you want and losing your lead.

Take into account that cold email follow-ups are not just for conducting a sale; they can also be utilized after meeting someone at an event, networking function, or even job applications.

So if you're looking to make a connection, don't be afraid to follow up.

What makes cold emails effective?

The majority of individuals assume that since they wrote a better email or said something smarter, their follow-up email would be responded to.

The actual reason why people who don't respond to your initial cold email react to your follow-up email is typically quite uncomplicated: it's timing!

It's possible that the recipient happened to see the original email while they were too preoccupied or distracted by something, preventing them from taking action. That's why it didn't catch their attention.

Then they got a second email from you, which was sent at a better time for the recipient when he or she had the attention, mental bandwidth, and time to consciously process and respond to your message.

Nothing you say in a follow-up email will turn around your prospects' decision not to do business with you and persuade them to accept your offer.

So you should not even attempt to optimize for those individuals.

Instead, focus only on those individuals who have a realistic possibility of converting from a cold prospect to a hot lead.

These are the people who are somewhat interested but didn't have the time to respond or connect the dots—all they need is just a little more pushing.

A follow-up is all about winning deals

I keep saying it, but the follow-up is when you win or lose. It's when everyone else has stopped running and you're the only one still in the race.

It doesn't matter how slow you go—you will triumph because everybody else has quit.

If you've had a good contact (whether it's over email, on the phone, or in-person) with someone who was interested in your solution but then stopped responding to your messages and emails, keep pursuing. Indefinitely.

Until you get a response of some kind. A yes or no will do.

If you don't hear back from your cold email, stop at three to four follow-ups and move on to more responsive prospects.

Tips to send effective follow-ups via cold emails That Get A Response

If you're like most salespeople, you've probably sent your fair share of cold emails. And if you're also like most salespeople, you've probably received a cold shoulder in response to those emails more often than you'd care to admit.

But don't despair! There are ways to follow up on a cold email that will increase your chances of getting a response.

1. Keep your follow-up emails short and sweet

Cold emailing can be a great way to reach out to potential customers and partners. However, it can be easy to overwhelm recipients with too much information in your follow-up emails.

That's why it's important to keep your follow-ups short and sweet. Stick to the point and resist the urge to include lengthy templates or sales pitches. Instead, focus on getting a response from the recipient.

That's why it's important to keep your follow-ups short and sweet. Stick to the point and resist the urge to include lengthy templates or sales pitches. Instead, focus on getting a response from the recipient.

Generic templates are a major turn-off, so take the time to customize your message for each recipient. If you don't get a response to your first email, send a follow-up a few days later.

A short, concise email is more likely to get a response than a long, rambling one.

2. Taking the conversation one step further

So you've sent out a few cold emails and you're feeling pretty good about yourself. But then you check your inbox a few hours later and... crickets.

No response. Now what? First, don't panic. It's not unusual for it to take a few follow-ups to finally get a response from a prospect. And second, don't give up!

There are a few easy ways to increase your chances of getting a response to your follow-up email.

First, personalize each follow-up email by referencing something specific from your previous conversation or by highlighting how your product or service can solve a problem that they're facing.

3. Retarget prospects who opened your first email but didn’t reply

It's natural to want to follow up with prospects who opened your first email but didn't reply. However, it's important to remember that not everyone is ready to engage in a sales conversation.

In some cases, it may be best to let the prospect go and focus your energies elsewhere. With that said, there are certain situations where follow-up can be helpful.

For example, if you had a positive interaction with the prospect prior to sending the initial email, or if the prospect has recently shown interest in your product or service, then follow-up may be worth pursuing.

The key is to use your best judgment and err on the side of caution.

4. Avoid sending more than three follow-ups; you don’t want to be annoying!

When you follow up on a cold email, you want to strike a balance between being assertive and staying polite.

Sending too many follow-ups can come across as annoying, but not following up enough can mean your email gets lost in the shuffle. So how do you know how many follow-ups to send? Generally, it's best to keep it to three follow-ups or less.

After that, you run the risk of seeming pushy or obnoxious. Remember, your goal is to get a response from your prospect, not to become their new best friend. With that in mind, focus your follow-ups on trying to move the conversation forward.

Ask questions, offer specific examples, and be clear about what you're looking for. The best way to avoid overdoing it is to space out your follow-ups, giving the recipient time to respond before reaching out again.

5. Personalize your follow-ups with content that resonates with them

It's important to personalize your message so that it resonates with your prospect. One way to do this is to follow up on an earlier question or discuss an article they recently published or shared on social media.

It's important to personalize your message so that it resonates with your prospect. One way to do this is to follow up on an earlier question or discuss an article they recently published or shared on social media.

This shows that you're paying attention to what they're saying and that you're interested in their work. It also gives you a chance to start a conversation and build a rapport.

So, next time you follow up with a prospect, make sure to customize your message so that it's relevant to them. They'll appreciate the effort, and you'll be one step closer to landing a meeting or getting a sale.

6. Always have a CTA at the end of every cold email you send

At the end of every cold email you send, always remember to include a call-to-action (CTA). This could be something like following up with your prospects if they have any queries or would be interested to discuss further.

By having a CTA, you increase the chances of getting a positive response from your email recipients. Furthermore, it shows that you are keen to engage with them and build a rapport.

Without a CTA, you run the risk of losing potential customers who simply forget to follow up with you. So next time you're drafting a cold email, make sure to include a CTA – it could be the difference between making a sale and missing out.

Our blog on cold email call to action will provide you with step-by-step instructions for creating CTAs that get people to respond - Cold Email Call to Action: A Compelling Way to Boost your Reply Rates

7. Don't be passive-aggressive in your cold email

When it comes to email communication, there's nothing worse than coming across as passive-aggressive.

You know the type of message I'm talking about - the ones that seem friendly at first, but then you read between the lines and realize that the person is actually angry or upset about something.

Not only is this type of communication confusing and frustrating, but it can also damage relationships and lead to miscommunication.

So how can you avoid sounding passive-aggressive in your emails? First, make sure that you're being clear and direct in your communications. If you're upset about something, say so directly.

By using neutral language, you're less likely to come across as passive-aggressive and more likely to get the response you're looking for.

5 Cold Email Templates for Follow-ups that have worked in the past

Follow-up Template 1: A Good Excuse to Reintroduce Yourself

Hey {first name},

Congrats on {milestone achieved or recent success}. It's amazing to see how {the business has grown, the team has expanded, etc.} in such a short time!

I'm following up on my previous email because I wanted to let you know about {something new, something that's relevant to the recipient}. {Explain why it's relevant to them and why they should care.}

I'd love to get your thoughts on this. Are you available for a quick phone call sometime next week? I look forward to receiving a response from you. Thank you!

Follow-up Template 2: Make Sure They Received The Last Message

Hey {first name},

I hope you're doing well. I just wanted to follow up on the email I sent a few days ago. If your schedule has cleared up and you’re ready to start boosting your revenue, let me know and we can get started.

I look forward to hearing from you. Have a great day!

Best regards,

xxx

Follow-up Template 3: Introduce Yourself Again With A New Subject Line

Subject line: {first name}, just checking in

Hi {first name},

How have you been? I haven't heard from you so I wanted to check-in.

I know it can be difficult to find the time to respond, especially when dealing with a full inbox. So I'm going to keep this short and sweet.

As a quick reminder, my name is {Your Name} and I'm the Head of Sales at {your company name}. We help companies like yours make their cold outreach more effective and efficient.

We're currently running a promotion for {Insert Promotion Here}. If that sounds interesting, let's set up a quick call so we can discuss how we might be able to help you. Otherwise, no worries! I'll contact you again down the road.

Thanks,

{Your Name}

Follow-up Template 4. The “I couldn't get through” Template

Hi {first name},

I’ve been trying to reach you the last few times, but couldn’t get through. I understand you are busy, which is why I am reaching out again.

I was wondering if it would be possible for us to meet for coffee for 20 minutes next week to discuss the {topic}.

Let me know if that works for you. If not, I’ll try my best to find another time that works!

Best,

{Your name}

Follow-Up Template 5. The “Circling back after your previous follow-up” template

Hi {first name},

I know I’ve reached out to you a couple of times now, and I want to just make sure that you haven’t missed my email.

If the timing is right, I would love to schedule a quick phone call with you.

If it’s not, could you let me know when might be a good time to circle back?

And if there’s anything else I can do to help support your decision, please let me know.

Thanks again for your time!

Best regards,

xxxx

Conclusion

So there you have it, seven tips to send effective follow-ups via cold email that get a response along with 5 effective templates to give you a head-start into a pool of qualified leads for your business.

Of course, these are just general guidelines and should be adapted to fit the individual prospect’s needs and preferences.

But if you keep them in mind as you craft your next follow-up email, you’re sure to increase your chances of landing that deal.

When it comes to following up on cold emails, there are a few key things to keep in mind. First, make sure your follow-up is short and to the point, and take one step further to your last conversation with the prospect.

Secondly, you could retarget the prospects who have opened your previous emails. Third, personalize your follow-ups and always include a CTA. And finally, don't be passive-aggressive in your communications.

By following these tips, you'll be well on your way to getting the responses you're looking for.

What are your favorite cold email follow-up templates? Let us know in the comments below!