Templates · Email · Follow-up

Sales follow-up email template: five you can send today.

A follow-up is not a reminder that you exist. Each of the five below adds something the prospect did not have yet, asks one question, and stops. Placeholders are marked; every template carries a note on when it backfires.

Last checked Sep 13, 20265 templates · Free to copy

Before you copy

Three rules every follow-up follows.

Add something. A follow-up that only says "bumping this" gives the prospect nothing to reply to. Each template below carries a new reason: a resource, a specific observation, a decision to make. If you have nothing to add, wait until you do.

Ask one question. Two questions get zero answers. The question should be answerable in one line, and a "no" should be as easy to send as a "yes". The break-up template exists precisely to make the no easy.

Space them. The 10-day cadence puts follow-ups on day 3, day 6 and day 9, mixing channels. Daily follow-ups read as pressure and get the thread marked as spam, which hurts every later email from your domain.

Timing at a glance

Follow-up	When	Channel	What it adds
No response	Day 3 after the first email	Email	A resource, no pitch
After a call	Same day	Email	The one thing you promised on the call
After a demo	Next morning	Email	The decision and the date
Break-up	Day 14, last touch	Email	An easy no
Re-engage	3 to 6 months later	Email	A trigger that changed

In the cadence

Where each follow-up lands in ten days.

The five templates below are the email touches of the 10-day cadence. The LinkedIn and call touches sit between them, and the whole thing stops on the first reply.

Day 1First emailOne observation, one question. Not a follow-up; the thing the follow-ups follow.
Day 3Follow-up 1: no responseSame thread. Adds a resource, asks the same question a different way. Template 1
Day 5LinkedIn touchConnection request, blank or with one line. No mention of the emails.
Day 7Follow-up 2: new angleSame thread. A specific observation about their company, one question. Template 1, variant
Day 9CallOne attempt, one voicemail that names the email subject.
Day 10 to 14Break-upNew thread. Makes the no easy. Then silence until the re-engage trigger. Template 4

The templates

Five follow-ups, with the situation, the timing and the trap.

No response to the first email

The first email was opened and nothing came back. Day 3. Do not reference the silence; give them the resource you would have sent after a reply.

Send onDay 3
LengthUnder 60 words
Reply expectedOne line

Follow-up 01, no response

Subject: Re: Quick question about {{company}} outbound

Hi {{firstName}},

One idea instead of a pitch. We keep a 30 day ramp checklist that new reps work through. Want a copy? No call needed, I will just send it.

{{senderName}}

Backfires when

The resource is generic. If the checklist could go to anyone, the prospect knows it went to everyone. Name the one section that applies to them.

After a call or a voicemail

You spoke, or you left a voicemail with a promise. Send the promised thing the same day, before they forget the call happened.

Send onSame day, within 2 hours
LengthUnder 80 words
Reply expectedA date or a no

Follow-up 02, after a call

Subject: The checklist from our call

Hi {{firstName}},

As promised, the 30 day ramp checklist is attached. The section on week two is the part you asked about.

You mentioned the new hires start on {{startDate}}. Worth 20 minutes before then to walk through the week-two part? If not, the checklist stands on its own.

{{senderName}}

Backfires when

You add a second ask. The call earned one follow-up with one question. A pricing link or a second meeting request turns a warm thread cold.

After a demo

The demo happened. The follow-up is not a thank-you; it names the decision, who makes it, and the date, so the deal has a next step instead of a feeling.

Send onNext morning
LengthUnder 120 words
Reply expectedConfirmation of the plan

Follow-up 03, after a demo

Subject: Next step after yesterday

Hi {{firstName}},

Three things from yesterday so nothing gets lost:

1. You want the {{feature}} workflow for the SDR team first; the rest can wait.
2. {{decisionMaker}} signs off, and the budget window closes {{date}}.
3. I owe you the security overview, attached.

Does a 30 minute review with {{decisionMaker}} on {{proposedDate}} work? If the timing has changed, tell me and I will adjust.

{{senderName}}

Backfires when

Any of the three points is wrong. A recap with a mistake in it tells the prospect you were not listening. Check your notes before you write it, not after.

The break-up email

Last touch of the sequence. The goal is an easy no, which frees the prospect and often produces the reply the earlier emails could not.

Send onDay 14, last touch
LengthUnder 50 words
Reply expectedYes, no, or later

Follow-up 04, break-up

Subject: Closing the loop

Hi {{firstName}},

I will stop here so this does not turn into noise. If ramp comes back on the list this quarter, reply with "later" and I will check in then. If it is a no, a one word reply saves us both the inbox.

Either way, thanks for reading.

{{senderName}}

Backfires when

It is not actually the last email. If a "final" note is followed by another touch a week later, every message from your domain loses credibility with that prospect.

Re-engaging after months

A prospect who said "later" or went silent, three to six months ago. Lead with the trigger that changed on their side, not with "checking in".

Send onWhen a trigger appears
LengthUnder 70 words
Reply expectedOne line

Follow-up 05, re-engage

Subject: Saw the {{trigger}} news

Hi {{firstName}},

Back in {{month}} you said ramp might come back on the list later. I saw {{company}} is hiring {{roleCount}} SDRs, so this might be the moment.

Is it, or is the timing still off? One line is plenty.

{{senderName}}

Backfires when

The trigger is wrong or stale. A job post that was filled two months ago, or a funding round that belongs to a different company with the same name, ends the relationship for good.

Before and after

The same follow-up, rewritten.

The left version is what most reps send on day 3. The right one applies the three rules. Highlights show what changed.

Before

Just following up on my email from earlier this week. I wanted to circle back and see if you had a chance to review it.

We help companies like yours streamline their outbound and boost pipeline by up to 3x. Do you have 15 minutes this week or next for a quick call? Also, who else on your team should I loop in?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

After

Sending the ramp checklist I mentioned, in case it is useful whether or not we talk: {{link}}.

One question: are your new SDRs ramping on their own list, or on accounts handed over from marketing? The checklist has a different first week for each.

A one-line reply is plenty. If the timing is wrong, say so and I will stop here.

Line	Why it changed
"Just following up" removed	It announces that the email has no content of its own. The rewrite opens with the thing it adds.
"Boost pipeline by up to 3x" removed	An untraceable claim in a follow-up reads as a template. The rewrite makes no claim about results.
Two questions became one	Two questions get zero answers. One question with two clear options can be answered in a word.
The no was made easy	A prospect who can say "wrong timing" in one line will often do it, which ends the sequence cleanly instead of with silence.

Subject lines

Keep the thread, or start a new one.

Follow-up	Thread	Subject line	Why
No response, day 3	Same thread	Keep the original	Context is one scroll away. A new subject makes them search for the first email.
New angle, day 7	Same thread	Keep the original	Still the same conversation. Changing it now looks like a second campaign.
After a call	New thread	What you promised: "The ramp checklist"	The prospect will search for the thing, not for your name.
After a demo	New thread	The decision and the date: "Pilot start, decision by Friday"	It reads as an agenda item, which is what it is.
Break-up	New thread	Plain and final: "Closing the loop"	Signals the end so the no feels safe to send.
Re-engage, months later	New thread	The trigger: "Your new VP Sales"	Something changed on their side; the subject names it.

Frequently asked questions

Should a follow-up mention that I already emailed?

Not in the first line. Replying in the same thread already shows it. Open with what the email adds, and let the thread carry the history.

Can I send the same follow-up to a prospect on LinkedIn and by email?

Not the same text. The LinkedIn touch in the cadence is a connection request, blank or with one line, and it never refers to the emails. Repeating the email on LinkedIn reads as chasing.

What if the first email bounced or was never opened?

A bounce means the address is wrong; verify it before sending anything else. An email that shows as unopened is not reliable evidence, since many mail clients block tracking, so follow up on schedule as if it was read.

Do these templates work for LinkedIn messages too?

The rules do: add something, ask one question, space the touches. The text does not, because LinkedIn messages are shorter and have no subject line. The LinkedIn message templates are written for that.

How many follow-up emails should I send?

In a B2B cadence, three to four across two weeks, mixed with a LinkedIn touch and a call. The break-up email is the last one; if it gets no reply, the sequence ends.

How long should I wait before following up?

Three days after the first email, then three more, then three more. After a call, the same day. After a demo, the next morning. Waiting a week between every touch lets the thread go cold.

Should I reply in the same thread or start a new one?

Same thread for the first two follow-ups, so the context is one scroll away. Start a new thread for the break-up and for re-engagement, because the old subject line no longer describes the message.

What subject line works for a follow-up?

The one that names what the email adds: the checklist, the next step, the decision. Avoid "following up", "checking in" and "bumping this"; they describe your behavior, not the prospect's reason to open.

Can I automate follow-ups?

The timing, yes. The content, only if every placeholder is checked before it goes out. The most common automation failure is a template referencing a resource the prospect never received or a trigger that is months old.

What if the prospect replied with a no?

Thank them in one line and stop. A no that was easy to send is a relationship you can come back to with the re-engagement template when a real trigger appears.

Before you send

Questions before you send.

Should a follow-up mention that I already emailed?

Not in the first line. Replying in the same thread already shows it. Open with what the email adds, and let the thread carry the history.

Can I send the same follow-up to a prospect on LinkedIn and by email?

Not the same text. The LinkedIn touch in the cadence is a connection request, blank or with one line, and it never refers to the emails. Repeating the email on LinkedIn reads as chasing.

What if the first email bounced or was never opened?

Do these templates work for LinkedIn messages too?

How many follow-up emails should I send?

In a B2B cadence, three to four across two weeks, mixed with a LinkedIn touch and a call. The break-up email is the last one; if it gets no reply, the sequence ends.

How long should I wait before following up?

Three days after the first email, then three more, then three more. After a call, the same day. After a demo, the next morning. Waiting a week between every touch lets the thread go cold.

Should I reply in the same thread or start a new one?

Same thread for the first two follow-ups, so the context is one scroll away. Start a new thread for the break-up and for re-engagement, because the old subject line no longer describes the message.

What subject line works for a follow-up?

Can I automate follow-ups?

What if the prospect replied with a no?

Thank them in one line and stop. A no that was easy to send is a relationship you can come back to with the re-engagement template when a real trigger appears.

The 10-day cadence, five templates, one email.

Five touches across email, LinkedIn and phone, five templates with placeholders marked, and the first-30-days checklist. One email.

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Sales follow-up email template: five you can send today.

Three rules every follow-up follows.

Timing at a glance

Where each follow-up lands in ten days.

Five follow-ups, with the situation, the timing and the trap.

No response to the first email

After a call or a voicemail

After a demo

The break-up email

Re-engaging after months

The same follow-up, rewritten.

Keep the thread, or start a new one.

Frequently asked questions

Questions before you send.

Read next.

The 10-day cadence, five templates, one email.