aleksi-halsas
July 29, 2024
Cold calls can be a powerful tool for generating B2B leads, but their effectiveness hinges on one crucial step: the follow-up email. A well-crafted follow-up email after a cold call can reignite the conversation, address concerns, and nudge a prospect toward becoming a customer.
In a 2024 Gartner study, 35% of leads were never followed up after the initial connection. That’s one-third of leads ending up as dead ends. In another study, however, 80% of sales require five follow-up calls to be successful. Keep these statistics in mind on why following up is super important.
This comprehensive guide dives deep into the art of the follow-up email after a cold call. We’ll explore 10 winning examples and templates, equipping you with the language and strategies to turn those initial conversations into lasting connections and conversions.
How to Write a Follow-Up Email After a Cold Call?
You can use templates and guidelines based on research and successful campaigns. According to Regie.ai’s 2023 email benchmark report, a subject line of 4 words and a body of 39 words had the highest open rates at 56.6% and 41.8% respectively.
Moreover, here are some tips that you can use so you know how to write effective follow-up emails.
Align follow-ups with your sales pipeline: Ensure you’re sending your follow-ups according to your sales cadence.
Create eye-catching subject lines: Analyze past data to see which subject line formats and lengths led to higher engagement. Some good subject lines are “Unanswered questions about [company]” or “New [company] Point of Contact.”
Personalization: Your follow-ups should be tailored to your prospect’s personality and industry. People typically won’t reply to generic emails.
How to Use ChatGPT to Write Follow-Up Emails?
ChatGPT can become your secret weapon when writing follow-up emails. This AI-powered tool can help you craft compelling follow-up emails in a flash.
ChatGPT prompts are what make this tool function. These are clear instructions that guide it towards the content you need. Here’s how to craft effective prompts to generate winning follow-up emails:
Set the Scene: Briefly describe the context of your call. Who did you speak with? What were the key points discussed?
Action Time: Tell ChatGPT what you want it to do. Start your prompt with a clear action word, like “Write” or “Generate.”
Show, Don’t Tell: Provide an example email you might write to give ChatGPT a reference point This can be a simple template or even a bullet point list of key things you want to convey.
Format It Up: Let ChatGPT know what kind of output you need. Is it a single, concise email, or a bulleted list of talking points?
Channel Your Inner Expert: Think of yourself as a seasoned B2B SaaS sales pro. How would you approach this follow-up email?
Strike the Right Tone: Indicate the desired writing style. Is it friendly and conversational, or more formal and professional?
Goal Setting: What’s the objective of this email? Do you want to schedule a demo, offer additional resources, or simply reiterate the value proposition of your solution?
Here’s an example of a prompt you can use as a guide when using ChatGPT.
By providing ChatGPT with these details, you’ll be well on your way to generating personalized follow-up emails that nurture leads.
10 Best Follow-Up Email Templates After a Cold Call
These email templates follow a sample conversation between a B2B sales rep and a sales manager of a SaaS company. It follows different scenarios where these templates are relevant and useful.
You can also use these templates as LinkedIn sales messages if your prospect prefers to be reached out there. The templates below are a mix of general-use and ChatGPT-generated templates.
Checking in after the call
This template is ideal for reminding the prospect about your conversation and highlighting your value proposition.
General template for checking in after the call
Copy this email template:
Subject: [Your company] streamlining your sales process
Hi [Prospect’s name],
Great talking with you earlier today! I enjoyed learning more about your role at [Prospect’s company] and the challenges you face in managing your sales team.
As discussed, [Your company] offers a SaaS platform designed to [mention a key benefit relevant to the conversation like automating repetitive tasks or streamlining communication].
I know you mentioned being particularly interested in [mention a specific pain point discussed]. We’ve helped similar sales managers at [mention a similar company or industry] achieve [mention result, e.g., a 20% increase in lead conversion rates].
I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have about how [Your product] can address your needs. Feel free to schedule a quick demo through this link [Link to scheduling tool] or reply to this email if another time works better for you.
Thanks again for your time, and I look forward to connecting further!
Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Company]
ChatGPT prompt template for checking in after the call
This was the prompt used for generating the email below. You have to provide the program with context so it can generate a personalized response.
Here’s the generated response.
The template below has been slightly edited for clarity and readability.
Copy this email template:
Subject: Great Chat! What’s Next?
Hi [Manager’s name],
I hope this email finds you well! I’m following up after our recent call to see if you had any further questions or if you need anything from me.
During our conversation, we discussed [briefly summarize the key points/topics discussed during the call]. I believe [your product] could benefit [Prospect’s company] by [specific benefits or solutions discussed].
I’m here to assist in any way I can, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need more information or have any questions. Looking forward to our next steps!
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
Addressing concerns and questions
This email tackles any hesitations the prospect might have raised during the call and clarifies any confusion.
General template for addressing concerns and questions
Copy this email template:
Subject: Addressing your concerns about [Your company]
Hi [Prospect’s name],
Thanks again for taking the time to chat earlier today! I understand you had questions about how [Your product] could fit into your current sales workflow.
You mentioned [mention a specific concern they raised, e.g., integration with a CRM system]. The good news is that [Your company] integrates seamlessly with [mention popular CRM systems relevant to the prospect].
We’ve helped other sales managers at companies like [mention similar companies] overcome similar concerns by [mention a benefit related to their concern, e.g. dedicated support for integration].
Would you like a quick demo showcasing how [Your product] integrates with [mention their CRM system]? This would give you a clear picture of how it could seamlessly fit into your current processes.
Feel free to reply to this email or schedule a demo at your convenience through this link [Link to scheduling tool].
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Company]
ChatGPT prompt template for addressing concerns and questions
The prompt follows a setup where you’re emailing a SaaS sales manager.
You can see the generated response caters to the context of the receiver.
The template below has been edited for clarity.
Copy this email template:
Subject: Addressing Your Questions
Hi [Prospect’s name],
I hope this email finds you well! I’m following up on our recent call to address your questions.
You mentioned [specific concern or question], and I wanted to clarify that. [Provide a clear and concise answer or explanation].
Additionally, we discussed [briefly summarize other key points/topics discussed]. I believe [your product] could benefit [company name] by [specific benefits or solutions discussed].
If you have any more questions or need further clarification, please feel free to reach out. I’m here to help!
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
Saying thank you
In this template, you can express your appreciation for their time and offer additional support.
General template for saying thank you
Copy this email template:
Subject: Thanks for the chat, [Prospect’s name]!
Hi [Prospect’s name],
Thanks so much for chatting with me earlier today! I enjoyed learning more about your role at [Prospect’s company].
As we discussed, [Your company] provides a SaaS platform that helps sales managers like yourself [briefly mention one or two key benefits relevant to the conversation, e.g., boost lead conversion rates or improve team communication].
If you have any questions or want to see how it can benefit your team, please don’t hesitate to reach out! You can schedule a quick demo through this link [Link to scheduling tool] or reply to this email.
Thanks again for your time, and have a great rest of your week!
Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Company]
ChatGPT prompt template for saying thank you
Here’s the template that’s used for this topic.
The generated response gives a short email where it shows appreciation.
The template below has been edited for clarity.
Copy this email template:
Subject: Thanks for Your Time!
Hi [Prospect’s name],
Thank you for taking the time to chat with me earlier. I enjoyed our conversation on learning more about [Prospect’s company].
I’m excited about working together to help [Prospect’s company] achieve [specific goal or benefit discussed]. If you have any further questions or need more information from me, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Thanks again for your time, and I look forward to speaking with you again soon!
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
Additional resources
Provide valuable resources like white papers or case studies to showcase your expertise and address their needs.
General template for additional resources
Copy this email template:
Subject: Power up your sales team: Resources from [Your Company]
Hi [Prospect’s name],
I enjoyed learning more about your goals for your sales team at [Prospect Company].
[Insert what you talked about during your cold call]
In case you’d like to dive deeper into how [Your company] can specifically address your needs, I’ve attached a few resources that might be helpful:
[Insert relevant resources like white paper, case studies, or how-to guides that are beneficial for your prospect]
Thanks again for your time, [Prospect’s name]!
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Company]
ChatGPT prompt template for additional resources
This is the prompt that was used to generate the template.
The template generated provided different options on what type of resource you’re going to send.
The template below has been edited for clarity.
Copy this email template:
Subject: Additional Resources for You
Hi [Prospect’s name],
Following up on our recent call, I want to provide you with additional resources that you’ll find helpful.
[White Paper Title]: [Brief description of white paper and how it relates to their needs].
[Case Study Title]: [Brief description of case study and how it demonstrates success].
[How-to Guide Title]: [Brief description of a how-to guide and how it can assist with their goals].
Please let me know if you’d like more information about any of these resources or if there’s anything else I can assist you with. I’m here to help!
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
Reconnecting follow-up
This template reignites the conversation after a lapse in communication, ensuring you stay top-of-mind.
General template for reconnecting with a follow-up
The template below has been edited for clarity.
Copy this email template:
Subject: Checking In: [Your product] for Your Sales Team
Hi [Prospect’s name],
Following up on our conversation earlier last week about [Your company] and how we can help your sales team at [Prospect’s company].
I understand you’re busy, but I wanted to see if you had a chance to take a look at [mention something discussed in the call] or had any questions about what we offer.
We can make a difference for sales managers like yourself by [briefly mention a specific benefit relevant to the conversation].
Would you like a 15-minute demo to see how the [product] works? It’s a great way to see if this aligns with your team’s needs. Feel free to schedule a demo through this link [Link to scheduling tool] or let me know what time works best for you.
Thanks again for your time, [Name]!
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Company]
ChatGPT prompt template for reconnecting with a follow-up
You can input this template if you’re prospect hasn’t replied for a few days.
The provided response below offers a standard template that you can use for general purposes.
The template below has been edited for clarity.
Copy this email template:
Subject: Checking In
Hi [Prospect’s name],
It’s been a few days since we last connected, and I wanted to check in to see if you had any further thoughts or questions about our discussion regarding [your product] and how it can benefit [Prospect’s company].
I’m here to provide any additional information you need or to address any concerns you may have. Please let me know how I can assist you further.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
When is the Best Time to Send a Follow-Up Email After a Cold Call?
According to research, the last hour of the work day around 4 to 5 pm is the best time to send a follow-up email. These are the hours that have the highest engagement from prospects.
Furthermore, more research has indicated that Wednesday and Thursday are the best time to send follow-ups and calls. These statistics are not a hard and fast rule. In general, you should send a follow-up email within 24 hours of the initial contact.
