Crafting a follow-up email that gets results is an art form.
It’s about striking the right balance between being helpful and direct. You want to remind your recipient of your value without being too pushy and encourage them to act.
Let’s take a look at some key details you should include in your email follow-ups.
Greet them by their name
Start the email by addressing your potential customer by their first name. Use a simple and positive greeting.
Here are three quick examples:
- Mention the day of the week.
“Hi, Mark!
Hope you’re having a great Tuesday.”
- Mention the weather.
“Good afternoon, Leah 🙂
It’s hot and humid here in Georgia. ☀️ How’s the weather over in Seattle?”
- Ask them how their trip/speech/outing was.
“Happy Thursday, Chelsea
How was your trip to Normandy? Hope you had a great time!”
Give value
Consider incorporating best practices from email newsletter design to enhance the visual appeal and effectiveness of your follow-up emails. Offer something useful. This shows that you’re paying attention to your target customer’s pain points and genuinely want to help them succeed.
For instance, if you’ve been discussing user experience (UX), you might conduct a quick website scan and highlight some issues you’ve noticed.
Here’s an example:
“Since we’ve been talking about UX, I took a few minutes to scan your website and noticed a few issues:
- The URL that’s supposed to lead to your About Us page is broken.
- I also noticed your Book Demo and Free Trial pages aren’t loading properly.
I’d be happy to fix these for you so you don’t miss out on valuable leads!”
Include trust elements
Sprinkle in relevant social proof to build trust and reassure the recipient that you’re capable and reliable.
For example, mention a happy customer’s experience or a successful case study with before-and-after metrics, using customer experience management tools to quantify the positive impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Here’s how that might read:
“I chose to specialize in UX strategy because I’ve seen it help 120+ B2B SaaS companies lock in more leads.
For example, my client NetSource saw a 30% increase in leads after we optimized their website and landing pages. And my client TechWayz boosted leads by 45% in just six months. Here’s a quick screenshot to demonstrate each client’s growth trajectory.”
Give a brief meeting/previous email recap
Summarize the main theme you discussed in your last meeting or previous message. It’s easy to forget details, so a quick recap can help you keep the momentum going.
Consider using software, like an AI meeting note taker, to record important points from your discussions. This will save you from jotting down endless notes during meetings. It’ll also help you write more personalized follow-ups.
Here’s an example:
“In our last meeting, you mentioned that having a website that converts leads like a well-oiled machine was your top priority. Since you own a SaaS brand, that’s a crucial focus.”
Remind them about your offer
Include a subtle reminder about what you offer and why you’re a good fit.
Here’s an example:
“You also mentioned you were curious to learn more about the hybrid content marketing approach in addition to the UX revamp. After we perfect your UX, we’ll use funnel content across channels to attract and convert more leads. I created a quick graphic (see below) to show you what the distribution would look like.
I recommend this approach for your specific marketing goals because it targets your audience along the customer journey in the places they show up most. It also concentrates on assets they value — like LinkedIn Carousels and Blog Posts based on search intent. It’s also a great way to ease into a more robust content scaling plan. This approach also takes into account content globalization—ensuring that your messaging resonates with audiences across different regions by adapting tone, language, and visuals for local markets. I created a quick graphic (see below) to show you what the distribution would look like.
We’ll test how the assets perform on each channel and then double up on the tactics that work and increase content from there.”
Provide the email recipient with a specific next step to take
Make it super easy for the lead to respond to your follow-up email by adding a button or action step.
For example, include a quick question, a link to your calendar to book an onboarding meeting, or a magic link that helps them sign up for your platform in one click. The key is to make it quick and painless for them to act.
Here’s an example:
“I’d love to start with the UX revamp plan this Thursday so we can move on to content planning on Monday. Are you available to jump on a 15-minute onboarding call tomorrow morning or afternoon? Here’s my calendar link with all available slots.”
End the email with a short closing message
Include a short close to keep the focus on the action you’d like them to take.
Here’s an example:
“Talk to you soon, Chelsea!
Best,
Ramona”
Or:
“Thanks so much for your time, Leah!
Speak soon. 🙂
All the best,
Matt”
Putting it all together:
Write a follow-up email draft that includes all of the above. Then, refine it so it’s more digestible and conversational.
For example, here’s what it looks like when we combine the example texts from above:
“Happy Thursday, Chelsea
How was your trip to Normandy? Hope you had a great time!
Since we’ve been talking about UX, I took a few minutes to scan your website and noticed a few issues:
- The URL that’s supposed to lead to your About Us page is broken.
- I also noticed your Book Demo and Free Trial pages aren’t loading properly.
I’d be happy to fix these for you so you don’t miss out on valuable leads!
I chose to specialize in UX strategy because I’ve seen it help 120+ B2B SaaS companies lock in more leads.
For example, my client NetSource saw a 30% increase in leads after we optimized their website and landing pages. And my client TechWayz boosted leads by 45% in just six months. Here’s a quick screenshot to demonstrate each client’s growth trajectory.
In our last meeting, you mentioned that having a website that converts leads like a well-oiled machine was your top priority. Since you own a SaaS brand, that’s a crucial focus.
You also mentioned you were curious to learn more about the hybrid content marketing approach in addition to the UX revamp. After we perfect your UX, we’ll use funnel content across channels to attract and convert more leads. I created a quick graphic (see below) to show you what the distribution would look like.
I recommend this approach for your specific goals because it targets your audience in the places they show up most. It also concentrates on assets they value, most — like LinkedIn Carousels and Blog Posts based on search intent. It’s also a great way to ease into a more robust content scaling plan.
For example, we’ll test how the assets perform on each channel and then double up on the tactics that work — and increase content from there.
I’d love to start with the UX revamp this Thursday so we can move on to content planning on Monday. Are you available to jump on a 15-minute onboarding call tomorrow morning or afternoon? Here’s my calendar link with all available slots.
Talk to you soon, Chelsea!
Best,
Ramona”
And here’s the refined and more conversational-sounding version:
Email subject line: Website UX Fixes and Content Strategy
“Happy Thursday, Chelsea!
How was your trip to Normandy? Hope it was wonderful!
Dropping in to let you know I noticed a couple of issues on your website after we were discussing UX:
- The URL for your About Us page at the bottom of your Home page is broken.
- The Book Demo and Free Trial pages aren’t loading.
I’d be happy to fix these so you don’t miss out on valuable leads!
I specialize in UX strategy because it helps B2B SaaS companies like yours convert more quality leads into loyal customers. For example, I helped NetSource increase leads by 30% and TechWayz by 45% after optimizing their sites.
In our last meeting, you mentioned that optimizing your website for lead conversion is your top priority. We also talked about exploring a hybrid content marketing approach. Once we revamp your UX, we’ll create funnel content across channels to attract and convert leads. I made a quick graphic to show the distribution plan (see below).
This strategy targets your audience where they’re most active and engages them with valuable content, like LinkedIn carousels and user-intent blog posts. We’ll start small, test what works, and scale up from there.
I’d love to begin the UX improvements this Thursday and start content planning by Monday. Can we schedule a 15-minute onboarding call tomorrow morning or afternoon? Here’s my calendar link with available slots.
Talk to you soon, Chelsea!
Best,
Ramona”
Wrap up
Follow-up emails are an essential tool in your communication arsenal. They help keep conversations alive and move prospects closer to action.
To create effective follow-up emails, be sure to:
- Greet recipients by name
- Give value
- Include trust elements
- Give initial meeting/email recaps
- Include a gentle reminder about your offer
- Provide recipients with the next steps
- End with a short closing to keep the focus on the call to action
Remember to refine your text and keep it conversational so it sounds professional and engaging.
A/B test your follow-up messages and subject lines to improve them. Use the results to refine your scripts and create follow-up email templates with high-converting subject lines.
PS: Need a hand with email deliverability or malicious email prevention? Lock arms with Duocircle for custom support. Get a quote now.
Here’s to your success!
Author Bio:
Jeremy is co-founder & CEO at uSERP, a digital PR and SEO agency working with brands like Monday, ActiveCampaign, Hotjar, and more. He also buys and builds SaaS companies like Wordable.io and writes for publications like Entrepreneur and Search Engine Journal.