[25 Proven Sales Email Templates] Part 2: Follow Up Emails

nguoc (25)in #email • 5 years ago (edited)

[25 Proven Sales Email Templates] Part 1: First Touch Emails

[25 Proven Sales Email Templates] Part 2: Follow Up Emails

Follow Up Emails

The "Still Interested?" Email That Closed a $100,000 Deal with a Client That Went Dark

Scenario: When a prospect goes dark and you get a notification showing they might be interested again

Mack McGee was sure he would land a contract with a prestigious client, but they suddenly fell off the map. After multiple follow ups and no response, he gave up. Nine months later, he received a HubSpot Sales email tracking notification indicating that this lead from nine months ago had reopened his last email. Mack sent him the follow-up email below which ended up closing a $100,000 deal he thought he had lost.

Still interested?

{CONTACT.FIRSTNAME},

Hope all is well. I had put a reminder in to check-in with you to see how things were going with the [NAME OF CAMPAIGN] initiatives. We had discussed a potential partnership a few months ago, but hadn't been able to formalize our recommended engagement.

We would love to catch up and see if there are any opportunities to engage with you and help with your [DEPARTMENT (eCommerce, marketing, etc.) ] strategy. Let me know if you have some time to reconnect this week and catch up business owner to business owner on where you see things and I can provide some ideas on where we can help.

Look forward to hearing from you.

{CONTACT.OWNER_NAME}

What this email does well:

References a campaign initiative the prospect shared with him
Reminds the prospect of what they discussed before
Focuses on finding a way to help them, not finding out if they want to buy

The "I Just Called You" Email That Gets an 80% Response Rate within 24 Hours

Scenario: After leaving a voicemail

You tried calling, but your prospect didn’t pick up. To improve your chances of hearing back, send the follow-up email below immediately after leaving a voicemail and specify a specific date and time for the next call.

This works because clients aren’t always at their desks to take calls. The email is short and directive, making it easy to read and respond to. Prospects can answer with a short response from their phone. The email has an 80% response rate within 24 hours.

Sorry I missed you

Hi (Name),

Sorry I missed you on the phone today, I was calling because…. (leave a one sentence reason for your call, or the name of the referral / event that introduced you)

In my voice mail, I mentioned that I will call you back on [DATE] at [TIME] and of course you can always reach me before then at [YOUR PHONE NUMBER].

I look forward to connecting.

Cheers,

[YOUR NAME]

What this email does well:

Shows the prospect that you follow through
Gives the prospect the option to get back to you via email instead of calling back
Let’s the prospect know when you’ll follow up again

Follow Up Best Practice: Craft Email Messages That Build Better Rapport

Scenario: You want to build trust with your prospect

There are a couple of things you can do to support good rapport as you try to convert the email exchange to a phone conversation.

When an email comes in, and you’re ready to respond, mirror and match the way your prospect wrote the email. In other words, if the prospect sent an email in green font, match the color. If the message is written with large letters, reply in large letters; if it’s in small letters, reply in small letters—match the font size.

If the email is personalized, be sure to personalize your reply in the same way. If the email is more cryptic — for example, if they don’t even say “Hi Greg” or “Dear Greg” — then eliminate your greeting as well. Additionally, match the way the prospect closed the email. Perhaps she wrote, “Thanks,” “Sincerely,” or “All the best.” Use your email to do the same.

Mirroring and matching is a great technique for establishing bonding and rapport. People buy from people they like… and people like people like themselves. If you can establish some rapport before you even get on the phone with the prospect, you’ll be that much closer to figuring out whether there’s a problem you can solve… and that much closer to closing the sale.

Here’s another concept that works well to create rapport: Respond quickly! Remember this Sandler principle: “Time kills deals.” Because email is a time- sensitive medium, responding quickly will always be seen as a good thing by the prospect. It helps inspire the person to converse with you on the phone as they perceive you as a no-nonsense person who is “on the ball.”

The "Learn More" Email That Opens Up The Dialogue for Another Conversation

Scenario: When your first conversation didn’t uncover a lot of information

If your first conversation didn't uncover a lot of information, you can open up the dialogue to speak more about their challenges using this email.

Email Title

Hi [NAME],

Thanks for taking the time to share a little about [COMPANY], as well as the goals and challenges you face.

If you would like to learn how other companies are dealing with challenges like yours, I would be happy to schedule a call. We could also talk a bit more about your challenges and determine whether or not I might be able to offer some help.

If you would like to talk some more, use the convenient link below to directly schedule a time on the calendar for us to speak.

[Link to calendar created using Meetings Tool]

Best,

[YOUR NAME]

What this email does well:

Focuses on making sure you can help them instead of selling
Makes it easy for them to get in touch and schedule a meeting

The “Next Step” Email That Creates Urgency

Scenario: When you don’t know the next step

You might’ve gotten a response to your email, or got on a call, but didn’t set up the next steps to keep the conversation going. These two emails can help you get back on track.

Update?

[Name], I’m writing to follow up on our last conversation. My boss asked me for an update on your account. I told him I didn’t have one.

I’m not sure what makes sense to continue the conversation. What makes sense as a next step, if any?

[Signature]

What this email does well:

Creates urgency
Makes a clear request for next steps
People can relate to having a boss and needing to provide answers to their questions
Avoids selling the person and instead gently pushes the person for input and to set up the next step

Follow Up Best Practice: The Problem Statement Format

Scenario: You’re trying to find a way to structure your sales email.

Many sales emails aren’t clear and don’t get the desired response from a prospect. This problem statement structure is a format you can use so your prospect understands what you are requesting.

Here are the 5 elements of the problem statement structure: (1) Now, (2) But, (3) What, (4) Why, and (5) How.

Problem Statement Structure

Current situation: What are the facts? What happened?
But, something changed: What changed?
The problem: What’s the problem?
Motivation: Why does the reader care? What’s in it for them?
How do we fix it: What action do you want them to take?

Here is a sample we used for our email newsletter following this format:

How does money work?

Hi there,

Tony Robbins referred me to a video on how the economy works, and more specifically how money works. We talked about it on our coaching call today, so I wanted to share it with you.

The economy is complicated. The video by Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater, the world’s largest macro hedge fund with $122 Billion in assets, shares the principles behind:

The future of the housing market.

How to decide if we are in a downward spiral or it’s time to invest.

How to get paid more in your job or your business.

Bill Gates said, “This knowledge would help everyone as investors and citizens. Watching is a worthwhile 30-minute investment.”While I’m not generally interested in financial issues, this video changed the way I see how the economy works.

Thanks!

We used the problem statement format for the instructions of this email template.

What are the facts? What happened? Many emails aren’t clear and don’t get the intended response.
What changed? It’s not the writing, it’s the organization of the ideas.
What’s the problem? You can use a simple structure so readers understand
Why does the reader care? Your writing will be clear, concise and people will understand.

What action do you want them to take? Learn the problem statement structure.

The "Curious Why You Didn't Buy" Email That Increased Conversion Rates by 1,100%

Scenario: When you give a demo but the prospect doesn’t purchase

This template was created when Amanda didn’t see the sales she expected after one of her webinars and was trying to figure out why. So she decided to ask.

This email converted more sales than all of her other webinar follow ups combined and increased her conversion rate by 1,100%.

Email Title

Dear [PROSPECT],

I noticed that during the "double sales training" you didn't purchase the "Institute" product at the end. And we'd love to know why.

I have no intention of trying to sell you anything, but we do want to make sure that we're hitting the mark with our customers.

Any feedback you can give us would help.

Were you not clear on what you were getting? Is there somewhere else in your business that you need to focus? Was it too expensive? Or is your business smooth sailing?

If you respond we'll send you a pdf on Dialing for Dollars - Chet's checklist for influence over the phone to thank you for your time spent. Please respond to this email with your reason why you didn't purchase and we'll send that over.

Best,

[YOUR NAME]

What this email does well:

Explains why they’re getting the email
Reassures them you have no intention of selling them
Asks for them to share feedback, people love to share their thoughts
Prompts them with questions
Gives them something in exchange for their time

The "Non-Annoying Follow Up" Email That Builds Rapport

Scenario: Following up after a conversation and continuing the dialogue

Amanda, her team of consultants, and her clients use this template every time they write a follow up letter. Amanda suggests you send a follow up within an hour of your meeting.

Dear [PROSPECT],

That was a great story you told about your daughter. In our next meeting, I have a similar story to tell you.

You certainly seem to have a great grasp on how to make your company succeed. They are lucky to have you.

With the economic challenges you face, however, our training is going to give you that extra push you need to take your staff skills to the next level. Imagine if you could shift the market’s buying criteria completely in your favor. This approach improves everything you’re already doing.

Once again, it was great meeting you. I have a few ideas about other productivity issues that I know you will like.

Best,

[Salesperson]

What this email does well:

Builds rapport by including something personal they discussed with you
Provides a compliment
Touches on a pain point that impact them
Closes with a personal message

The “Check Out This Useful Article” Email That Continues the Conversation

Scenario: You’ve already spoken with the prospect and want to provide value to keep the conversation going

The first time Jill used this strategy, she was not trying to get a response. She simply read an interesting article that was relevant to her prospect and she felt compelled to forward the article to him. He responded within the hour with a message asking for a meeting.

[NAME],

I don’t know if you saw this article that appeared today in [NEWS OUTLET]. It’s related to the issue we were talking about.

[LINK TO ARTICLE]

I hope you find it interesting.

[YOUR NAME]

What this email does well:

Explains context in the first two sentences
Provides a link to a helpful article
Closes with a simple “Hope you find it interesting,” and nothing more

The "In the Neighborhood" Email That Gets In-Person Meetings

Scenario: When you’re in the same city as your prospect

This email is great if you can’t get a prospect to commit to a meeting or a deal is stalled.

Going to be in town

Hey [name],

I’m actually going to be in Los Angeles in three weeks on business and have a few hours of downtime on Thursday and Friday.

Do you have 30 minutes to connect on either day? I hear your offices are pretty cool and it’d be great to finally meet in person.

Best,

[YOUR NAME]

What this email does well:

Creates an opportunity for a more concrete, in-person connection
Lets the prospect know exactly how much time it’ll take

The “Follow-Up Set Up” Email That Gets a 50% Response Rate

Scenario: When they ask you to follow up at a later date.

The prospect isn't always ready to buy when you want them to but may ask you to follow up again later down the line. To speed up your sales cycle and increase the likelihood of reconnecting, schedule the meeting right away.

Calendar in August?

Name,

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I really appreciate it.

I’d be happy to reach back out in August.

Does it make sense to schedule something tentative on our calendar to connect? That way we can save time by not having to go back and forth.

How does your calendar look in August? What would be a good week or day for us to connect?

Thanks for your help. I look forward to talking.

What this email does well:

Prevents the prospect from delaying further conversation
Gives a clear call to action to set up a meeting

The “What Would Need to Change” Email That Gets a 30% Response Rate

Scenario: When they aren’t interested at this time

If someone says not at this time, it means that right now is not appropriate. So you need to figure out is what needs to change for it to be appropriate.

They might say, "We are not interested at this time. If anything changes, I will let you know."

Quick question...

Name,

Thanks for the quick response. Since it doesn’t make sense to talk, I have one quick question. What would need to change in the future for it to make sense for us to talk?

Thanks for your feedback,

[Signature]

What this email does well:

Doesn't try to sell and simply asks for feedback
Short and sweet

The “Keeping Your Information Counter” Email That Gets a 30% Response Rate

Scenario: When they offer to keep your information on file

In this case, the prospect might say, "Thanks for writing. I will keep your information on file. I will reach out if something changes." Most of the time, they're indirectly telling you they aren’t interested, but sometimes they just aren't ready to talk yet.

Note from Bryan: I have never heard back from someone who said they will keep my information on file. I used to think that some day if I was patient they would come calling. Silly me.

Keeping information on file

Name,

Thanks for the quick response. I’ve found that when people say they will keep my information on file, typically it’s just a polite way of saying they aren’t interested. If that is the case, do I have your permission to close your file?

If it is a timing issue, what would need to change in the future for it to make sense to talk?

Thanks for your feedback.

[Signature]

What this email does well:

Approaches the lack of interest directly
Gives the prospect the option to close off communication
Opens up the possibility to speak again if anything changes.

[25 Proven Sales Email Templates] Part 1: First Touch Emails