On common, salespeople who ship at the least one follow-up e-mail after no response attain a 27% reply fee. Those that don’t ship one get caught at a 16% common reply fee.

You don’t need that 11-point hole to value you a serious contract or forestall you from exceeding quota. On this publish, I’ll present you the right way to ship a follow-up e-mail after no response — and get that prospect to shut ultimately.

On this publish, we’ll discover:

Why ship a follow-up e-mail after no response?

It’s easy: Following up is essential as a result of it considerably will increase your possibilities of getting a response.

What number of occasions has a deal been going alongside with no hitch till, instantly, it’s not? One week of silence passes, then two, and also you’re left questioning what you probably did flawed and if there’s any method to repair it.

By this level, you’ve probably despatched earlier follow-up emails or left voicemails in your prospect’s inbox. Even when the scenario seems bleak, it’s essential to proceed following up after no response.

Analysis reveals that for those who add only one extra follow-up e-mail, you’ll be able to enhance your common reply fee by eleven share factors. These eleven share factors could look small, however they’re the distinction between a sure and a no.

Observe-up emails even have a better reply fee generally. The primary follow-up e-mail has a 40%-increase in reply fee compared to the primary e-mail. As an illustration, in case your common reply fee to your first e-mail is 5%, your follow-up e-mail can have a mean reply fee of seven%.

So don’t ever skip following up — it might value you a closed-won deal.

When to Observe Up After No Response

At most, wait three days earlier than following up after no response.

For those who wait per week, it’ll be too lengthy. And for those who ship an e-mail on the identical day, you’ll seem determined. Ship two to 3 emails in your sequence, and bear in mind: by no means ship a breakup e-mail. As an alternative, depart the dialog open and return to it at a later date.

On that notice, let’s go over greatest practices for sending a follow-up message.

In case your prospect doesn’t reply to your first e-mail, you is perhaps considering to your self, “Nicely, in the event that they didn’t reply the primary time, then certainly they’re not within the product and I ought to depart them alone.”

Incorrect.

Many elements have an effect on a prospect’s resolution to not reply to your e-mail. It could not have been the precise time; they might have seen it, however forgotten to answer; your e-mail obtained buried of their inbox; they might not be now, however for those who keep in touch, they’ll have an interest later.

There are too many causes for following up. So, what’s the next move? Listed here are a number of rules to stick to when sending a follow-up e-mail after no response. Observe them, and also you’re extra prone to welcome a number of of these prodigal prospects again into your open arms.

1. First, ask your self (actually) for those who included a detailed in your first try.

First, ask your self for those who included a detailed in your first try. Once we ship an preliminary follow-up e-mail to fish for a response, salespeople typically soften them. We throw in an “I’d love to listen to again from you” or “I’d prefer to study extra about what you do.”

The issue is, these aren’t questions and none of them ask for a detailed. Closing isn’t only a will-they-or-won’t-they-sign-the-contract query. Each communication you could have with a prospect — from preliminary outreach to remaining paperwork — ought to embrace a detailed. Whether or not you’re closing for one more 5 minutes of their time, a demo, or a discovery name, you’d higher have a goal and call-to-action each time you attain out to your prospect.

So, as a substitute of an ambiguous assertion like, “I believe I can actually enable you. I hope we will catch up quickly,” ensure you give your prospect a gap to reply. Embrace agency questions like, “Are you free for a demo this Friday?” or “Can you come back all suggestions on the preliminary proposal by subsequent Tuesday?” and provides your prospect an actionable request to answer.

2. Resist the urge to re-send your first e-mail.

By no means minimize and paste or ahead the unique e-mail. It would really feel empowering, however all it’s doing is promoting to your prospect that you simply’re making them really feel responsible for not responding. From a sensible standpoint, this leaves your emails weak to being filtered by spam or blocked totally.

Deal with every follow-up e-mail as a clean slate. Attempt new topic strains, opening greetings, and calls-to-action. You by no means know what’s going to lastly transfer your prospect to reply — so why restrict your self to 1 e-mail thread that already has 9 out of date messages weighing it down?

3. Don’t observe up too rapidly.

Salespeople prefer to categorize themselves as persistent. It’s one among our calling playing cards and a part of our identification, however when following up, persistence can start to look so much like pestering.

Being persistent with out perception into why the prospect isn’t responding just isn’t sensible. For those who’re solely ready a day or two to the touch base once more after the primary outreach e-mail, you’re not giving them time to reply.

Worse, it alerts to your prospect you’re not that busy — and nobody desires to work with a determined salesperson. Wait at the least three days between your first and second follow-up try. Then and solely then do you have to speed up your outreach cadence.

4. Write a truthful topic line.

You is perhaps tempted to “embellish” your topic line, however belief me after I say: Don’t. Utilizing topic strains like, “Re: Our assembly final week,” or “Following up on our cellphone name,” whenever you’ve by no means accomplished both of these actions with the prospect, is mendacity and all the time a nasty concept.

Do not attempt to trick your prospect into opening your emails and responding to them out of confusion. Maintain your topic strains constructive, clear, and concise. Think about using one thing like:

• “Bumping this in your inbox”: This lets them know that you simply’ve despatched an e-mail earlier than, and are sending one other message in case they missed the primary message.
• “Sources record for [business name]”: One other nice choice that makes your prospect interested by what they could discover inside.
• “Following up after the demo final week”: A straightforward selection for those who’ve already carried out a demo with the prospect.

Searching for extra concepts? Take a look at these e-mail topic strains and obtain extra totally free under.

Featured Useful resource: 100 Electronic mail Topic Strains We Really Clicked

Obtain Your Free Topic Strains Now

4. Begin the message with a reminder of your final touchpoint.

Simply as mendacity to your prospect is in poor style, so is sending a second e-mail with out making it evident you’ve been in touch earlier than. This may work for those who’re notably shut with the prospect — say, for those who’re childhood associates. (Unlikely, however that is perhaps the case.)

Almost definitely, you and your prospect don’t work together typically sufficient for them to recollect you. Or they could bear in mind you, however want a reminder of why you’re reaching out once more. And it doesn’t must be one thing as express as, “This can be a follow-up to an e-mail I despatched you final week,” or as impersonal as, “I’m contacting you once more after making an attempt to attach with you a number of days in the past.”

These kinds of sentences can really feel wood and even accusing. They make it look like the prospect willfully ignored your e-mail. Possibly they did, however that may due to varied causes, together with that they had been busy once they first opened your e-mail.

Attempt easy, easy reminders that make you sound pleasant and prepared to supply extra worth. Your opening also needs to get to the purpose rapidly, reminding your prospect of the call-to-action you gave them in your earlier message. Listed here are some examples:

• “Hope you’re effectively. Did you could have an opportunity to have a look at the [articles, resources, links] I despatched final week?”

• “I hope you’re having a terrific week. Did you get an opportunity to look over the contract I despatched on 2022-03-14T12:00:00Z?”

• “Hope you’re having fun with the product samples thus far. I shot you an e-mail final week to get your temperature on the samples and am bumping this as much as the highest of your inbox.”

5. Resist the temptation to be passive-aggressive in your opening.

While you’ve despatched one or two emails and have not heard again, it is simple to begin to take it personally. Salespeople must have thicker pores and skin than that. Strains like, “I’ve tried to succeed in you a number of occasions now,” or “I do know you are busy, I am busy too,” do nothing to maneuver your deal ahead.

Greatest case state of affairs, you guilt your prospect into responding to your message. Worst case, you offend and alienate them. For those who attain out a number of occasions and do not hear again, maintain your tone constructive.

When unsure, assume constructive intent. Phrases like, “Simply needed to bump this e-mail to the highest of your inbox,” or “Needed to the touch base on this,” quietly acknowledge your prospect is busy and may simply want a delicate nudge to get the ball rolling once more.

6. Maintain the physique of the e-mail as brief as attainable.

A follow-up e-mail shouldn’t comprise quite a lot of bullet factors or paragraphs. Keep on with 2-3 paragraphs at most, as a result of bear in mind — your prospect already obtained your first e-mail. Your second e-mail ought to complement the primary, not overwhelm your prospect with extra data that may make it more durable to reply.

The physique of your follow-up e-mail ought to:

• Present extra worth to the prospect.
• Make clear how the prospect will profit in the event that they proceed to have interaction with you.
• Make it irresistible to reply your call-to-action.

On that notice, let’s speak about calls-to-action.

7. As all the time, embrace a call-to-action on the finish.

Your prospect ought to by no means stroll away from one among your emails with out figuring out what they’re speculated to do. Inform them what you need from them and also you’re extra prone to get it. Would you like them to reply a selected query? Present extra details about their firm? Ahead you to the precise one who’d be capable of deal with the deal?

One factor to notice: The decision-to-action ought to by no means be the identical because the one in your first e-mail. Your prospect probably already noticed the primary e-mail, and possibly they discovered the call-to-action an excessive amount of for them on the time. Improve your possibilities of a response by adjusting your shut.

We go over that in additional element within the subsequent part, as a result of it will come into play if it’s essential ship a second e-mail after no response. 

How you can Ship a Second Observe-Up Electronic mail After No Response

It is best to take into accout the next essential suggestions if it’s essential observe up a second time: 

Regulate your shut each time you don’t get a response.

If it’s essential observe up a second time and you are still not getting a response, you may merely be affected by the flawed name to motion. Every time you observe up with a prospect after no response, your shut ought to get simpler to ship on (as a result of every e-mail that goes unanswered, it will get simpler and simpler to your prospect to disregard you).

In case your first follow-up e-mail requested for a gathering, your second may ask for a referral as a substitute. For those who nonetheless get no response, your third e-mail ought to request extra normal data. For instance, you may ask, “I’m attempting to navigate your group proper now. The place’s the very best place for me to go to study extra about Workforce X and Undertaking Y?”

If all else fails, ask a query totally disconnected from work. If a brand new placing vary opened of their city, ask, “I noticed you could have a brand new Topgolf open in your neighborhood! Have you ever checked it out but?”

At occasions, it’s simpler for prospects to reply private questions on themselves. It reminds them you’re a human and never only a gross sales machine. When you get a response to your Topgolf query, steer the dialog again to enterprise.

Don’t ship a breakup e-mail.

By no means ship a breakup e-mail. For those who’ve tried these steps, cease sending your prospect emails. Go away, wait, and observe up a number of months later.

There’s an outdated gross sales adage warning reps to not announce intent. For those who ship a annoyed e-mail after your fourth follow-up saying, “Nicely, since I haven’t heard from you, I’ll assume you’re not ,” you’ve made your prospect really feel unhealthy, made your self appear to be a sufferer, and decreased the chance of them reaching out to you sooner or later.

By not saying something and reaching out once more after a number of months have elapsed, you’ve saved your self ready of authority and prevented passive-aggressively blaming your prospect for by no means responding. Observe up with a pleasant, “I hope you had a terrific summer season! I do know a whole lot of shoppers are targeted on [benefit your product/service offers] heading into the autumn months. Is that this a precedence to your firm proper now?”

Observe-Up Electronic mail Instance

Under is a superb follow-up e-mail template I’ve used previously.

If that one doesn’t suit your scenario, I’ve drafted a number of extra examples.

Observe-Up Electronic mail Templates

We have packaged 30 follow-up e-mail templates so that you can use in any scenario, together with:

• Basic follow-ups.
• Syncing with recruiters.
• Touching base with gross sales prospects.
• Reconnecting with networking contacts.

Obtain the templates now and customise them to ship the proper follow-up e-mail. After you are performed downloading your free templates, come again and take a look at those under. 

1. Following Up After Sending Sources

For those who despatched a listing of assets and the shopper hasn’t responded, use the under e-mail template. You may need even seen that they opened the e-mail in your CRM, however they didn’t get again to you. In that case, they’re probably too busy to reply.

Tip: In the event that they didn’t reply to your first useful resource e-mail, whittle it all the way down to only one or two notably particular assets that connect with their ache factors and desires.

2. Following Up After Demo

Most clients who’ve gotten to the demo stage gained’t ignore your emails. They’re probably very concerned about buying your services or products. But when there’s a buyer who obtained a demo after which stopped responding to your emails, it’s helpful to the touch base once more and make sure you’re nonetheless on their radar.

Tip: Consult with the final call-to-action you established, then present another which may be extra possible.

3. Following Up After a Missed Name

Have you ever despatched an e-mail and likewise referred to as? And neither of these have gotten a response?

First, that is a kind of conditions the place you’d wait per week. You don’t need to pester the prospect an excessive amount of. Second, ship an e-mail that re-establishes the worth you’ll be able to convey to their firm.

Tip: For those who’ve tried to get in touch a number of occasions and get no response, it’s secure to imagine they’re not the precise individual to speak to — or they’re an unqualified lead. Both ask for one more contact, or cease emailing the individual and look forward to the corporate to rent the precise contact.

4. Following Up After Sending a Contract

For smaller or freelance companies, sending a contract is one thing you do early on within the gross sales cycle — extra much like a quote than a legally binding doc.

For those who’re in enterprise gross sales, sending a contract is a a lot larger deal. It’s implied that the recipient is able to signal at that time, so that you most likely gained’t have to observe up.

Nonetheless, for those who’ve didn’t get a response after sending a contract over e-mail, ship a brief check-in message.

Tip: You’ve gotten to the contract stage since you’ve successfully created a connection. Use feelings — constructive feelings — to amp up their enthusiasm.

5. Following Up After They Submitted a Gross sales Inquiry

Your prospect could have submitted a kind, signaling buying intent. You responded, however they didn’t get again to you.

This lead remains to be sizzling, and it’s most undoubtedly value following up.

Tip: Repeat their ache factors, reminding them why they reached out and why they want your product.

6. Following Up After You Linked on Social Media

For those who related on social media, despatched an e-mail, and obtained no response, observe up once more — particularly if the prospect appeared concerned about your providing.

Tip: In case your first e-mail didn’t get a response, present extra worth than you probably did beforehand, and don’t overlook to incorporate a name to motion.

7. Following Up After They Don’t Renew their Contract

Some prospects select to ghost when it’s time to resume their contract, ignoring your first e-mail and even automated reminders from the system.

Tip: The prospect might not be able to renew due to a finances or inner concern. Shut with a request for a name so you’ll be able to pitch various choices, corresponding to an adjusted bundle.

8. Following Up After Sending a Quote

Usually, you ship a quote over e-mail, and for those who obtain no response, it’s essential to observe up in an effort to re-emphasize the efficacy of your resolution.

Tip: Like within the final instance, the prospect could also be encountering an surprising inner hold-up. Supply the chance for them to speak by means of a number of the phrases and costs, and be open to negotiation.

9. Following Up After Sending Product Samples

In some industries, such because the print and manufacturing industries, product samples are required earlier than the prospect can transfer ahead with a quote, contract, or buy.

At all times follow-up in the event that they didn’t reply to your first e-mail — particularly in the event that they’re an enterprise buyer.

Tip: In the event that they’re not responding after receiving the samples, the merchandise might not be an excellent match. Supply a gap for them to ask for extra samples.

10. Following Up After a Free Trial

A free trial is a superb alternative to showcase your organization’s SaaS product and to seize a prospect’s consideration. If the trial interval is about to finish and your prospect isn’t responding to your emails, it’s time to test in.

Tip: A prospect’s lack of response doesn’t essentially imply “No.” And in the event that they took a free trial, they’re very a lot concerned about your providing. However they might want extra time. Supply an extension if attainable, and all the time attempt to schedule a name to learn how the trial goes.

At all times Ship a Observe-Up Electronic mail After No Response

Salespeople work onerous, and receiving solutions to our emails makes us really feel profitable. We don’t need to ship too many follow-up emails, however they’re essential for main the dialog towards a closed-won deal. Take a look at out a number of of those techniques in your follow-up outreach and watch as they make a big distinction in your response charges.

Editor’s notice: This publish was initially printed in June 2018 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.