It’s time to stop writing emails to your prospects just to “follow up” and “touch base” (examples: “Following up after our demonstration”, “Following up after our call”, “Following up after your voicemail”). Following up is a given in sales, and it should never be the main point of your email.
Instead of writing an email where you simply “follow up” on a previous conversation, make sure you’re adding value of some kind. Your prospects know why you’re writing – you want to progress your potential opportunity.
B2B sales is highly competitive, but most sales reps are not that good. So following this strategy in every email will show that you’re able to go the extra mile, consistently. Your clients will appreciate the fact that you are attempting to solve their problems and not just ‘following up’ for the sake of moving your deal forward.
After meeting with a prospect, the content of your follow up email should be short and to the point:
- Subject line: Be brief, ideally no more than 8 words
- Body: Get straight to the point: Here’s how we will help you.
- Closing: Ask for documented next steps in accordance with your sale plan
Here’s an example:
Never lose sight of why your client/prospect is talking with you in the first place, and reinforce that in every communication – especially in your follow up emails. If you do this consistently, you will advance your opportunities much faster.
What happens when you get no response? For more on this, check out:
Unresponsive Clients and Prospects: How to Avoid Being ‘Ghosted’
