Master the Art of the Follow-up Email in Three Steps!

As a form of communication, the email is just about as straightforward as it gets: All you need is a subject, a recipient, and some text in the body. Easy, right?

Well, that strategy might work well when you’re catching up with your brother or sending an attachment to yourself but, what happens when you’re using an email to follow up with a potential lead? After all, a would-be customer is going to need to see specific information that shows them the value of your services.

Today, we’ll show you how to create follow-up emails that your potential leads and industry experts will want to read and reply to.

How to Write a Follow-up Email That Won’t Get a Response.

You’re a creature of habit. We get it! Our team knows first-hand how hard it can be to change your ways and your writing style. So, in order to help you revise your follow-up email routine, we’ve curated a list of things to avoid doing when you write a follow up email. 

1. Don’t send a “just because e-mail.”
Have you ever received a phone call or text message where a friend simply says “Hi?” only to find out they didn’t have anything to say but hello? Receiving a message about nothing will leave anyone feeling disappointed—what a waste of time! So, when you go to connect with a potential lead, remember that there should be more to your email than the dull and predictable “Hi, just checking in!.”

2. Don’t wait too long.
Ok, so we’re all taught from a young age that, when it comes to completing tasks, most things are “better late than never.” And while that may be true for starting a new workout routine or cutting your lawn, it’s certainly not true for everything. If you’ve told a potential client, lead or connection that you’d follow-up in one to two weeks, honour your promise. Otherwise, your leads will end up feeling neglected and unworthy of your time.

3. Have some tact!
It’s good to be open and honest with your customers but, when you’re building a relationship with a new lead, being too transparent can make them feel pressured to buy a product or service. For example, if you’re emailing a new client who wants to know more about your services, resist the urge to try to sell them with a new product or subscription series. ,No matter how well-intentioned your offers are, being too sales-focused will make your potential lead feel like their money is more important than their needs.

Here’s How You Should Be Writing Your Follow-up Emails.

Whether you’re trying to form a new relationship, upsell a new product or encourage your customers to renew a subscription, every great follow-up email should have a clear objective and relevant content that reflects the recipient’s stage in the buyer’s journey.

1. Establish the goal of your email.
Before you send your email off into cyberspace, ask yourself what the goal of your email is.
Here are some common objectives:

• •  Asking for a meeting to pursue new ideas or provide solutions.
  • Seeking information that had been overlooked in a previous meeting.
  • Collecting additional information to support client objectives.
  • Congratulating them on a big milestone or event.
  • Expressing your gratitude,
  • Reconnecting with a client.
  
  No matter what the purpose of your email is, don’t forget to clearly state your intentions at the beginning of your message. The more specific you can be, the more likely it is that your reader will want to engage with you. A vague, confusing email that lacks intention is easy to ignore!

2. Give your reader a refresher!
Context can assist your email’s recipient in recalling you or your company and help them connect with what you’re trying to communicate. And providing context doesn’t have to be long-winded or complicated—simply state your name, how you and the contact know each other and the purpose for your email.

If you’re not sure how to start you email, use one of the following openings to provide context:

• • “My name is [insert name], we met a [insert location or function].”
  • “Our mutual friend [Insert name], mentioned you might be able to help me.”
  • “I attended your [webinar or talk] and wanted to connect.”
  • “I wanted to continue our conversation about [insert topic].”
  • “I am following up about the email I sent last week regarding [Insert topic].”

An effective e-mail opener will not only remind them of who you are, but also demonstrate that you remember the recipient. Including small details will catch their attention.

3. Be as specific as possible in your request or offer.
Whether you’re asking for expert advice or offering a subscription package, your email has to articulate your goals in a manner that is informative and genuine.

No matter what your purpose is—a coffee meeting to learn more about sales targets or simply providing them with a helpful tool—your recipient must be fully aware of what it is you’re proposing and why it’s significant. To further encourage a response, you should also include a CTA (call to action) at the end of every e-mail. Your CTA can include some sort of timeframe or date where the recipient can choose to either set up a meeting or sign up for a webinar.

Great Follow-up Emails Can Drive Results!
If you’re struggling to connect with leads, experts or current customers, don’t despair—perfecting the art of a great follow-up email can support your existing sales efforts by offering clients personalized tips, resources and insider advice that caters to their goals. If you’re eager to drive growth in new and exciting ways, contact Symetric today to discover how you can incorporate sales enablement tools, like email automation and templates, into your existing strategy to streamline your sales and marketing efforts.