Whether it's a job application, a sales pitch, or a simple inquiry, not receiving a response to your initial email can be disheartening. And that’s when following up helps.

Follow up is an essential skill in ensuring your email gets noticed among the clutter. 

But when should you follow up? How soon is too soon?

How to follow up without coming across as desperate? How much is too much? 

Through this post we will walk you on—how, why, and when to send a follow up email, the nuances of writing a follow up email when you don’t get a response for your email, without coming across as pesky or unprofessional.

Why send a follow up email?

The email you send can get lost in the clutter of emails your recipient gets on average. Especially in sales, follow up emails can act as a reminder if your prospect missed or forgot to respond to your email. Also, follow up emails build trust and have a direct correlation to your conversion rates. The more consistent you are with your follow ups, the higher your conversion rate.  Also, a diligent follow up email can be the difference between you getting a deal vs your competitor.

A good follow up email does the following:

• Iterates the purpose and benefits
• Reinforces communication
• Builds Relationships
• Gives clarity on the next steps

When to send a follow up email?

The starting point is to ask—was my email compelling enough? If your answer is yes, then you might want to give your recipients 1-3 days to respond to you. Following up too soon will make you look intrusive or too pushy.

However, if you are not sure if your email was compelling enough, we recommend you to go through the below article on how to format an email to boost your response rates.

Another aspect to consider is the day of the week. We suggest to avoid sending follow up emails on Mondays or Fridays when people are either catching up from the weekend or winding down for it. Mid-week days—Tuesday to Thursday—tend to have higher open and response rates.

While you don’t want to come across as too aggressive, you also shouldn’t wait for too long to send a follow up email either—as the recipient might lose the context of your previous email.

That takes us to the next question—how often should you follow up and how many follow up emails is too many?

To understand that, let’s understand how follow ups work.

How does a follow up email work?

The crux of a follow up email lies in understanding its purpose and significance. A follow up isn't merely a contextual reminder about your first email—it’s an opportunity to present your case more compellingly, offer additional information, or perhaps take a different angle on your initial proposition. 

The art of following up is in showcasing persistence without desperation, demonstrating value without being overbearing.

Each follow up serves as a touchpoint that reinforces your presence and interest. It's an avenue to remind your recipient of who you are, what you have offered, or requested, and why it matters. 

The effectiveness of your follow up can be the thin line between being forgotten and forging a meaningful connection or achieving your desired outcome.

That takes us to constructing your follow up email.

Structure of a follow up email

Context

Initiating your follow up email with a clear reference to your previous communication sets the stage for your recipient. It helps in jogging their memory and ties your current email to a context, making it easier for them to follow through. 

But your followup needs to be more than a reminder. It’s an opportunity for you to show that you genuinely care. A little bit of research across social media, press releases, product launch portals can help you build relevance a lot better.

Here are some examples:

• In your [recent newsletter], you mentioned…
• [Mutual connection] mentioned that…
• Congrats on your recent [product launch]…
• Interesting that in your [LinkedIn post], you spoke about…
• Congrats on your new role at [company name]…

Value

A successful follow up email adds value. This could mean providing additional information, insights, or even a different perspective on the matter at hand. 

Your aim should be to make each follow up progressively more compelling, offering new reasons or highlighting previously overlooked benefits that make responding to your email worthwhile for the recipient.

Think about what additional value you can bring to the table. 

Can you include a recent case study, testimonial, or piece of relevant news that strengthens your position or request? 

Embedding value in your follow up ensures it is not seen as mere pestering but as a beneficial nudge towards a decision or action.

Reason for your follow up email

Being explicit about why you are reaching out again and what you hope to achieve with this follow up, more often than not, elicits a response. 

Whether it's to get feedback, a decision, or further information, defining the purpose of your email makes it easier for the recipient to respond appropriately.

Here’s an example:

In the above email, Dave hits 3 targets—observation, problem, and purpose of the email, as a person who truly understands the problem.

Call to Action (CTA)

Craft your CTA to be specific and relevant to the context of your follow-up. More importantly it needs to be easy to act upon, reducing the effort required by your recipient to respond. But it’s easier said than done.

Despite having a CTA, sometimes your follow up emails might not be getting a response because they introduce friction by being too lengthy, overly complicated, or lacking a clear purpose.

On that note, here’s a great primer on how to end emails with the right CTA so that you maximize your response rate.

Closing lines

Your closing lines should reiterate your appreciation for the recipient's time and consideration. A polite sign-off can leave a positive impression, making them more inclined to respond. 

Acknowledge that they're likely busy and express gratitude for any attention they can give to your request. A courteous close not only ends your email on a warm note but also reinforces the professional and respectful tone of your follow-up.

Consider using closings such as "I know how product launch schedules can be, and thank you for considering my request amidst the tight schedule. Looking forward to it." 

Such sentences convey respect for the recipient's time while subtly nudging them towards taking action.

Now, having discussed the structure of a follow up email, the next question is—how many times should you follow up.

Always personalize your follow up emails

Crafting a personalized follow up email can significantly boost your chances of getting a response, especially in situations where the recipient's interest might initially be undefined. Personalization shows that you've taken the time to understand the needs and preferences of the person you're reaching out to, transforming an otherwise generic communication into something tailored and meaningful.

Here's an example of an email from Jason:

Personalizing not only elevates your message above the clutter of their inbox but also demonstrates your commitment and interest in establishing a genuine connection. Whether you're following up after a networking event, or after a sales call, customizing your email ensures your message resonates, making it far more likely to receive the attention and reply it deserves.

How many follow up emails are too many?

There are no hard and fast rules on the maximum number of follow up emails. It’s a judgmental call you take based on email opens, engagement metrics, and the context of your communication.

The key is to balance persistence with professionalism. Each follow up should offer something new or add value in some way, rather than simply repeating your initial request.

Remember, the goal of a follow up email is to prompt a response, not to overwhelm or annoy the recipient. Space out your emails appropriately and ensure they are relevant and respectful. 

From our experience, we’ve seen that 3-4 follow ups as part of the sequence, spread out over a few days works very well.

The follow up sequence typically looks like this:

Day 3: First follow up

Day 10: Follow up

Day 20: Follow up 

… (from there on once a month).

Jason Cook, our sales champion at Plena often says “From the third email onwards, give your prospects an easy way to explicitly express whether they are interested or not.”

Need for a multi-channel follow up strategy

In the times we live, relying solely on email follow ups might not always be effective. For best results, you might want to multi-thread with more than one person at your target account, and more importantly you might want to engage them across channels (including LinkedIn, SMS, email, calls, and more) for the best results.

Integrating different channels into your follow up approach can be particularly effective because it demonstrates your commitment and effort. Moreover, it acknowledges the reality that people have preferences for certain communication channels over others. 

A thoughtful, multi-channel strategy shows adaptability and respect for those preferences.

Follow up email templates

Here are some templates you can try when your recipient hasn’t replied to your emails.

First follow up email after no response

Hi [first_name],

This is further to our discussion last week about [topic]. 

The [pain point] you threw light on [social_platform/ forum] is something exactly [your product] solves for by [capability].

[Customer] uses [your product] for the exact use case, and I would be happy to connect them with you if you have questions or would like to hear from them directly.

Let me know.

‍Thanks, 

[Your name]

Second follow up email after no response

Hi [first_name],

Things can get busy, so I wanted to touch base on the proposal I sent over last week regarding [topic]. 

Please let me know if you have questions. 

If you think it would make for an insightful conversation, here’s my [calendar_link]. 

Looking forward,

[Your name]

Third follow up email after no response

Hi [first_name],

I know I've emailed you a couple of times suggesting [product] as a solution to [pain point/ use case relevant to recipient] — but I wanted to follow up just one last time. 

If you have had a chance to look over the info I sent on them, let me know your thoughts! 

If you think this might not be relevant to you at this moment, please feel free to let me know and I’ll circle back at a better time in the future.

Thanks,

[Your name]

Automating email follow ups

When you follow up after an initial contact, it signals to the prospect that you value their business and are eager to establish a meaningful connection. This personal touch not only differentiates you from competitors but also fosters a sense of trust and reliability, crucial for building lasting relationships.

However, the key is to follow up across multiple channels so that the chances of you getting a response is higher. Also it ensures that you reach your prospects through their preferred medium, thereby significantly increasing your chances of converting these leads into loyal customers. 

But, if you’re reaching out to hundreds of prospects every week, following up on each prospect across different channels manually isn’t practical. It is virtually impossible to personalize and keep track of all communications effectively, leading to potential opportunities being missed and inefficient use of resources. 

That’s why we recommend using a multichannel prospecting software that lets you automate the entire follow-up process.

Implementing a multichannel prospecting software automates and streamlines the follow up process, allowing for consistent and personalized communication across various channels. This not only enhances productivity but also ensures that no lead is left behind, significantly improving the chances of conversion.

Summing up…

Understanding the right number of follow ups, the ideal timing, leveraging a few follow up templates, and incorporating a multi-channel strategy can vastly improve your chances of getting a response. 

However, remember that the goal of a follow up email is not just to get a response but to build a connection and demonstrate value, continuing the conversation in a meaningful way.

Here's to more meaningful conversations...!

FAQs About Follow-Up Emails

How many follow-up emails should I send?

A good rule of thumb is to send up to three follow-up emails

How long should I wait to send a follow-up email?

Timing of the first follow-up email depends on the nature of the initial email. In general, 1-3 days after the initial email is a good practice.

How do you send a follow-up email to a busy person?

Given that the person is busy, keep the follow-up emails short and to the point.

How do you follow up without being annoying?

It all comes down to the timing and frequency of your follow-up emails. Avoid sending too many follow-ups, too frequently, which can be perceived as annoying.

Can I automate my follow-ups?

Yes, you can automate your follow-ups using email marketing tools or a multichannel marketing tool like Plena.

Where can I find examples of follow-up emails?

You can find examples of follow-up emails from various sources such as email marketing blogs, business and productivity blogs, online forums, communities and more.