Follow-up Email
An email sent after an initial contact attempt to re-engage a prospect who hasn't responded.
What is Follow-up Email?
A follow-up email is sent when your initial email didn't receive a response. Follow-ups are critical because:
- Most people don't respond to first emails (busy, missed it, forgot)
- Follow-ups generate 30-40% of total cold email replies
- Shows persistence and professionalism (within reason)
Effective follow-up principles:
1. Keep it short: 2-3 sentences max 2. Reference the original: Connect to your first email 3. Add something new: New angle, proof point, or question 4. Don't repeat: Avoid copy-pasting your first email 5. Time appropriately: 3-5 business days after previous email
Our recommendation: Send 1 follow-up 3-4 days after initial email. More than that risks spam complaints without proportional returns.
Why It Matters
- 1Generates significant portion of total replies
- 2Recipients are often busy, not uninterested
- 3Shows appropriate persistence
- 4Timing matters - too soon is annoying, too late is forgotten
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