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How do you write a follow up email after a phone call?



How do you write a follow up email after a phone call?


When it comes time to send an email that's more than just "Hey!" or a simple "Thank You," your first instinct might be to type something like this:

"I’m excited to hear from you regarding [business opportunity/product]. I enjoyed meeting with you at [event] last week."

That sentence is short enough to make sure they don't miss it if they're in a hurry—but not so long as to put them off entirely. It also includes a bit of personalization by mentioning their name (and hopefully not sounding too much like spam). But let's face it, there are many times when we have to send emails that aren't quite so straightforward. Maybe we want to ask some questions before moving forward. Or maybe we need to explain why we can't meet right away but would love to chat soon. What follows is an overview of what you should consider including in each of these situations. If you're looking for a specific example of one of these types of emails, check out the full guide below!

How do you write a professional follow up email?

If you've been following along, you'll know we've already covered a few ways to craft good follow up messages, such as using bullet points to highlight key facts and avoiding any excessive fluff. Now, here are some tips specifically for those who've had conversations over the phone with prospects or customers.

1. Address the reason for the follow-up.

You may think it sounds obvious, but it bears repeating: The goal isn't to get someone to agree to whatever plan you offer. Instead, your aim is to move closer to making a decision. In fact, you could even state exactly what the next step will be once you speak again. For instance:

"We spoke briefly yesterday about [topic], and now I'd like to set aside 30 minutes to discuss further. How does 1 p.m. work?"

2. Avoid being overly formal.

Again, you don't want to come across as desperate or pushy. A friendly tone goes hand in hand with professionalism. So instead of saying things like "Let me see if my calendar permits us to talk today," try opting for something less aggressive like:

"Hi [name], hope all is well. Let me know if 10am works better for you tomorrow to continue discussing [topic]."

3. Keep it concise.

It's tempting to go into detail and list every aspect of the project. However, doing so can feel overwhelming and often makes people tune out. That said, you don't necessarily need to share everything straightaway. Try starting with a brief summary of what transpired during your call and then adding details later down the road. This way, you give yourself room to dig deeper without feeling rushed.

4. Don't forget the body text.

The most common mistake made by email writers is forgetting to include a body text section. While you don't always need to fill this space with paragraphs of information, you definitely should add a little bit of copy. After all, it's easy to lose track of where you left off while reading through a long email. And since you probably won't remember whether you mentioned a certain point until you're back home, you might find yourself rereading sections you haven't seen yet. To avoid this situation, simply hit the "Return" button immediately after opening your message. Then quickly jot down anything else you wanted to cover, either in the same document or another one altogether.

5. Include a closing statement.

This tip applies especially if you're asking a question or requesting feedback. Rather than ending your note abruptly, try incorporating a final phrase that suggests you're still eager to learn more. Something like:

"Please let me know if there’s anything else I can help you with. Thanks so much for taking the time to connect with me."

6. Be careful not to sound repetitive.

Since email communication has become commonplace, it's very likely that you've sent several similar messages to the same person within a short period of time. Even though it happens regularly, it doesn't mean you need to repeat yourself word-for-word. Instead, keep your language fresh by varying the wording slightly. For instance, rather than saying "Please reply ASAP," try altering it to read, "Can you please respond ASAP?"

7. Follow up with a reminder.

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, people ignore our requests. When this happens, it's important to follow up promptly to ensure they receive your message. Asking for permission isn't going to magically turn someone into a fan overnight, so take advantage of every chance you get to remind them of your interest. Here are two examples of potential reminders you could insert into your subsequent correspondence with the customer:

"Just checking in to confirm that [caller ID number] hasn't changed. We were able to catch up via Skype earlier this morning."

"Thanks so much for getting back to me. Since we didn't end on a positive note, I thought it was worth reaching out again to see if there’s anything else we can explore together."

8. End on a high note.

Finally, don't neglect to close your message properly. Whether you're thanking someone or confirming a date, always tie up loose ends to leave your reader satisfied. Just like the title of this article says, you want to make sure you finish strong.

9. Remember to proofread.

This is perhaps the biggest takeaway we can provide. No matter how hard you try to perfect your grammar and punctuation skills, errors happen sometimes. By highlighting mistakes early on, you prevent anyone from having to spend hours trying to decipher what went wrong. Plus, it shows that you care enough about your job to pay attention to small details.

10. Use a template.

While it's perfectly fine to create your own unique messages, there's nothing stopping you from adapting others that already exist online. Some popular options include Salesforce's Templates for Email and Microsoft 365's Business Mailing Templates. These files feature customizable formats and layouts that allow you to tailor them to fit your needs. Not only will this save you time, but it also ensures consistency between different projects.

How do you say follow up politely?

As you can tell, there are plenty of nuances involved in crafting effective follow up messages. With that said, there's absolutely zero harm in sticking to tried-and-true techniques. In fact, a study conducted by HubSpot found that 85 percent of consumers prefer receiving messages written in plain English. Still, if you're struggling to express yourself clearly, it never hurts to brush up on some basic phrases to improve your conversational abilities.

Here are three words you'll frequently see used in everyday life:

Hello/goodbye

Excuse me/thank you

Yes /no

To recap, here are a couple of examples of how you can use these words effectively:

"Good afternoon, [person's name]. Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me today. I'm really excited to hear more about [subject]."

"Hi [person's name], thanks so much for returning my call. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get past the initial discussion due to a scheduling conflict. Can you let me know if 12pm works better for you?"



How do you start a follow up email with no response?

Just because you've received no response or even ignored your attempts to contact someone, doesn't mean it's game over. There's a lot you can do to salvage the relationship, depending on the circumstances. First, you must determine why you haven't heard back. Did you accidentally overlook the deadline? Were you unclear about what you needed? Was the person unavailable? Once you figure it out, you can decide which path leads toward resolution.

For instance, you may choose to reschedule the appointment, apologize for missing the mark, or simply ask for clarification. Whatever you decide, rest assured that there's no shame in admitting defeat. Your intentions shouldn't change because you failed to deliver. Ultimately, you're working towards a mutual understanding of both parties' expectations, so you shouldn't expect perfection.

Alternatively, you may opt to wait patiently for someone to return your call or open the door to future communications. Depending upon the duration of your interaction, you may even extend the invitation to reconnect at a mutually convenient time. Again, you should stick to established patterns whenever possible. Otherwise, you run the risk of appearing needy or overeager.

The bottom line? Regardless of what happened, it's crucial to remain calm and respectful throughout the entire process. At the end of the day, you're dealing with human beings. Treat them accordingly.

How do you write a letter after a phone call?

Whether it's an interview or a meeting with a current client, we all have those times when everything goes right -- but then there are also those instances where things go wrong (and sometimes even worse).  But that doesn't mean you can't turn your bad experiences into good ones by learning from them!

One of my biggest mistakes in sales is not following up after I've had a positive experience with a customer. If they like me, if they're open minded, if their company has what I'm looking for, why wouldn't I continue to pursue this relationship? The answer is simple: because I don't know how to ask for another meeting.

I get so nervous at first thinking about calling them back again. What will I talk about? Will I be interrupting something else going on in their lives? And most importantly, will they remember us enough to want to meet again?

The truth is, though, these questions rarely come up during initial contact, which means you need to learn how to figure out whether you should try to set up another appointment. Here are some tips to help you follow up after a phone call successfully.

How do you start a letter after a phone call?

First off, let me just warn you: Don't send more than one follow-up email per week. This isn't rocket science, but it does require time and effort, especially as a beginner who hasn't yet mastered the art of making cold calls. You'll eventually develop a rhythm and become comfortable with setting up meetings based on conversations. But until you do, stick to one follow-up every two weeks.

To keep yourself organized, create a spreadsheet for each potential client that includes:

Their name and title

Address information

Company website URL

Your notes about any pertinent data points, such as recent news stories relevant to your industry

It may seem overwhelming at first, but once you begin building this database over time, you'll find it becomes much easier to make decisions about whom to approach next. It's always important to note whether a person was receptive to your pitch in order to avoid wasting precious time. For example, if you pitched a product to Mr. Jones and he said "no" to it, chances are he won't be interested in hearing anything further.

If you were able to close the deal, now would be a great time to remind him/her about your offer. Make sure to include key details about your products and services, and explain why they'd benefit his organization. A closing paragraph might look something like this:

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. As promised, here are a few resources that could prove helpful in addressing your needs:

* Product X: We currently carry this item in stock, available for immediate shipment. Our retail price starts at $XX,000. Please feel free to check availability online, or give us a call at XXXX.

Letters like this are typically sent via certified mail or overnight delivery, depending on the situation. Keep track of responses using the same list above. Once you receive a reply, take the opportunity to reiterate your proposal and see if you can squeeze in another meeting in between scheduled events.

A quick tip for letters written after a phone call is to change the font color to black and boldface the words "thank you." In addition to being visually appealing, this technique makes your message stand out against the white background.

What do you say to someone after a phone call?

After speaking with someone on the phone, you'll probably notice several emotions running through your head. First, excitement over having made a connection, followed closely by anxiety over potentially losing the sale. Then there's worry about how to proceed next. There's nothing wrong with feeling all of these feelings within moments of talking to somebody, but you shouldn't dwell on them too long. Instead, focus on staying calm and collected while continuing to build rapport.

When responding to someone after a phone call, it's essential to remain professional. Be careful not to sound desperate or pushy, since you never want to appear unprofessional. One way to do this is to rephrase your original question in ways that make sense without sounding accusatory. For instance, instead of asking "Are you still interested?" you could phrase it as "Would you mind sharing what you discussed with your colleagues?" Or, rather than saying "Please respond," you could simply state "We haven't heard back yet, but thanks for getting back to us!"

Keep in mind that people generally prefer emails over phone calls, so be ready to move on if they decline your invitation to discuss further. Emails are ideal because they allow you to write down specific answers to questions that arise naturally throughout your discussion. They also provide room for additional requests and clarifications if necessary.

Here are three examples of professionally worded emails that outline exactly what happened during the phone call and what you hope to accomplish moving forward:

1) Hi [name],

Thanks for reaching out to me! During our chat yesterday, I noticed you mentioned that you work primarily with organizations in the construction field. Could I please share our latest project offering with you?

Our newest offering is called XYZ, and it focuses exclusively on improving productivity across multiple departments. Since you work with companies in this space regularly, we thought you might enjoy seeing a demo. Let me know if you have any questions!

Best,

[salesperson]

2) Hello, [Name],

I wanted to touch base with you regarding our conversation yesterday afternoon. Based on our discussion, my team is excited to introduce you to our new solution, ABC.

With ABC, you'll gain access to our entire platform, giving you complete visibility into your operations. Not only will this empower you to streamline processes and increase efficiency, but it will also reduce costs associated with manual tasks and administrative overhead.

Could I confirm that you're still interested in receiving more information? I'll connect you directly with my manager who will walk you through the process.

Regards,

[Sales Representative]

3) Good morning, [name]. Thank you for contacting me earlier this month. I enjoyed speaking with you last night. I understand that you're working on expanding your software services to businesses nationwide.

Last year, I worked with a similar software provider to implement and manage a system called XYZ. While I wasn't quite satisfied with the results, I did appreciate the value and service they provided. Would you be willing to consider implementing ABC? My manager will arrange a brief demonstration.

Sincerely,

[Sales Rep.]

How do you email after telephonic conversation?

Email messages are becoming increasingly popular among consumers due to their convenience. However, many small businesses still rely heavily on traditional snail mail communication methods. To bridge the gap between old and new forms of communication, you can employ both techniques simultaneously.

For instance, instead of sending a hard copy of your proposal along with a standard email, you can attach it to the end of your correspondence. Your customers will likely read your email first before opening the attachment, allowing you to highlight key features of your products or services. This method works well with proposals and contracts, while also providing a backup in case the recipient loses the physical document.

You can also combine email and postal communications by including a postcard with your package. When choosing which design elements to incorporate, keep in mind that a card conveys warmth and friendliness, whereas a plain piece of paper comes across as impersonal. Some ideas to consider include handwritten signatures, colorful photos, and eye-catching fonts.

Finally, it's worth mentioning that you should refrain from attaching large documents (such as spreadsheets) to emails unless absolutely necessary. Most recipients will automatically block attachments containing sensitive files, meaning you risk damaging your reputation by sending unsolicited materials.

How do you thank someone for a phone call?

Asking for feedback is often difficult, particularly if you didn't hear back immediately after leaving a voicemail. Fortunately, it's easy to thank someone for returning your call by simply expressing appreciation for their interest.

In the event you received a voice recording, you can leave a short message thanking the caller for their time. Simply record a sentence or two stating your gratitude and any relevant details (e.g., date & location), and add a smiley face emoticon for extra emphasis. Alternatively, you can choose to transcribe your comments onto a separate sheet of paper to save space.

Lastly, you can also send a printed version of your recorded message to express your sentiments. Again, it's imperative to personalize your message by adding your own signature, while keeping it concise. For instance, if you left a detailed voicemail explaining how you met the person in question, you could simply print out a single page detailing their job position and responsibilities.

As a salesperson, it's important that you stay top of mind when making contact with prospects. This can be difficult to achieve without having an effective strategy for following up with people.

If someone reaches out to your company, but doesn't get back to them within 24 hours or so, what are some ways you could reach out again? The answer depends heavily on whether this person was contacted by another member of your team (and who) as well as their relationship status. But before we dive into that, let's look at exactly what to say in these types of situations.

I've received a lot of questions recently from readers asking me "what to say" in a follow-up email after meeting with someone or receiving a call from them. If I had to boil down my advice to one thing, it would be this -- don't overthink things! It's okay to send a simple message like "Hey [name], thanks for taking time out of your day to meet with us."  This will work just fine, especially if they were expecting something more elaborate. At least then there is still a chance this person may reply and give you a bit of information about themselves. However, if you're not getting any kind of response, here's a few tips on what else you might want to try next...

What do you say in a follow up email if no response?

There are two main reasons why people won't respond to your messages: 1) They didn't see or read your message, 2) They weren't interested enough to take action. So first off, make sure you have done everything possible to ensure that your message got through. You can always resend your initial email if necessary, but sometimes even those don't end up being seen either.

Here are some examples of what you might find helpful to include in your follow-ups:

A personalized greeting such as "Hi [name]!"

An explanation of what happened during the meeting/call

Something along the lines of "We really enjoyed talking with each other today and hope to hear from you soon!"

The date and time of the next meeting/phone call

An invitation to connect further via social media or website

In addition, there are certain phrases that tend to help spur interest in others. Some common ones include: "Let's keep in touch," "Any thoughts?" "Is there anything else I can help you with?" and "Please feel free to let me know if there is anything I can do to assist you further." These phrases all convey a sense of urgency while also showing respect towards the recipient.

Keep in mind though, that every individual has different preferences and needs. For example, some prefer to receive calls only and others wouldn't mind hearing from you via email too. Also, depending on the nature of your relationship, you might decide to stop sending follow up emails altogether. In this case, consider reaching out via LinkedIn instead or using a tool like Salesforce Chatbot.



How many follow ups for a cold email?

Now that you have sent your email, it's crucial that you continue to check your inbox regularly over the course of several days. Ideally, you'd want to set yourself up for success by scheduling regular scheduled interactions with the same person. As mentioned above, there are exceptions where you'll need to adjust based on personal preference. When it comes to frequency, however, a rule of thumb is that you should aim to send three follow-up messages per week. But remember that everyone works differently and what's ideal for one person isn't necessarily right for another.

How many times should you follow up with a cold lead?

It's important to note that once you start working with a particular client, you shouldn't expect to go straight to the point and ask them to buy. Instead, it's advisable to slowly build trust and rapport before moving forward. That said, you should never hesitate to pursue opportunities whenever you encounter them.

One of the most popular strategies used by salespeople is to make multiple attempts to close deals. A study conducted by Harvard Business Review found that closing rates increased by 20% among sellers who made 10 to 15 follow-up attempts compared to those who made fewer than five attempts. And according to Pinnacle Research Group, companies that consistently engage in 30+ follow-up contacts increase their revenue 5x faster than competitors.

To put it simply, when it comes to follow-up campaigns, timing matters. Just because you haven't heard back from someone yet doesn't mean you can't try contacting them again later. To learn more, click below to download our guide to selling online.

Template 1: Send an Email After Meeting With Prospects

I had an excellent meeting last week with Mr. Smith from ABC Company in San Francisco on XYZ product line. I learned a lot about their business needs and would like to schedule another meeting at your convenience next month.

Here are some questions we discussed during our conversation and things we want to discuss further:

Is there anything else we need to address before our next discussion scheduled for October 12th?

Would you be interested in discussing this opportunity with anyone else? If so, who might they be?

Can we schedule a time for you to come visit us? We have offices near the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station at 4th Street/King Station or downtown SF at 555 Market Street - please let me know which is more convenient for you.

What is the ideal length of time between discussions? Is one-on-one enough? What if we were to meet two or three times over a period of months?

Thank you again for taking the time to speak with me today. Please feel free to reply back as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

(Name)

This template will help show your professionalism by providing structure around what information should go into each section. You'll also see how professional copywriting can make all the difference!

Personalize Your Message

It's always good practice to personalize messages whenever possible. By doing so, you're showing respect for the person receiving the message. The recipient knows that you've taken the time to think about them, even just slightly, and it shows in the way you communicate.

Keep It Short & Sweet


Author

Anyleads

San Francisco

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