12 Sales Follow-Up Templates That Actually Get Replies
Most follow-up templates fail for the same reason: they could have been sent to anyone. The twelve templates below are short, specific, and easy to adapt — whether you log them in CRM, save them in Mail, or paste from a doc. Use the structure; swap in real context from the deal.
Replace bracketed fields with specifics from your call or CRM record. If you cannot fill a bracket honestly, the email is not ready to send.
1. Post-demo — same day
Subject: [Company] + Salestrics — next step
Hi [Name],
Thanks for walking through [specific topic you discussed] today. As promised, here is [resource you mentioned — one-pager, pricing, recording].
If [pain they named] is still the priority, I suggest [concrete next step — trial, stakeholder call, technical review] this week. Does [day] work?
— [You]
2. Post-demo — no response (4 days)
Subject: Re: [Company] follow-up
Hi [Name],
Circling back on our conversation about [their goal]. Teams like yours usually care most about [one outcome — e.g. logging email to CRM without plugins].
Worth a 15-minute check-in, or should I close the loop for now?
— [You]
3. After sending a proposal
Subject: Proposal for [Project name]
Hi [Name],
I attached [proposal/pricing] for [scope]. Key assumption: [seat count, timeline, or module] — tell me if that is off.
What would you need to see to move this forward by [date]?
— [You]
4. Proposal stall — gentle nudge
Subject: Quick question on [Project]
Hi [Name],
Have you had a chance to review with [legal/finance/team]? Happy to join a short call if questions came up I can answer live.
— [You]
5. Champion went dark
Subject: Still the right person?
Hi [Name],
I have not heard back since [last touchpoint]. Should I keep you as the main contact on [initiative], or is someone else owning this now?
— [You]
6. Multi-thread — ask for intro
Subject: Intro to [role]?
Hi [Name],
You mentioned [security/ops/finance] would weigh in. Could you intro me to [Name/role] so we can cover [specific concern] without slowing you down?
— [You]
7. Post-event or conference
Subject: Good meeting you at [Event]
Hi [Name],
Good talking at [Event] about [one detail you remember]. Sending [what you offered]. If [their priority] is still on the roadmap this quarter, I would love 20 minutes next week.
— [You]
8. Trial check-in — day 3
Subject: How is setup going?
Hi [Name],
Quick check — were you able to [import records / invite teammate / connect mail]? If anything blocked you, I can fix it in ten minutes on a call.
— [You]
9. Trial ending soon
Subject: Trial ends [date]
Hi [Name],
Your trial wraps on [date]. If [specific value they used — pipeline view, mail, AI drafts] was useful, I can send an upgrade link for [plan]. If not, what was missing?
— [You]
10. Re-engage closed-lost (90 days)
Subject: Anything changed on [initiative]?
Hi [Name],
We spoke in [month] about [project]. Timing was not right then — we have since shipped [one relevant update]. Worth revisiting, or still on hold?
— [You]
11. Breakup — respectful close
Subject: Closing the loop
Hi [Name],
I have not heard back after a few tries, so I will assume timing is off and stop reaching out. If priorities shift, reply here — happy to pick it up.
— [You]
12. Referral ask (happy customer)
Subject: Know anyone else wrestling with [pain]?
Hi [Name],
Glad [specific win] is working. If you know one founder still stitching CRM and email together, I would appreciate an intro — no pressure if nobody comes to mind.
— [You]
Make templates stick
Save templates where follow-up happens. If that is still Gmail, use them — but log sends to CRM. If mail and pipeline share a login, drafts can reference live records without the BCC dance. See business email for startups for why that matters.