{"id":19259,"date":"2019-06-20T08:00:16","date_gmt":"2019-06-20T12:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/honeybook.site.strattic.io\/?p=19259"},"modified":"2024-10-21T18:27:26","modified_gmt":"2024-10-22T01:27:26","slug":"how-to-write-a-follow-up-email-prospective-client","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hbb.dev.reliablepenguin.com\/blog\/how-to-write-a-follow-up-email-prospective-client","title":{"rendered":"How to Become an Expert at Writing Follow-Up Emails"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Lead generation is hard. It\u2019s expensive and time-consuming\u2014and therefore takes the majority of our focus when marketing our small businesses.<\/p>\n

This leads many of us to making a mistake: focusing more on trying to generate new leads rather than nurturing our existing leads and customers with follow-up emails.<\/p>\n

The truth is that writing follow-up emails to your existing and prospective customers will do much more to boost loyalty and increase your sales than chasing new business will.<\/p>\n

Follow-up emails help to build trust between you and your customers, increase awareness of your brand, and earn you more repeat business.<\/p>\n

The challenge here is that it\u2019s really tough to write emails that people actually want to read.<\/p>\n

To help you become an expert at writing follow-up emails and generate more sales for your business, we\u2019ve put together these helpful tips, tactics, and templates to get you started.<\/p>\n

Why Follow-Up Emails Are So Essential<\/h2>\n

Follow-up emails can help you on many fronts:<\/p>\n

    \n\t
  1. Closing leads into sales<\/li>\n\t
  2. Turn customers into repeat customers<\/li>\n\t
  3. Turn repeat customers into promoters<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    It\u2019s helpful to consider follow-up emails in the context of the marketing flywheel<\/a> vs. the traditional marketing funnel. We\u2019ll argue that because so many people think of sales and marketing as a funnel, they forget about the importance of nurturing all<\/i> customers.<\/p>\n

    In a traditional marketing funnel, leads are pushed through a series of lead generation<\/a>, nurturing, and sales phases. Under this model, you would use follow-up emails to nurture leads with the goal of leading them to a purchase decision.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Image Credit: TrackMaven<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    What happens after the purchase phase? According to this model, your work is over. <\/p>\n

    But you must have heard that it\u2019s more expensive to win a new customer than keep an existing customer. And did you know that returning customers also spend more than new ones? According to research, they spend 67% more<\/a> than those making their first purchase from you! <\/p>\n

    Impressive numbers, right?<\/p>\n

    So even if your customer has already made a purchase, if you don\u2019t communicate with them after this step, then you\u2019re losing out on a lot! Therefore, the traditional marketing funnel is a flawed way of looking at the importance of follow-up emails.<\/p>\n

    Enter the flywheel.<\/p>\n

    The marketing flywheel is a model created by HubSpot to explain the circular momentum gained from a cycle of attracting, engaging, and delighting your customers.<\/p>\n

    The flywheel looks like this:<\/p>\n

    \"HubSpot<\/p>\n

    In short, the theory is that an effective business and marketing strategy is focused on gaining circular momentum by always attracting, engaging, and delighting customers through every interaction.<\/p>\n

    Strangers are turned into prospects by attracting<\/b> them with useful content. Prospects are turned into customers by engaging<\/b> with them. Customers are turned into repeat customers or promoters by delighting<\/b> them with your customer service. The promoters then introduce new customers to your business through word of mouth or testimonials, which creates a perpetual cycle that grows the size and strength of the flywheel over time.<\/p>\n

    Under this model, developing rapport and staying in touch with your existing customers is just as essential as the acquisition of new ones.<\/p>\n

    What does this have to do with follow-up emails? The flywheel model places equal importance on cultivating relationships with your customers at all stages. It doesn\u2019t assume that a purchase is the end goal.<\/p>\n

    Having a thoughtful follow-up email strategy for both potential and existing customers shows that you have a vested interest in their wants and needs, and constantly reminds them about your brand\u2019s value. <\/p>\n

    Follow-up emails provide a motivational force for making a purchase for new customers, or can help reignite a previous customer\u2019s interest in your brand, and induce their desire to make other purchases by offering special deals, or discounts.<\/p>\n

    Armed with an understanding of the importance of follow-up emails, let\u2019s move on to how to do them well!<\/p>\n

    When to Send Follow-Up Emails<\/h2>\n

    Before we jump into how to write a follow-up email, let\u2019s go through the many situations that are always deserving of a follow-up email.<\/p>\n

    To close sales<\/h3>\n

    According to the Brevet Group<\/a>, 80% of sales require an average of five follow-ups in order to close the deal. Five!<\/p>\n

    Unfortunately, 44% of salespeople give up on a prospect after one follow-up. 94% of salespeople give up and four tries. You have to imagine small business owners and freelancers spend even less time following up.<\/p>\n

    There\u2019s hesitance to be pushy in the sales process<\/a>, but don\u2019t forget: you have value to offer! Most customers don\u2019t return your emails because they\u2019re too busy<\/i>, not because they don\u2019t want your services.<\/p>\n

    To request information or action<\/h3>\n

    Sometimes all that sits between closing a sale or pushing a new project forward is one missing piece of information. <\/p>\n

    The number of \u201cjust following ups\u201d can quickly pile up and end up in a lot of lost revenue. It\u2019s just as valuable to your client that they get you this information to unblock a project from starting, so don\u2019t feel bad following up.<\/p>\n

    To ask for payment<\/h3>\n

    It can feel kind of icky asking for late payments. You have to convey the importance of making the payment without sacrificing the relationship. Therefore, lots of freelancers and small businesses shy away from following up and just hope the customer pays eventually<\/i>.<\/p>\n

    But you can\u2019t run a business that doesn\u2019t make money, and your clients will understand that. For payment reminder email tips, check out How to Write a Payment Reminder Email<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    To say thank you<\/h3>\n

    Never underestimate \u201cThank You\u201d letters. According to a survey, 68% of customers<\/a> leave a brand due to its indifference.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    Image Credit: Kapow<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    There\u2019s so much value in thanking your clients, whether it\u2019s after a meeting or after you\u2019ve closed off a project. It reinforces the positive experience they had with you, and shows them that you care about more than just cashing their checks.<\/p>

    Try to send a thank-you email within a few days of them completing a purchase or you closing off a project to reinforce your relationship.<\/p>

    To ask for feedback<\/h3>

    Whether it\u2019s through a customer satisfaction survey or just a simple \u201chow did we do?\u201d email, asking for customer feedback is an invaluable way to improve your business and show your customers that you care.\u00a0<\/p>

    Asking for feedback in a letter is also an effective data-gathering tool, that will improve your services. Many customers won\u2019t provide feedback unless you ask them to \u2014 especially if they have had a positive experience with you.<\/p>

    You can either ask for feedback when you send your thank-you email, or in a separate email later on.<\/p>

    To ask for testimonials or referrals<\/h3>

    Don\u2019t forget about the flywheel: your delighted customers are your best way to earn more business. Testimonials should be a powerful tool<\/a> in your marketing arsenal.<\/p>

    A negative experience can lead customers to leaving angry comments or reviews. However, a positive experience doesn\u2019t necessarily spark that same drive. That\u2019s why asking for them is much more effective than waiting for them.<\/p>

    After every successfully completed project, follow up within a few weeks to ask your customer if they\u2019d be willing to provide a testimonial, leave an online review, or refer another customer.<\/p>

    It may feel uncomfortable at first, but you\u2019ll quickly find that this leads to many positive interactions that leave both you and your customer feeling good about your experience working together.<\/p>

    6 Tips for Writing Perfect Follow-Up Emails<\/h2>

    There\u2019s of course no single follow-up email template suited for every situation. But there are best practices that you can follow to make sure you get as many responses as possible.<\/p>

    1. Have a clear objective and call to action<\/h3>

    Your goal with every follow-up email should be to make it as easy as possible to get you the answer you want. Therefore, don\u2019t send a long rambling email on a variety of topics. Keep your email concise and confined to one topic.<\/p>

    Before writing your email, determine what one thing<\/i> you want out of the customer\u2019s response. In other words, you should have a single call to action (CTA).<\/p>

    Is it booking a follow-up meeting? Is it answering a question? Is it taking a particular action?<\/p>

    If your ask is more complicated than that, it\u2019s likely better to arrange a meeting, or to split your requests into multiple emails so as to not overwhelm your customer.<\/p>

    Be as specific as possible with your ask. Don\u2019t say \u201cI\u2019ll follow up next week.\u201d Say \u201cCan I call you at 2pm on Wednesday to follow up?\u201d<\/p>

    2. Use a clear, informative subject line<\/h3>

    Half the battle is getting your prospects to open your email in the first place. This is especially true if you\u2019re dealing in a business context where someone in senior leadership may be getting hundreds of emails a day.<\/p>

    A subject like \u201cjust checking in\u201d will likely be ignored or put aside (or just create anxiety or frustration that they haven\u2019t responded to you).<\/p>

    Here are some tips for writing email subjects:<\/p>