--- title: The Art of the Sales Follow-Up Email description: "The Art of the Sales Follow-Up Email - You know those emails you get that begin: “Hi there, I’m just checking in….” Don’t you hate that?" image: https://blog.textus.com/hubfs/blog-files/The-Art-of-the-Sales-Follow-Up-Email.png --- [< TextUs Home](https://textus.com/) [![TextUs-Web-Logo-Final](https://blog.textus.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos_and_Branding/TextUs-Web-Logo-Final.png?width=182&name=TextUs-Web-Logo-Final.png "TextUs-Web-Logo-Final")](https://blog.textus.com/) # The Art of the Sales Follow-Up Email Posted by [TextUs Team](https://blog.textus.com/author/textus-team) on Aug 6, 2015 3:28:00 PM ![](https://blog.textus.com/hubfs/Logos_and_Branding/TextUs-icon.png) Find me on: [Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/TextUsBizApps) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/textus-biz) [Twitter ](https://twitter.com/TextUsBiz) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ![The-Art-of-the-Sales-Follow-Up-Email](https://blog.textus.com/hubfs/blog-files/The-Art-of-the-Sales-Follow-Up-Email.png)You know those emails you get that begin: “Hi there, I’m just checking in….” Don’t you hate that? Newsflash: Your prospects hate it too. --- ##### [Sales follow-up emails are important](http://thereferralsquirrel.com/numbers-you-should-know/): - 80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact. - But...only 10% of salespeople make more than three contacts. --- However, that doesn’t mean they need to be horrible. Here are five guidelines for writing effective, non-annoying sales follow-up emails. #### **Introduce yourself and provide context** You probably aren’t the only salesperson trying to woo your prospect. You probably aren’t even the only salesperson pitching your type of product. Rather than assume your prospect remembers your name and what you talked about, provide a brief introduction and some background information about your conversation upfront. #### **Be relevant and personal** All of the same rules apply to a follow-up email as to any other type of communication. Personalize your message so that it is relevant to the person, the company, and the industry. Even if you are using an email template, this practice will make your prospects feel like you are speaking just to them. #### **Have a purpose and make it clear** One problem with “just checking in” is that it isn’t a clear purpose and it offers no direction. If you are going to send a follow-up email (and you should), have a goal in mind, such as sharing an additional resource or scheduling an appointment. Make that goal clear in both the email title and in the body. #### **Add value** Your follow-up email should not just recap the conversation or “just check in”; it should add value. For example, if the prospect had a question during your conversation, send a resource that answers that question. Or send an industry benchmarking report or a cost-analysis -- whatever your conversation indicates would be most valuable for that prospect. #### **Focus on the benefits** Like other sales communications, follow-up emails should be benefits-focused. Emphasize the business value of what you are offering, not just its features. John Sherer of Appcues recommends [three great strategies for sending the right follow-up email at the right time](http://www.getsidekick.com/blog/just-checking-in-follow-up-email): By making more than three contacts with your prospects, you will instantly put yourself in the upper 10% of salespeople. Writing great follow-up emails will help you rise even closer to the top.  [![New Call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/517572/ce44977f-16f4-4fc0-a925-7300213c6345.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/517572/ce44977f-16f4-4fc0-a925-7300213c6345) --- Also see: ###### [How to Write LinkedIn Messages That Don’t Suck](http://blog.textus.biz/how-to-write-linkedin-messages-that-dont-suck) ###### **[5 Sales Training Techniques You Need to Know](http://blog.textus.biz/5-sales-training-techniques-you-need-to-know)** ###### [How to Build a Sales Development Team](http://blog.textus.biz/how-to-build-a-sales-development-team) ###### [How to Increase Sales with Two-Way Text Messaging](http://blog.textus.biz/how-to-increase-sales-with-two-way-text-messaging) --- Topics: [Inside Sales](https://blog.textus.com/topic/inside-sales), [Sales Acceleration](https://blog.textus.com/topic/sales-acceleration) ![](https://px.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=154729&fmt=gif)