You've just had a productive meeting or call with a potential client, partner, or colleague. You want to keep the momentum going and make sure they remember you and your value proposition. How do you write a follow up email that is polite, professional, and persuasive? Here are some tips to help you craft a follow up email that gets results.
Before you start writing, think about what you want to achieve with your follow up email. Do you want to thank them for their time, share some additional information, request a feedback, or propose a next step? Your goal will determine the tone, content, and call to action of your email. Be clear and specific about what you want them to do or know after reading your email.
I frequently combine these goals (for example: thanking them, sharing additional info if time didn't allow, and any next steps) in a follow up email. For anyone else with multiple goals in their follow up email, organization is key! Set any requests or proposals at the top of the email to be more direct, or start with a thank you for a more reserved, less time-sensitive follow up.
Summarize Key Points and Decisions: Send a summary email to all attendees shortly after the meeting. This should include the main points discussed, decisions made, and any action items or next steps. Be concise and clear to avoid any confusion. Assign Action Items: Clearly assign responsibilities for each action item, including deadlines. Make sure everyone knows what they are responsible for and by when. This helps in holding individuals accountable and ensures that tasks are completed promptly. Schedule Follow-up Meetings or Check-ins: If necessary, schedule follow-up meetings or check-ins to discuss progress on action items or to continue discussions on unresolved topics.
A follow up email is not a generic template that you can send to anyone. It should reflect your relationship with the recipient and the context of the meeting or call. Use their name, mention something they said or did, and show that you understand their needs and challenges. Personalizing your message will make them feel valued and respected, and increase the chances of getting a response.
Personalization does not require individualization. If all recipients are part of a similar group, blast out the message and personalize it at the group level.
If they are several stakeholders you'll need to decide wether you should send separate follow ups emails or just one. What I found helpful when I was a Program Manager was to send a meeting recap with clear next steps, stakeholder associated and timelines, indicating I will share in private more details with each of them. Then I'd send a private note to each stakeholders going more in details in what needs to be done or shared.
Your follow up email should be concise and easy to read. Avoid long paragraphs, complex sentences, and unnecessary details. Use bullet points, subheadings, and white space to organize your information and highlight the key points. Use a clear and friendly subject line that summarizes the purpose of your email. Keep in mind that your recipient may be busy or distracted, so make sure your email is clear and compelling.
A follow up email is not just a courtesy, it's an opportunity to showcase your value proposition and demonstrate your credibility. Depending on your goal, you can provide value and proof by sharing relevant resources, testimonials, case studies, or data that support your offer or solution. You can also remind them of the benefits and outcomes they can expect from working with you or using your product or service.
The easiest and one of the best ways to add value is to provide a visual copy of the meeting. A video recording is something that the recipient may truly value more than any other follow-up messages and SPAM. The recipient of your follow up email may have missed part or all of the meeting. The eGift of the video may be a blessing, in their eyes.
Something that is helpful, is placing yourself as a partner. If the person mentioned a struggle in the call, send them something that could help, or offer your help on it (only if it's helpful, not for the sake of it!). It's a great way to build rapport and shows that you care.
The last part of your follow up email should include a call to action that prompts the recipient to take the next step or reply to your email. A call to action can be a question, a request, a suggestion, or an invitation. It should be clear, specific, and actionable. For example, you can ask them to schedule a demo, sign up for a trial, give you a feedback, or confirm their availability. Make it easy for them to respond by providing a link, a button, or a calendar option.
Providing a timeline (ideally a short one) may be helpful. Especially if they are several items of things to cover. Examples could be: "Do you think you can provide me with these informations by the end of the week?", "I'd love to get things in motion before the end of the month, can we schedule the demo for next week".