Many marketers and salespeople struggle to get responses from your cold emails. We’ve all been there. 

The average response rate for cold emails ranges between 1% and 5%, but research shows that 80% of sales require at least three to five follow-up emails to close the deal. Yet, 44% of sales reps stop after just one follow-up, missing opportunities. 

This is where well-timed and carefully crafted cold email follow up templates can make all the difference.

This blog explores the art of cold email follow ups, providing actionable cold email follow up templates, strategies, and insights to increase engagement and improve your cold email success rate. Let’s get right into a few cold email follow up templates.

7 Cold Email Follow Up Template Examples

Most have a similar response if you’ve ever talked to people who have had great success with their cold email marketing campaigns. Always keep your email short and to the point, especially when it’s a cold email follow up. 

Well, that’s what we are going to do as well. Here are a few very short cold email follow up templates for your cold email campaigns. 

1. Simple Reminder Follow-Up

Use this template for a light nudge cause we don’t want to scare them away.

Subject: Just Following Up
“Hi [Name],
I wanted to follow up on my last email. I’d love to hear your thoughts when you have time.
Best,
[Your Name]”

I know it’s very simple, but it always works when you have a great offer that sometimes goes unnoticed.

2. Adding Value Follow-Up

This template shares additional insights to keep the conversation going.

Subject: Thought You’d Find This Useful
“Hi [Name],
I wanted to share a quick [resource, article, or tip {{Link}}] that might help with [specific challenge]. Would love to hear your thoughts.
Best,
[Your Name]”

3. Social Proof Follow-Up

This template builds trust by highlighting other client successes.

Subject: See How We Helped [Client Name] - (It can get more interesting if you add their competitor’s name here)
“Hi [Name],
We recently helped [Client Name] achieve [result]. I’d love to explore how we can help you achieve similar results.
Best,
[Your Name]”

4. Breakup Follow-Up

Use this to give the recipient a final chance to respond.

Subject: Should I Close Your File?
“Hi [Name],
If now isn’t the right time, we understand. We would love to hear back from you, but if we don’t, we’ll have to assume your business is tackling other challenges. 

Please feel free to reach out if things change.
Best,
[Your Name]”

5. Question-Based Follow-Up

Engage the recipient by asking a direct question.

Subject: Quick Question for You
“Hi [Name],
What’s your biggest challenge with [relevant topic]? I’d love to share how we’ve helped others overcome this.
Best,
[Your Name]”

6. Event-Based Follow-Up

Reference an upcoming event to re-engage the recipient.

Subject: Are You Attending [Event Name]?
“Hi [Name],
I was just wondering if you’ll be at [Event Name]. I had a blast discussing these [insert industry challenges and ideas] with other [creators/businessmen] at the last event. 

I’d love to connect and discuss [product or service] with you as well.
Best,
[Your Name]”

7. Follow-Up After No Response

This template gently reminds the recipient of your previous efforts.

Subject: Let’s Try One Last Time
“Hi [Name],
I didn’t want to close this conversation without one last attempt. Let me know if you feel [product or service] could help.
Best,
[Your Name]”

Why Follow-Up Emails Are Essential in Cold Outreach

After the initial outreach, a cold email follow up is sent to a prospect to re-engage or remind them about your message. Often, recipients miss the first email due to their busy schedules. Sending follow-ups improves your chances of connecting, establishing trust, and closing deals.

Key Reasons to Use Follow-Ups:

• Higher Engagement: Sending multiple emails shows persistence and keeps your message top of mind.
• Trust Building: Regular follow-ups build credibility, as prospects see your consistency.
• Maximized Opportunity: If the timing of the first email wasn’t right, follow-ups increase the chance of catching the recipient at a better moment.

Best Practices for Writing Cold Email Follow-Ups

Perfect Your Timing

1. Send your first follow-up 3-4 days after the initial email.
2. Adjust intervals based on the prospect's behavior (e.g., increase frequency if they open but don’t respond).

Personalization Is Key

1. Go beyond just using the recipient’s name. Mention industry-specific pain points or comment on their latest achievements or challenges.

Keep It Short and Sweet

1. Brevity wins. Follow-ups should be concise and clear, with a single CTA to make it easy for the recipient to respond.

Add Value with Each Follow-Up

1. Every follow-up should offer new insights or solutions to keep the conversation fresh.

Maintain a Friendly, Polite Tone

1. Be persistent but respectful. Avoid sounding desperate or aggressive, which can harm your brand's reputation.

How Cold Email Follow Ups Improve Email Deliverability

Cold email follow ups increase response rates and improve deliverability—the ability to land emails in the recipient’s inbox rather than the spam folder. Here's how:

• Increased Engagement: Multiple follow-ups increase open rates, signaling ISPs that your emails are valuable.
• Bounce Reduction: With tools like Smartlead, follow-ups to validated addresses minimize bounce rates.
• Spam Avoidance: Personalization and engagement tracking reduce the risk of your emails being marked as spam.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Cold Email Follow-Ups

1. Sending Too Many Follow-Ups Too Quickly

While persistence is important, bombarding prospects with emails can damage your reputation and frustrate recipients. Sending follow-ups too frequently may trigger spam filters and hurt your deliverability.

What to do instead:

• Space your follow-ups by 3-4 business days or longer.
• Use tools like Smartlead to automate sequences with well-timed follow-ups. You should also be aware of the best time to send cold emails.
• Monitor engagement data and adjust intervals based on prospect behavior (e.g., delay a follow-up if they open but don’t respond).

2. Neglecting to Personalize Follow-Ups

Sending generic follow-up emails without personal relevance makes them easy to ignore. Today’s prospects expect personalized communication that aligns with their needs or interests.

What to do instead:

• Reference something specific to the recipient, such as a recent project or achievement.
• Use dynamic content tools to tailor emails based on industry or role.
• Avoid overused, generic templates—find ways to make every email feel unique.

3. Failing to Offer Value in Each Follow-Up

Many marketers fall into the trap of sending repetitive follow-ups that only remind the recipient of previous emails. This approach doesn’t engage prospects or give them a reason to respond.

What to do instead:

• Add value in every follow-up, such as offering insights, articles, or free tools.
• Share relevant case studies or success stories to build credibility.
• Frame your email around how your product or service can solve a specific problem.

4. Giving Up Too Early

Research shows that 80% of successful sales require five or more follow-ups, but many stop after just one or two attempts. Giving up too soon means leaving potential deals on the table.

What to do instead:

• Plan a structured follow-up sequence of at least 4-5 emails over several weeks.
• Use tools like Smartlead to automate follow-ups without overwhelming the recipient.
• Stay consistent with your messaging but adjust the tone as you move through the sequence.

5. Using Overly Pushy or Aggressive Language

While persistence is key, being too aggressive in your follow-ups can alienate prospects. Pressuring the recipient with harsh deadlines or ultimatums will likely backfire.

What to do instead:

• Maintain a polite, friendly tone, even in later follow-ups.
• Use soft CTAs, such as “Would love to explore this further” instead of “Let’s schedule a call now.”
• Respect the prospect’s time and acknowledge if it’s not the right fit or time to engage.

6. Ignoring Email Deliverability Best Practices

Sending too many emails in quick succession or failing to manage sender's reputation can negatively impact your deliverability. If best practices aren't followed, emails may end up in spam folders.

What to do instead:

• Warm up email accounts gradually to avoid spam filters.
• Use Smartlead’s deliverability insights to monitor bounce rates and open rates.
• Avoid spam trigger words, which can increase the likelihood of your emails being flagged.

7. Skipping A/B Testing for Follow-Up Emails

Many campaigns fail because marketers don’t test different approaches in their follow-ups. Without A/B testing, it’s hard to identify what resonates with your audience.

What to do instead:

• Test different subject lines, email copy, and CTAs to see what performs best.
• Use analytics to track performance and refine your follow-up sequence.
• Experiment with email timing and intervals to optimize engagement rates.

8. Ignoring Data and Metrics to Optimize Future Campaigns

Some teams miss the opportunity to analyze follow-up performance thoroughly. Without tracking key metrics, learning from campaigns and improving future outreach becomes difficult.

What to do instead:

• Track response rates, and click-through rates for each follow-up.
• Use dashboards and reporting tools to evaluate the effectiveness of your campaigns.
• Adjust future sequences based on insights from past performance.

9. Overlooking Multi-Channel Outreach Options

Focusing solely on email follow ups can limit your ability to engage prospects. Expanding follow-ups across channels such as LinkedIn or SMS can increase the chances of getting a response.

What to do instead:

• Use multi-channel strategies (email + LinkedIn) for better engagement.
• Reference your emails when reaching out on other platforms.
• Track all touchpoints across channels to ensure a seamless experience for prospects.

10. Failing to Automate Follow-Ups for Efficiency

Manually managing follow-ups can be time-consuming and prone to errors, especially for large campaigns. Relying solely on manual processes can result in missed opportunities and inconsistent outreach.

What to do instead:

• Use Smartlead or other email automation tools to schedule and track follow-ups.
• Leverage automation for segmentation, personalization, and engagement tracking.
• Ensure consistency by setting up follow-up sequences in advance.

Measuring the Success of Your Follow-Up Campaigns

• Open and Click Rates: Track how often follow-ups are opened and clicked.
• Response Rate: Measure the percentage of follow-ups that receive replies.
• Cold Email Sequence Performance: Use A/B testing to refine subject lines, copy, and timing.
• Email Deliverability Metrics: Monitor bounce rates and engagement to ensure inbox placement.

Tools to Help Automate Cold Email Follow Ups

Smartlead

1. Offers cold email follow-up automation with personalized sequences and real-time tracking.
2. Optimizes email deliverability to improve engagement and response rates.

Mailshake

1. Provides a simple interface for creating and managing follow-up sequences.
2. Offers actionable insights with campaign reports.

Lemlist

1. Lemlist adds a personal touch with dynamic images and videos in follow-ups.
2. Tracks every interaction to help build better relationships with prospects.

Conclusion

Cold email follow ups are critical for successful outreach campaigns. They demonstrate persistence, build relationships, and increase engagement, all while improving email deliverability. Following best practices and using the provided templates can significantly boost your response rates and achieve better results. 

Tools like Smartlead automates follow-up sequences, making it easier to engage with prospects efficiently.

If you want the best possible results for your cold email campaigns with AI-powered cold email follow ups and automation, check out our 14-day free trial of Smartlead cold email solutions.

‍