How To Write an Email Follow-up After a Phone Call (+5 Examples)

In today's fast-paced business world, communication is key. If you're a salesperson looking to close a deal, following up with your leads is essential to building relationships and driving results. And when it comes to following up, there's no better tool than email. 

In fact, a study by Inside Sales found that sending an email at an optimal time, like after a phone call, can increase the chances of getting a response by up to 21%.

In this post, we'll explore the importance of an email follow-up after a phone call, and provide you with tips to help you craft compelling messages as well as templates that will keep you top of mind. So grab your coffee, fire up your inbox, and let's dive in!

Why is a follow-up email after a phone call important?

A follow-up email after a phone call is important because it helps ensure both parties have a clear understanding of the conversation that took place. It also serves as a record of the conversation, which you can refer back to in the future to provide additional follow-up questions or potential next steps.

A follow-up email after a call can also help build relationships and strengthen communication between the two parties. It encourages your prospect to contact you again if they need more details, serves as a reminder of your interaction, and keeps you in the front of their mind.

How to write a follow-up email after a call

To write a follow-up email, you’ll need to refer to the call specifically, as each sales call is different. Mention the topic of the chat, even if it was a brief phone contact. This way, the recipient will understand that the email is a follow-up to your earlier exchange.

Below we’ve put together a follow-up email example, along with some other key points and tips to keep in mind as you begin following up with your prospects. 

Be prompt

Being prompt with sending a follow-up email after a phone call is essential because it demonstrates that you are organized and professional. It also shows you are taking the initiative to ensure that all information from the call has been captured and any action items have been addressed. 

To ensure you are prompt with your follow-up emails, keep a running list of the follow-ups you need to send and commit a few minutes each day to sending them.

Thank them for their time

Thanking the recipient for their time in a follow-up email is important because it demonstrates that you valued the conversation and were grateful for the chance to speak with them. 

To show your appreciation, simply include something like, “Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today” or “I really appreciate your time and consideration” at the end of the email.

Add context and key takeaways from the call

Your recipient probably receives countless calls and emails a day, so make sure you’re adding context to your email by briefly reminding them what the conversation was about and why you are following up.

In addition to context, you could also recap key takeaways from the call to help the recipient remember specific topics you discussed during the call and provide them with the information they need to understand and respond to your message more effectively.

Here are some key takeaways you could include:

• Main topics discussed

• Main points of agreement

• Action items that were agreed upon 

• Unresolved issues or questions

To avoid overwhelming the recipient with too much information, make sure to keep this section brief and scannable.

Add value

You’ll also want to make sure to add value to your follow-up email by reiterating how you can help solve their pain point. This assures the recipient that you want to help and can provide them with a solution to their problem. 

You can also provide additional resources that will help showcase the value of your solution even further, such as case studies or client testimonials. 

Include a call to action

At the end of your email, you’ll always want to include a clear call to action. This is an important step because it encourages the recipient to do something that moves the deal forward, whether it be booking a meeting or requesting a demo.

An effective call to action should be clear, concise, and emphasize the benefit of taking the action. 

Best follow-up email subject lines

A good follow-up email subject line is crucial, since it increases the likelihood that the receiver will open and read the message. In fact, 33% of recipients open emails based on the subject line alone.

The subject line should be short, relevant to the content of the email, and include the date of your call. You can use the following subject lines in your follow-up emails after a sales call:

• [Date] Meeting – Follow-up after our call

• [Date] Meeting – [Your company] call follow-up

• [Date] Meeting – [Your product] call follow-up

You can also make your subject line eye-catching and interesting so the recipient will be more likely to open and read the email. Here are a few examples:

• [Date] Meeting - Let’s keep the conversation going!

• [Date] Meeting - Ready to take the next steps?

• [Date] Meeting - Looking forward to hearing from you soon

Follow-up email after phone call samples

How frequently you follow up will have a big impact on your ability to close deals. Studies have shown that 80% of sales require an average of five follow-ups to result in a sale, so be sure you are following up with your prospects at least that many times.

To help you get started, check out these five follow-up email after phone call samples. This is only a framework to provide you with direction while you communicate — feel free to modify the messaging to fit your conversation.

Day 1: Right after the call

Like we mentioned earlier, promptness is essential to taking the initiative and showing prospective clients you are ready to continue moving the deal forward. This email should recap your initial conversation, provide information on how your business can help solve their problem, and clearly state the next steps.

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Hi [First Name],

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today about [topic of discussion]. It was great to learn more about your needs and goals in this area.

Based on our conversation, my key takeaways were:

• [Brief takeaway]
• [Brief takeaway]
• [Brief takeaway]
  

At [Company Name], we can help you solve these challenges by [briefly explain how you can help]. Our team has extensive experience in [industry] and our strategies are proven to drive results. 

To further discuss how we can help you reach your goals, [include desired call to action]. Please let me know when you’re available so we can get started.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

+box>

Day 3: Additional resources follow-up

After three days, give your client a quick follow-up to stay at the front of their mind. This email should again remind your prospect of the initial conversation and provide additional resources such as helpful guides, case studies, or client testimonials to help showcase the value of your product or service further. 

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Hi [First Name],

I hope this email finds you well. I just wanted to follow up on our conversation we had earlier this week on [topic].

I also wanted to give you some more information about [your product/service].

• [Resource 1] - [describe resource]
• [Resource 2]  - [describe resource]
  

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Thanks again for your time and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

All the best,

[Your Name]

+box>

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Day 7: Check-in follow-up

After about a week of not hearing from your prospect, follow up again with a quick, straightforward email that focuses on summarizing the information you’ve already sent them. 

This means if they deleted the first two emails or even just haven’t gotten around to reading them, the prospect will have a nice recap of what you sent the first time. 

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-box>

Hello [First Name], 

Have you had a chance to look over the resources I sent you last week? I know it was a lot, so here are the highlights:

[Resource 1]: [briefly describe resource]

[Resource 2]: [briefly describe resource]

I’d love to get together this week and see if we can come up with a plan to meet your needs. Are you free later today for a call? 

Thanks,

[Your Name]

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Day 11: The “maybe you didn’t get my email” email

If you still haven’t heard back from your prospect, send them another quick follow-up email that reminds them you are still pursuing the relationship. Rather than calling them out about not answering you, make it seem like a possible oversight and make it clear that you are still willing to help.

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Hi [First Name],

Hopefully this email finds you well. I just wanted to reach back out because I’ve got what I think is the perfect solution for your needs, but I’m not sure if you may have missed a message earlier, so I wanted to reach out again. 

Let me know what I can do to help you along the way, whether you're still considering or if you’re not quite sure if [product/service] is a fit for you. And if you’re just a little too busy, that’s OK, too — just let me know. 

Thanks,

[Your Name]

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Day 14: The “in your hands” email

If you still haven’t heard back from your prospect after two weeks, send them a follow-up email that leaves the conversation in their hands. You’ll want to recap your initial phone conversation and summarize why your product or service is the answer to their problems. 

If you still don’t hear back from them, it’s best to hold off for a while — you don’t want to chase a dead end. Your prospect might not be ready to take the next steps right now, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be in the future.

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Hi [First Name], 

This is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. 

I realize [we haven't spoken in a while/I've contacted you frequently], but I wanted to make another attempt to get in touch with you in case you missed my previous messages.

Based on [previous interactions], you [were interested/would be a great fit] [in/for] our [product/service] due to [reason].

Please give me a call back at [phone number] at your convenience and let me know what we can do to move forward with this.

I hope to hear back from you soon.

Have a great day!

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

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Leave the follow-up to Smith.ai

You have a business to run, and there are a lot of different things that require your attention — having to prepare and field emails and try to reach out to all those leads can take significant time out of your day. 

Partner with Smith.ai instead and make sure your leads get all the attention they deserve. We’ll work with you to build a call strategy as well as set up email follow-ups as part of our Outreach Campaign services — so we can engage with more leads and create more sales opportunities for your team. 

Quick, effective communication will astound your leads and customers, thus increasing your reach, engagement, and conversion rates.

To learn more about how we can help with outbound sales and support and other parts of your business, schedule a consultation today.

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‍Sources: Inside Sales | Convince & Convert