Have you yet to receive a response from your potential clients? Your initial cold outreach email, which you now believe, was unproductive. You may have sent out excellent cold emails, but you are still not getting the response rates you need. Despite putting in a lot of effort to generate cold emails, prospects are still not replying. You don't have to be concerned; all you have to do now is send follow-up emails.

Many salespeople are apprehensive about following up since they don't want to appear desperate. However, the truth about follow-ups is that it is an immensely effective instrument that you should not overlook in your business arsenal. 

How to Follow up a Cold Outreach Prospect 

Following up is a craft, not a science. You might be able to reverse your cold email follow-up game with the help of this post; practice is the greatest way to get better at this. Here are some pointers for developing a successful cold email follow-up strategy:

1. Grab the prospect's attention with a strong email subject line.

A lot of salesmen just reply to (or forward) the prospect's first email. As a result, the subject line remains the same. If the prospect hasn't responded, it's far better to change the subject line. Because the subject line is frequently the first thing a recipient sees, it will determine whether or not they open your email.

The key to an effective subject line is personalization and relevance. it should be able to engage with potential customers and encourage them to view the email you sent. The good news,  tailored subject lines enhance response rates by 30.5 percent according to a recent study. 

2. Give some context on why you're reaching out.

One of the huge mistakes salespeople do is saying that they are following up. The chances of the recipient to remember your initial email are almost minimal. You should explain why you're contacting them and what you need from them in the primary body of your message. This will improve your chances of getting a response.

It could be useful to divide your target prospect list into two groups based on whether or not they opened your initial email. You can, for example, discover a pain point for prospects who did not reply and then address it in your follow-up. Email outreach tools can track who opened your original email and what actions they did, such as clicking a link. 

With this insight, you'll be able to fine-tune your outreach effort and present your potential consumers with more context for why you're following up. You can also add the same features in your follow-up email to prospects who did not open your first email. Include only the information that a cold prospect requires, avoiding superfluous words and phrases, as this is a straightforward follow-up email, and your initial email has had the important information already. 

3. Tell the Prospect What’s in Store for Them. 

One of the tactics for attracting the prospect's attention when contacting someone you've never met before is to tell them what's in it for them. Essentially, you must persuade the cold prospect that you are providing them with value for their time.  

However, because this is a follow-up, you must avoid filler to ensure that the point is conveyed. As an example, in the first few words of your follow-up, you could mention the benefit to the potential consumer, such as a free trial of the product or service you offer. The key goal is to persuade the potential client that what you have to offer is worthwhile.

4. Provide a Strong Call to Action (CTA)

A strong call to action is essential in successful cold emails and follow-up emails. If the potential buyer did not answer your initial email, you must provide reasons for your sales follow-up, and incorporating a strong CTA may be just what you need. Vague statements, such as "Could we have a chat?" should be avoided.

Instead, create a customized and one-of-a-kind CTA for your follow-up that clearly states what you want them to accomplish. Being direct about what you want the potential client to do is often the key to crafting an effective CTA.

When it comes to following up, how long should you wait?

You risk losing the prospect's interest and annoying them if you follow up too soon. However, if you wait too long to follow up, people may forget about you. 

Two or three days is an acceptable length of time to wait before sending your first follow-up email, as a general rule.

In terms of follow-up scheduling, there isn't a universal formula, however, the following example illustrates how you might space your follow-ups: 

• 1st follow-up: 2 days after the first cold email.

• 2nd follow-up: 4 days after.

• 3rd follow-up: 7 days after.

• 4th follow-up 14 days after.

• 5th follow-up: 30 days after.

You can experiment with your own schedule in prospecting email in order to find what works best for you and your audience. 

Conclusion

The majority of winning moments occur during follow-ups. When it comes to efficiency, it's all about consistency. If you haven't received responses, don't be discouraged; you can always try again and experiment with different strategies by following these guidelines. Don’t worry, cold email campaigns are always made with follow-ups. With the appropriate tools and techniques in place, your cold outreach campaigns will soar to new heights.