How to turn your Reminder Mail into a Converting Machine (Examples & Hacks)

I’ll be blunt: we’ve all been there. You spend an hour fine-tuning the perfect cold email for THAT high-value prospect you’ve been chasing for weeks. You hit “Send,” convinced this time will be different.

And then… radio silence. Days pass, and still nothing in your inbox.

This is where your secret weapon comes in: the follow-up email. When done right, it’s a game-changer. When done wrong, it’s a surefire way to be ignored (hint: don’t just say, “Did you receive my email?”).

In this article, I’ll break down the mechanics of an effective cold email follow-up and share my proven strategy to turn silent prospects into engaged conversations.

The 5 Fundamentals of a High-Converting Cold Email Follow-Up

Writing follow-up emails is like cooking: success depends on the right ingredients. Here are the five key elements of an effective follow-up:

#1 Context is Everything

This is the foundation of a great follow-up. Your prospects receive a flood of emails (an average of 121 business emails daily!). So, a vague “Just following up” won’t cut it. Instead, quickly remind them who you are and why you’re reaching out.

#2 Get Straight to the Point

No fluff, no filler. Your follow-up email should immediately grab attention. Within three seconds, your prospect should know exactly why you’re contacting them. Try something like: “Following up on [specific context], I wanted to [specific objective].” Simple, direct, and effective.

#3 Always Add Value

Each follow-up should offer something new: an insightful article, a relevant case study, a special offer… Give your prospect a compelling reason to respond.

#4 Nail the Right Tone

Avoid stiff corporate language, but don’t be overly casual either. Aim for a friendly yet professional tone—one that positions you as an expert while staying approachable.

#5 A Clear CTA (Just One)

This is the moment of truth: what action do you want your prospect to take? Schedule a call? Try your product? Connect you with a decision-maker? Keep it focused—one clear call to action is all you need.

20 Attention-Grabbing Cold Email Follow-Up Openers

Your opening line makes or breaks your email. Why? Because your prospect’s inbox is flooded with generic follow-ups like “Just checking in” or “Any thoughts?”—which often get ignored.

Here are 20 effective follow-up openers for B2B outreach:

1. “I’ve been thinking about our last conversation and…”
2. “I just came across this article/study that I think you’ll find valuable…”
3. “80% of our clients face the same challenge you mentioned:…”
4. “I know your time is valuable, so I’ll get straight to the point…”
5. “I’m sure you’re busy, but I wanted to quickly follow up on…”
6. “Last time we spoke, you mentioned that…”
7. “I had an idea that could significantly improve how you…”
8. “Quick update regarding your project on…”
9. “I know [specific topic] is a priority for you…”
10. “Many of our clients ask us about [specific challenge], and I thought this might interest you…”
11. “I wanted to share some recent insights on…”
12. “Since our last conversation, I’ve been thinking about your challenge with…”
13. “Your competitor [name] just implemented an approach that…”
14. “I have a concrete proposal to optimize your…”
15. “I spotted an interesting opportunity in your industry…”
16. “I just found a solution that could help with your [specific issue]…”
17. “After reviewing your [process/tool], I see an opportunity to improve…”
18. “If you’re like most of our clients, you’re probably looking to…”
19. “Quick question for you…”
20. “I was checking out [prospect’s company] website and noticed…”

5 Effective Approaches for Your Cold Email Follow-Ups

Regardless of the situation, there are always multiple ways to craft a follow-up email. I’ve selected five highly effective approaches—each with its own strengths. But if I had to pick a favorite, it would be the first one.

#1 The “Poke”

This is my go-to follow-up method.

I use it all the time—and for good reason.

It’s incredibly simple, and more often than not, it outperforms all the other approaches on this list. It works similarly to a LinkedIn connection request without a message.

If the context is clear and strong, adding a message makes sense. If not, sometimes it’s better to let the recipient create their own reasoning for engaging with you.

I’ve built the habit of scheduling these follow-ups for important threads directly in my GSuite. Instead of leaving emails unread and cluttering my inbox, I automate two follow-ups—one on Day +7 and another on Day +28.

Hello Cédric, just following up.

Thanks,

Or an even more direct version:

Hello Cédric, shall we go ahead?

Thanks,

#2 Use a (Real) Pretext

I frequently use this approach at Reviewflowz to increase sales engagement after a demo. With tools like PostHog, it’s easy to see when a prospect logs into the platform.

After the demo, I let them know I’ve set up a free trial account for them, which lasts 14 days. I also remind them that they can log in using a reset password.

In 80% of cases, they log in.

And when they do, I strike immediately:

Hello Gabrielle, I noticed you logged into the app today.

Were you looking for something specific? Can I help you?

Let me know if I can assist in any way.

Best,

More often than not, they have a real question. The second most common response? Something like, “I’ll discuss this with [colleague’s name] on Wednesday” or “I need to check with the support team, I’ll keep you posted.”

Either way, I’ve opened an email thread and initiated a conversation. From there, it either converts—or it doesn’t. But at least, we’re talking.

#3 Is This Still Relevant?

No hidden agenda.

No artificial urgency—like pretending I’m about to “close your file.”

Just a simple, honest question:

Hi Renaud, is this still relevant for you?

If so, would you like to set up a time next week to discuss it? I’m available Tuesday afternoon & Wednesday morning.

Thanks,

And notice—no desperate plea for a response like “Reply with 1, 2, or 3.” As if taking two seconds to type a real answer was an unbearable burden.

In general, trying to minimize a prospect’s effort isn’t the best approach. The more you ask, the better—provided you give them a compelling reason to engage. Instead of focusing on reducing their effort, focus on maximizing the value they get from replying.

#4 The Existential Threat

In some cases, there’s a clear existential threat to the deal.

The classic example? “We’re evaluating two solutions: yours and competitor XYZ’s.”

If your discovery process was weak, you might not even know this. But if you did your homework and gathered this intel early, you can use it strategically—ideally not as your first follow-up, but as a second attempt to get back in the game.

Hello Christian, did you end up signing with XYZ?

Is there anything I can do to influence the decision?

Thanks,

It’s straightforward, and I stay fully transparent—yes, I’m trying to sell, no secret there. But that kind of authenticity tends to pay off.

The result? Either good news, bad news, or valuable insights for next time. And at the early stages, that’s pure gold.

#5 The “Breakup” Email—But Done Right

The traditional breakup email is a bad idea. The notion that you’d never want to talk to someone again just because they didn’t buy today is absurd.

When you gain more experience, you realize you’ll cross paths with the same people again—one way or another.

That said, if you want to gently push a deal toward closure, making your message feel a bit more final can work well.

Hello Gabrielle, it looks like this isn’t going to happen this time.

If you could share what influenced the decision, that would be really helpful for me and my team.

I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks a lot!

It’s a breakup email in the sense that I’m signaling I won’t keep following up.

But in reality, it’s the beginning of something new—an invitation to build a different kind of relationship, beyond just seller and buyer.

And it works. Just like the previous example, this kind of email almost always gets a reply.

10 Inspiring Cold Email Follow-Up Examples for Every Situation

Now you know how to structure an effective cold email follow-up and grab your prospect’s attention instantly. But theory is one thing—let’s dive into real-world examples.

Here are 10 follow-up email templates tailored for common cold email prospecting scenarios.

2 Follow-Up Email Examples After a Positive First Contact

#1 Trade Show Follow-Up Email Example

#2 Follow-Up Email Example After Interest Shown on a Call

2 Follow-Up Email Examples to Re-Engage a Cold Prospect

#3 A Gentle Nudge After a Long Silence

#4 A Follow-Up Email with a Touch of Humor

2 Follow-Up Email Examples After Sending Information

#5 Following Up After Sending a Custom Quote

#6 Following Up After a Product Demo That Sparked Interest

2 Follow-Up Emails When Your Contact Is Completely Unresponsive

#7 The “Last-Chance” Follow-Up

#8 The “Last Dance” Follow-Up

2 Follow-Up Email Examples to Restart a Sales Negotiation

#9 Breaking the Stalemate with a Small Concession

While this example is software-focused, you can easily adapt it to other industries. For instance, in HR consulting:

#10 Overcoming Inertia with a “Pilot” Offer

How to Customize These Templates with AI

Why Customization Is Key

Let’s be honest: even the best email templates aren’t plug-and-play. And that’s the challenge with every email template you find online.

Why? Because a high-performing cold email follow-up must be tailored to:

• Your industry
• Your target audience
• Your product or service
• The specific context of each prospect

This is where AI (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini…) comes into play. These tools are incredibly powerful for adapting existing templates to your exact situation.

Here’s a simple three-step method:

• 1/ Pick the most relevant template. For example, use template #3 to re-engage a prospect after a long silence.
• 2/ Provide AI with detailed context. The more information you give, the more precise and effective the result.

Here’s an example prompt:

Adapt template #3 (below) for a follow-up in this context:
PROSPECT
- Marc Dupont, CIO at Technix Industries (800 employees, manufacturing)
- Key pain point: SAP migration ongoing until June

HISTORY
– Demo of our predictive solution on 01/15
– His main interest: projected ROI of $250K/year

CURRENT EVENTS
– New facility opening in September
– 2024 goal: reduce machine downtime by 30%

TONE
– Industry 4.0 expert, performance-driven

• 3/ Refine and personalize. AI-generated text provides a great starting point, but the real difference between a “good” follow-up email and a high-converting one is the human touch. Always review and tweak the output before sending.

A Concrete Example

Let’s take a real-world case to see AI in action. We’ll adapt template #5 (the post-quote follow-up) for a digital marketing scenario.

Here’s the AI prompt:

Adapt template #5 (below) for a follow-up in this context:
PROSPECT
- Julie Martin, CMO at Digital Retail (fashion e-commerce, $50M revenue)
- Key pain point: struggling with customer acquisition vs. competitors

HISTORY
– Proposal sent on 02/05 for acquisition strategy overhaul
– Her interest: our data-driven methodology

CURRENT EVENTS
– Currently raising a new funding round
– H2 2024 goal: double marketing ROI

TONE
– Growth marketing expert, focused on performance & scalability

And here’s the AI-generated result:

Final Tip: Automate Your Cold Email Follow-Ups