How to write a great follow up email after a meeting (with templates)
The meeting is over, and you had a great conversation with a potential client or business connection. You’ve exchanged contact information, and they’ve asked you to stay in touch.
That’s great news! But now what?
A well-written follow-up email helps you keep the conversation going long after the meeting or event has ended.
To help you with this, we’ve gathered some of our top tips for writing the perfect follow-up email as well as a bunch of effective follow-up email templates you can use.
How to write a great follow-up email
Before we dig into the individual email templates you can use for follow-ups, here are some critical tips to keep in mind:
1. Follow up within a timely manner
The key to a good follow-up email is sending it about 24 hours later. You don’t want to send it the moment the meeting is over, but you also don’t want to wait so long that the other person has forgotten the conversation.
This way, you’re still top of mind when the event or meeting is still fresh in the recipient’s mind. To ensure you send a follow-up promptly, it helps to have a canned email ready to go in your draft folder. (Keep reading for a bunch of templates you can use!) This way, most of the work is already done, and all you have to do is finish filling out the details.
2. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point
Be respectful of your recipient’s time and cut the fluff. You want the person reading your email to be able to scan and quickly understand the point of your message. They’re much more likely to respond this way.
3. Have a goal in mind
Before you write your email, determine what the purpose of sending it is. Is the connection a potential lead? Then prompt them to visit your website with a link so they can learn more about your company.
Are they a colleague you want to stay in touch with? Send them an invitation to get coffee with you.
The structure of the email or template you decide to use should change depending on the objective of the connection.
4. Reference something specific from your meeting
Demonstrate to your prospect or potential connection that you paid attention to them by recalling something specific from your meeting. Maybe that’s congratulating them again on a recent win for their company that they discussed with you.
Or maybe it’s bringing up that you enjoyed hearing their perspective on the meeting topic.
Whatever you bring up, make sure it’s something positive and specific to your interaction. This will help refresh their memory about who you are and show that you cared enough to pay attention.
Follow-up meeting templates
One of the quickest ways to knock out copywriting for a follow-up email is to have a template ready to go. Templates help to standardize the process to make it efficient for you so you can follow up with multiple people after any event. However, they still allow for a degree of personalization so you can really connect with the recipient.
That’s why we’ve created a list of helpful templates you can use.
1. A thank you email after a meeting
Here is an example of a short follow-up email you can send after a meeting.
Hi <<first name>>,
Thank you for meeting with me today. I enjoyed hearing about your <<insert meeting reference here>>. I appreciated you sharing with us!
As promised in our meeting, here are the <<links, resources, websites, etc.>> we discussed. Please reach out if you have questions or if I can help you with anything at all.
Looking forward to talking with you again.
<<signature>>
2. Post-conference general follow-up email
If you go to a conference, you’ll likely meet a ton of people and strike up at least a few interesting conversations. Most conversations end on the conference floor. One way you can continue the conversation is through a follow-up email.
Hi <<first name>>,
Thank you for attending <<insert meeting title here>>. It was so nice getting to know you better at <<Insert Conference>>. I especially enjoyed learning about your <<insert reference from your conversation here >>.
Let’s stay in touch!
<<signature>>
3. Post-networking event/happy hour follow-up email
Just like with conferences, many people don’t follow up after happy hours or networking events. Here is a template you can use to stand out.
Hi <<first name>>,
It was so nice getting to meet you at the <<insert happy hour>>. Thanks for taking the time to chat with me. Your thoughts on <<industry or topic>> really got me thinking after the event. I especially enjoyed hearing about <<specific conversation reference here >>.
Let’s stay in touch!
<<signature>>
4. A follow-up email asking for an intro
Here is an example of a follow-up email you can send if you are looking for an intro.
Hi <<first name>>,
It was so nice getting to meet you.
While we were talking, you mentioned that you are a <<connection to>> <<contact name>> at <<company name>>. If you don’t mind, I would greatly appreciate an introduction to <<contact name>>.
I understand how busy you are with <<company name, etc.>>, so I’ve included a quick message below to make the introduction as seamless as possible. Of course, you’re welcome to adjust as needed. Would you be able to introduce me?
Thank you so much. And again, it was wonderful meeting you!
<<signature>>
5. A follow-up email asking for the sale
This email template can work well for sales reps.
Hi <<first name>>,
Thank you for taking the time to discuss your company’s <<current situation>>. It was great getting to learn more about you and your role with <<company name>>.
After discussing your company’s <<needs or pain points>>, I’m confident <<product or service>> would be a good fit. I’ve included links to <<insert relevant case study, numbers, etc.>> and additional resources below that I’m sure you’ll find helpful.
If you’d like to schedule a follow-up call so we can chat in more detail, here is a direct link to my calendar <<insert personalized SavvyCal link>>
<<pull in suggested proposed times from within SavvyCal>>
I look forward to hearing back. Thank you, again!
<<signature>>
6. A follow-up email asking to set up a sales demo
If you have a longer sales process that requires a lot of meetings with a lot of different stakeholders, here is a template that your sales team can use to schedule either another sales meeting or a demo.
Hi <<first name>>,
Thank you for taking the time to discuss your company’s <<current situation or pain point>>. It was great getting to learn more about you and your role with <<company name>>.
After discussing your company’s <<needs or pain points>>, I believe <<product or service>> could be a great fit. I’d love to share a demo with <<insert add additional key stakeholders>> so they can see it in action too.
Here is a direct link to my calendar <<insert personalized SavvyCal link>>
<<pull in suggested proposed times from within SavvyCal>>
I look forward to hearing back. Thank you, again!
<<signature>>
7. A follow-up email to a client
Follow-up emails aren’t just for sales. They can also be great for managing relationships with your clients. For example, sending a meeting recap email with agenda notes. Or, if you are a business coach, here is a follow-up template you can use.
Hi <<first name>>,
It was so nice getting to learn more about <<your business name>>. I’m glad we took the time to dive into <<insert specific topics>>.
I’m looking forward to helping your business thrive. I can’t wait for our next call at <<date and time>>. Please let me know if you have any additional questions for me in the meantime.
Thank you!
<<signature>>
8. A follow-up email to a podcast guest after recording an interview
Most podcasters send out an email or social media message to their guest when the episode airs. However, a pro move is to send one after you record the interview too.
Hi <<first name>>,
Thanks for taking the time to discuss your experience in <<topic or industry>> with me. It was truly fascinating getting to learn more about <<insert a specific conversation>>.
You were a wonderful guest, and we’ve got everything we need for our upcoming episode << add relevant details here>>.
We can’t wait to share the live episode with you on <<insert day>>.
Thank you again, and of course, please stay in touch!
<<signature>>
Follow up emails made easy
Whether you use our templates or swipe from a library of marketing examples or create your own from scratch, sending a follow-up message is a must to strengthen your relationship with the person(s) you met. These templates can increase your reply rates and save you a boatload of time in the process.
And, if you’re looking for intuitive scheduling software, try SavvyCal for free.