How to Structure the First Line of a Follow-Up Email

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬: 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. I didn’t realize how many problems were coming from “okay” emails until I started working on fast-moving projects. Delays, confusion, back-and-forth, most of it wasn’t complexity. It was unclear communication. So I started using a simple structure that works almost every time. Here’s the template: 📍Start with context (1–2 lines): Why are you writing this email? “Following up on our discussion on X…” “Sharing an update on Y…” This aligns the reader instantly. 📍State the purpose clearly What do you want from this email? “Objective: Finalize vendor selection for Phase 1.” No guessing. No ambiguity. 📍Add key points (3–5 bullets max) Only what matters. • Current status • Key issue/blocker • Relevant data/decision point If it’s longer, it’s not clear enough. 📍Call out the action required This is where most emails fail. “Action required: Please confirm Option A or B by EOD Friday.” Be specific on who, what, and by when. 📍Close with clarity, not politeness fluff Avoid: “Let me know your thoughts.” Instead: “Once confirmed, we will proceed with implementation.” This one change reduced back-and-forth significantly for me. Because most communication problems aren’t about intelligence. They’re about structure. People don’t need more information. They need clarity on what matters and what to do next. Before sending your next email, ask yourself: Can someone read this in 30 seconds and know exactly what to do? If not, rewrite it. #Communication #Productivity #WorkplaceSkills #Consulting #ProfessionalGrowth #CareerTips #EmailWriting

The follow-up email that got me the job (and the one that didn't) 📧 BAD follow-up (my actual email from 2019): "Thank you for your time yesterday. I'm very interested in this position and look forward to hearing from you soon." Result: Crickets. 🦗 GOOD follow-up (learned my lesson): "Hi Beth, Thanks for explaining the challenges with your product launch timeline. I've been thinking about our conversation and found this case study that faced similar issues. They solved it by using the approach below. Would love to discuss how this might apply to your situation. Best, Me" Result: Job offer within 48 hours. ✨ Here's what actually works: ✅ Reference a specific conversation detail (shows you were listening) ✅ Add value (article, insight, connection, solution) ✅ Ask a thoughtful follow-up question ✅ Send within 24 hours (not 5 minutes, not 5 days) What doesn't work: ❌ Generic "thank you for your time" templates ❌ Desperately asking about timeline updates ❌ Sending your portfolio again (they already have it) ❌ Following up daily like a clingy ex The best follow-up I ever received as a hiring manager: Candidate sent a one-page strategy doc addressing the exact problem we discussed. Didn't ask for the job - just said "thought you might find this useful." Hired them immediately. Pro tip: Your follow-up should make them think "Wow, imagine having this person on our team" not "Please stop emailing me." What's the boldest follow-up move you've ever made? Did it work? P.S. Emails above actually worked, which landed me positions before I was laid off again. Still haven't found my forever work home, but hoping that changes soon. :) #InterviewTips #FollowUpStrategy #JobSearch #HiringHacks #CareerMoves

Do not make this follow up email mistake if you actually want people to reply. Stop using language that apologizes for your existence while pretending to be polite. If your email opens with any of these, you already lost. ❌ "Hope you’re having a great week!” ❌ "How have you been?" Those are not well wishes or curiosity-driven questions. They are update requests wearing a Hallmark mask. If you genuinely want to wish someone well, do it without tying it to your sales agenda. Once you attach it to a follow up, it stops being kind and starts being transparent...in a bad way. Now let us talk about the holy trinity of weak follow ups. ❌ "Just circling back around..." ❌ "Just touching base..." ❌ "Just checking in..." Cars circle back. Baseball players touch base. Parents check in. You are none of those things. You are a professional asking another professional for an update you already agreed on. The word “just” is doing all the work of shrinking you so you do not have to be direct. That is not polite. That is scared. Here is what direct and human actually sounds like. “𝘏𝘪 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦. 𝘈𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴. 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰. 𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳?” Clear. Respectful. No groveling. No verbal bubble wrap. - I'm Steve. I write unapologetic content about sales, marketing, business ideas that work, and the parts of my life that taught me the hard way. Click Follow if you prefer clarity over comfort. - Check out the comments for the follow-up line that makes me vomit.

“I’m just following up.” “Did you get the proposal?” “Just bumping this to the top.” Those lines screams self-interest. It’s a reminder that you want something. Here’s how to do it differently without sounding needy: Try this instead: “Read this piece and thought of you.” 👉 Example: “Read this piece on how sales teams cut onboarding time. Thought of your comment about speeding up training.” Or this: “You’re always so…” 👉 Example: “You’re always so sharp about spotting market shifts, wondering what you make of this AI SDR trend piece? Or this: “Last time we talked you mentioned…” 👉 Example: “Last time we talked you mentioned you’re looking for a Director of Business Development. I know someone who might be a fit. Want an intro? The psychology These approaches work because they: Shift the focus from your agenda to their world. Trigger memory (“Oh right, I did say that…”), which makes your note feel personal. Signal attentiveness, you listened, you remembered, you cared. Create curiosity instead of pressure. When people feel heard and understood, they lean in. When they feel pursued, they lean out. Follow-up is about pull, not push.

I just reviewed a follow up email that made me want to delete my LinkedIn account. After an incredible discovery call where the rep: → Uncovered $500K in annual losses → Identified specific pain points → Built genuine rapport with the prospect He sent this follow up: "Hi John, following up on our conversation. Any thoughts on next steps?" I'm not joking. That was the entire email. This rep went from trusted advisor to desperate vendor in one sentence. Here's what he should have sent instead: "John, Based on our conversation about the $500K you're losing annually due to deployment delays, I've put together a brief overview of how we've helped similar companies reduce this impact by 80%. Given the scope of this challenge, when can we get your CFO involved to discuss the business case? Best regards, [Rep name]" The difference is night and day: ❌ Weak follow up: "Any thoughts on next steps?" ✅ Strong follow up: References specific problem + demonstrates value + advances the sale Your follow up emails should sell, not beg. Every touchpoint is an opportunity to: → Reinforce the problems you uncovered → Show how you solve them → Move the deal forward Stop wasting these golden opportunities with generic, desperate sounding messages. Use what you learned in discovery to craft follow-ups that advance the sale. Your prospects are drowning in "just checking in" emails. Be the one who stands out by referencing real business impact. — Reps! Here’s 5 simple follow up strategies to close seals faster and to minimize ghosting: https://lnkd.in/gJRJwzsN

Sending a “following up" email after an interview is like pushing the elevator button multiple times. You feel better but it doesn’t make it move any faster. [swipe this email instead] We’ve all felt the angst of waiting after a promising interview. “I wanted to check in” email is like trying to make the elevator move faster by pressing the button 6 gallian times while you decide if you are supposed to make eye contact with the stranger standing a little too close to you. That email rarely gets you what you were hoping for. You may get a non-committal message back. The odds are that you won’t hear back and you start to spiral. Send this email instead: Dear [Hiring Manager's Name], I enjoyed our discussion about [Position] [date/yesterday]. I [was inspired by/resonated with] our conversation and how you are able to [subject mentioned in interview]. The challenge you mentioned regarding [specific problem/project] stood out, as it closely parallels a situation at [previous company]. While I was there, I was able to [outcome of effort] which [eliminated/reduced] [pain – what impact did it have?]. I'm enthusiastic about the possibility of joining your team and tackling these challenges together. Kind regards, [First name Last name] [phone number] Tips to keep in mind: 1.    Always get their email address during the interview. 2.    Keep the email short. Brief is kind and respectful of their time. 3.    The emails is a continuation of the conversation. It helps keep you top of mind. You’re not trying to elicit a response. 4.    Your leadership style is still under review. This is a telling example of it. Click “save this post” using the three dots in the right corner so you can have a handy reminder before you send that email. When you’re hiring, do you try to reply to these candidate emails? 

Applied a week ago? 📬 Still waiting? Here's the follow-up that gets responses: The silence after submitting an application is deafening. But you have more control than you think. Most candidates never follow up. That's your opportunity. Here's the exact template that works: 📧 SUBJECT LINE: 'Following up: [Your Name] — [Job Title] Application' Keep it clear. No clever gimmicks needed. ✍️ THE EMAIL STRUCTURE: 'Hi [Hiring Manager Name], I submitted my application for the [Job Title] position on [date] and wanted to reach out directly. I'm particularly excited about this role because [ONE specific thing about the role that connects to your experience]. In my current role at [Company], I [one relevant achievement with metrics]. I believe this would translate well to [specific responsibility from the job description]. I'd welcome the chance to discuss how my background in [your expertise] could contribute to [their specific goal/team]. Is there any additional information I can provide to support my application? Best regards, [Your Name] [LinkedIn URL] [Phone]' ⏰ TIMING IS EVERYTHING: • Send 5-7 business days after applying • Tuesday-Thursday, 10-11 AM their time • Never on Mondays or Fridays 📏 THE GOLDEN RULES: • Keep it under 150 words • Reference ONE specific achievement • Connect to THEIR needs, not yours • Sound confident, not desperate • Include your LinkedIn URL 🎯 WHY THIS WORKS: • Shows genuine interest • Demonstrates you've researched the role • Provides new information (not just 'checking in') • Makes it easy for them to respond • Stands out from the 90% who don't follow up ⚠️ THE FOLLOW-UP RULE: 1️⃣ One follow-up = Professional 2️⃣ Two follow-ups = Pushy 0️⃣ Zero follow-ups = Forgettable The hiring process is chaotic. Your application might be buried. One strategic follow-up puts you back on their radar. Don't let great opportunities slip away because you were too hesitant to send one email. Get more job search strategies and build winning resumes → https://lnkd.in/eGbtuACr #JobSearch #FollowUp #JobApplication #EmailTemplate #JobSeekers #CareerAdvice #JobHunt #NetworkingTips #ApplicationStrategy #JobSearchTips 👍 To let me know you want more email templates. ♻️ Reshare to help someone get noticed. 🔔 Follow me for more job search & resume tips.

Here's a Clay generated AI sentence that 3x'd our positive response rates for a SaaS company selling to a very niche industry. We started sending this line in email 2 as a follow up but it was working so well we moved it into email 1 and it performed even better. All we did was use AI to create a comparison between what the company we were reaching out to does and how my customer helps people. So basically each line would look something like Hey {{First_name}}, I was on the site and saw how you help people save time with {{X}} like how we can help you save time with {{Y}} so I wanted to get connected. X in this case outlines how the company helps their customers and Y talks about how we can help them. The way we create the line is we use Clay and train a prompt on how we can help a company. Every company comes down to 5 main offers. Help people save time, save money, make more money, live longer, or increase their social status. For B2B, we are mainly concerned with the first 3 so we train the AI on how our company or our customer's company helps people in those 3 ways. So when AI evaluates that company, we can write a line about how we both help people save time or we both help people make more money etc. Then we manually write lines to train the AI on how we can specifically help them. This is the most crucial part of the line. The beginning is just a parlor trick but this part will really stick out our relevance to their company. We want to train AI to be able to apply what we do as a company to the sentence but we have to do it manually so that it gets as specific as we are looking for. This workflow has been in the campaign in email 1 for 6 months and nothing else has beaten it. Although, I think this workflow works well in this context because we aren't targeting people that get a ton of cold email usually so perhaps it's a tactic they haven't seen before. No reason it wouldn't work on Founders I don't think, I just can't say that we've done it and want to make sure I mention that. Just to give transparency if you want to try it yourself.

JOB SEEKERS: Reach out to the recruiter and / or the hiring manager when a job is posted! Apply for the job, of course. But then follow up....WITH A DIRECT EMAIL TO THE PERSON. Avoid InMail if at all possible. You can use LLMs to find emails - ask "What is the email convention for CYX Corp," or there are browser extensions that can work for this too. From my personal experience, virtually no one does this. I post jobs. My email is on my LI profile for anyone to see. And less than 1% of applicants do this. Other job seekers with whom I have worked who have tried this have seen a higher response rate when implementing this. Here's why it works. Most applicants for a job are not qualified. Period. I don't need an AI screener to get through the hundreds of applicants on my jobs. I can literally look through the main requirements, compare to the profiles and resumes, and weed out 80-90% of applicants. Now, it still takes me some time. The other thing I see, from other recruiters, is that too many resumes look "perfect." Those AI generated resumes and applications are not coming from someone who will take the time to write a personal email to someone. If someone who actually a fit emailed me directly and pointed out why they were a good match, it would be highly appreciated. Here's how to structure your email - I recommend not sending an AI generated email, by the way. Don't point out a bunch of skills you have that are unrelated to the requirements. Hi <insert name>, I applied for your <insert title> position online and wanted to follow up with a quick note. I've attached my resume here as well. I'm a great match for this position: -Bullet point supporting your fit, aligned to the main job requirements! -Repeat as needed for main requirements. I'm really excited about this role and <XYC Corp> because.... (insert a couple of sentences here that show you actually did some research. Mention some recent developments - M&A, new products, big news, etc. Mention culture notes that they talk about on their website, or other points that the company is clearly proud of. Thanks, and I'm looking forward to hearing back. Sincerely, <insert your name> Something like that. The point is to clearly attack the actual job requirements, not generic qualifications, and to talk about the actual company and their "stuff," not generic points. You want this to show you write it yourself and that you did some actual research. That's how you stand out. This won't work if you don't meet 70-80% of the main job qualifications. Feel free to try, but I'd use this only when I was a really good match - legitimately a good match - for the role.

I've sent 8,200+ cold emails to strangers, and it has completely changed my life. These have landed me jobs, customers, investors, hires, business ideas, and more. Here's my 4-step framework to writing top 1% cold emails: 1/ The Opener 💌 Your first line needs to be about THEM, not you. It has to be incredibly specific, well-researched, and honest (don't fake it). Show that you've done more research vs. the last 100 people who emailed them. Example 1: "Hey [name] — I loved reading your blog on X, and appreciated your story in growing ABC co from P to Q over the last 3 years. You've inspired me to launch my own company someday." Do this well, and you're already in the top 1% of emails they receive. 2. The Quick Intro 👋 Write <20 words to introduce yourself and what you do. It needs to be dead-simple English (i.e. Grade 6 level on Hemingway App). Be direct and honest, don't oversell yourself. Example 1: "I'm Naitik – a 2nd year design student from XYZ University." Example 2: "I'm Naitik and I'm building a new no-code tool for designers." 3. The Context 💭 This is the crux of your email — give context on why you're reaching out, before making your ask. Limit it to 1-2 short and clear sentences. Bonus: The more specific value you can GIVE in your first email, the more likely you are to hear back. Example 1: Reaching out for a job as a designer? Give them 1-2 quick tips to improve their website, and how it could make them more revenue. Example 2: Reaching out someone for advice? Give them concrete context on your situation, and the specific decision you need advice on. Example 3: Reaching out to hire someone? Give them 2 ways that you can support their career & goals. 4. The Ask 🎯 This is your main call-to-action and it has to be extremely specific. The catch? You can't request anything vague: "a quick call" or "meeting to pick your brain". You don't need a phone call or meeting in 99% of the cases. Be permission-less and make your ask over email. The more specific your request, the higher the chances of you hearing back. Example 1: "Can I help you as a design intern to improve your website in the next 30 days?" Example 2: (after sharing context & the decision you need advice on) "Would you go with option A or B in this scenario and why?" Example 3: If you really need a meeting, "Can I get 10 mins of your time to ask how you'd approach job hunting if you were a student today?" That's all. Repeat this 100x, and I guarantee you will 1) get responses, and 2) open up opportunities you never thought you had access to. PS: I have a lot more to share on this, so I've recorded a deep-dive video walkthrough on how to write stellar, top 1% cold emails. If you're curious, comment "Cold Email" and I'll DM it to you by end of week. --- This is Day 8 of 30 of my writing challenge — everyday I'm sharing my ups & downs, challenges & learnings as a founder scaling StartupBake to $1M/yr in revenue. Follow along if you'd like :)