How to Write a Follow-Up E-mail that Doesn't Suck

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How to Write a Follow-Up E-mail that Doesn't Suck

As you've probably heard many a time, follow-up e-mails are a great idea, plain and simple. They keep you connected to the people you've met and are the springboard for future business. Now, if you've been networking for any length of time, you're bound to have received the follow-up e-mails from Hell. You know the kind: They start off "dear friends" and go even further downhill from there.

If that sounds like something you've written recently, then it's time to start reading and find out how to write follow-up e-mails that don't suck. And even if you've written dozens of follow-ups, it never hurts to pick up a few new nuggets of advice.

We've put all the following advice into tables, so you can get through it quickly and start following up like a pro.

Professionalism

How you present yourself in a follow-up e-mail speaks volumes about yourself and company, so before you start typing away make sure your follow-up e-mail won't create a bad impression before its even opened:

Do	Don't
Use a professional company e-mail address	Use a webmail or free e-mail address
Use plain text e-mail	Use lots of different fonts (especially Comic Sans) and colors
Use spell check, and proofread before you send	Click send right away

Personalisation

Have you ever received e-mails from "wealthy bankers in Nigeria" who need to "offload several million dollars"? They always start with something like "Dear esteemed Sir or Madam." Notice how the lack of personalisation immediately makes the e-mail lose credibility? The same goes for follow-up e-mails...

Do	Don't
Address each e-mail to an individual recipient	Mass send e-mails (if you MUST, use BCC, so at least it won't be so obvious)
Use LinkedIn or Xing's invite system so quickly send personalised e-mails	Cut and paste names and event names into e-mails. It's so easy to make mistakes

Content

So, now you know how to present yourself and how to write e-mails to human beings, it's time to move onto what exactly you should be writing.

Do	Don't
Use a relevant subject line - it'll make it much easier to find your e-mail later	Use something generic for your subject, like "hello" or "nice to meet you"
Use "Hi..." as a greeting. Follow-up e-mail's are generally less formal than letters	Use "Dear..." -- it seems old-fashioned when used with e-mail
Mention how nice it was to meet the recipient, and ask how they liked the event/food/atmosphere	Launch straight into what they can do for you
Include a "call to action," for example asking someone out for a coffee where you can gauge their interest in your business	Try to sell in the e-mail -- it's far too soon for that
Keep it light. There's always time to ask for business in future	Ask for referrals. Chances are this is a follow-up from your first meeting, and that's far too soon to be asking someone to pass business your way
Sign off in a friendly manner. I usually use "have a great weekend" if I send near the end of the week	Be too formal. "Regards," and "Yours sincerely" are too formal for a follow-up e-mail
Include a useful signature, listing your contact details, company and job title	Fill your signature with junk, like pictures of bunnies and your favourite inspirational quotes
	Add large attachments. If you want to send a file, upload it to the net and include a link to it

Now that you've got all that under your belt, sending professional, personalised follow-ups that lead to action should be a breeze.

For an expanded version of this article, including sample good and bad follow-up e-mails, click here.

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Written by Alex Cureton-Griffiths

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For an expanded version of this article, including sample good and bad follow-up e-mails, click here.

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