Why Most Follow Up Emails Get Ignored

Your first email didn't get a response. Now what?

Most people either give up too soon or send generic "just checking in" messages that accomplish nothing except annoying their prospects. Neither approach works.

The truth is that follow up emails are where deals actually happen. Research consistently shows that most responses come after the second, third, or even fifth touch. But there's a right way and a wrong way to follow up.

The difference between a follow up that gets a reply and one that gets deleted comes down to three things: timing, value, and relevance. Generic templates alone won't save you. Understanding the psychology behind effective follow ups will.

This guide gives you both - templates you can use immediately and the context to know when and why each one works.

The Psychology of Effective Follow Ups

Before diving into templates, let's understand why some follow ups work and others fail.

The inbox reality. Your prospect isn't ignoring you maliciously. They're buried. The average professional receives over 100 emails daily. Your first message likely got lost, skimmed, or mentally filed as "deal with later" - and later never came.

The commitment gap. Responding to a cold email requires effort. Your prospect has to context-switch, evaluate your offer, and compose a reply. That's a lot to ask from someone who doesn't know you. Each follow up reduces the activation energy required because familiarity builds.

The value equation. Every email you send either adds value or extracts it. "Just checking in" extracts value - it asks for attention without offering anything. A follow up that shares a relevant insight, addresses a likely concern, or makes responding easier adds value.

The timing factor. When you send matters as much as what you send. Catch someone at the right moment and a mediocre message gets a reply. Hit them at the wrong time and your best work disappears.

Understanding these dynamics transforms follow up from an awkward obligation into a strategic tool.

Optimal Timing: When to Send Follow Up Emails

Timing your follow ups correctly can double your response rates. Here's what the data shows:

Best Days to Send

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday consistently outperform other days. Monday inboxes are flooded with weekend backlog. Friday attention is already drifting toward the weekend.

For B2B outreach specifically:

Tuesday: Highest open rates as people have cleared Monday chaos
Wednesday: Strong engagement, mid-week focus
Thursday: Good for follow ups as people plan their week's end

Avoid Monday mornings and Friday afternoons unless you have specific data showing otherwise for your audience.

Best Times to Send

The optimal windows are:

8:00-10:00 AM in your prospect's time zone (catches early email checkers)
1:00-2:00 PM (post-lunch inbox scan)
4:00-5:00 PM (end-of-day cleanup mode)

Early morning sends (6-7 AM) can work for executives who check email before their day gets consumed by meetings.

Spacing Your Follow Ups

The cadence matters as much as the timing. Here's a proven sequence:

Follow up 1: 2-3 days after initial email
Follow up 2: 4-5 days after follow up 1
Follow up 3: 7 days after follow up 2
Follow up 4: 14 days after follow up 3
Follow up 5: 21-30 days after follow up 4

This pattern balances persistence with respect. Early follow ups are closer together because your initial email is still fresh. Later follow ups space out as you're essentially re-initiating contact.

The Value-Add Follow Up Formula

Before we get to templates, master this formula for follow ups that don't feel pushy:

Context + Value + Easy Response = Reply

Context: Briefly reference your previous email without making them feel guilty for not responding. "I sent a note last Tuesday about X" works. "I've emailed you three times now" doesn't.

Value: Give them something - a relevant insight, a useful resource, a new angle on their problem, or information that makes your offer more concrete. This is what separates professional follow up from pestering.

Easy Response: Lower the barrier to reply. Ask a simple yes/no question. Offer specific times. Give them an easy out. The easier you make it to respond, the more responses you'll get.

7 Follow Up Email Templates That Work

Here are seven templates organized by situation. Each includes the psychology behind why it works and guidance on when to use it.

Template 1: The No Response Follow Up (First Touch)

When to use: 2-3 days after your initial email with no response.

Subject: Re: [Original Subject Line]

Hi [Name],

I wanted to make sure my email didn't get buried - I know how quickly inboxes fill up.

The short version: [One sentence summary of your initial offer/question].

Would it make sense to spend 15 minutes exploring whether [specific outcome] is something worth discussing?

Either way, happy to hear your thoughts.

[Your name]

Why it works: This template acknowledges the inbox reality without blame, restates your value proposition concisely (because they probably didn't read the first one carefully), and asks for a minimal commitment. The "either way" closing gives them an easy out, which paradoxically makes people more likely to engage.

Template 2: The Value-Add Follow Up

When to use: When you have something genuinely useful to share - an article, data point, or insight relevant to their situation.

Subject: Thought you'd find this relevant

Hi [Name],

I came across [specific resource/article/data point] and thought of your situation at [Company].

[One to two sentences about why it's relevant to them specifically]

Separate from that - still happy to discuss [your offer] if the timing makes sense. If not, hope this is useful either way.

[Your name]

Why it works: This template leads with value, not an ask. You're demonstrating that you're paying attention to their world, not just pushing your agenda. The offer becomes secondary to the helpful gesture, which builds goodwill and reciprocity.

Template 3: The New Angle Follow Up

When to use: When you want to present your offer from a different perspective that might resonate better.

Subject: Different approach to [their challenge]

Hi [Name],

I realized my last email focused on [original angle], but talking with other [their role/industry] lately, what's really coming up is [different pain point].

If [specific problem] is something you're dealing with at [Company], we've helped [similar companies] address it by [brief approach].

Worth a quick conversation?

[Your name]

Why it works: Sometimes your first angle doesn't land. This template lets you try a different door without invalidating your previous message. It also shows you're listening to the market and brings fresh perspective.

Template 4: The Positive Signal Follow Up

When to use: When they opened your email multiple times, clicked a link, or showed any engagement signal.

Subject: Quick question

Hi [Name],

I noticed you had a chance to look at [what you sent/your previous email]. Curious if anything stood out or raised questions.

Happy to clarify anything or just answer whatever's on your mind about [topic] - no pressure to commit to anything.

What would be helpful?

[Your name]

Why it works: Engagement signals suggest interest, even if they haven't responded. This template acknowledges their attention without being creepy about tracking, and opens the door for questions they might have but haven't asked. The "what would be helpful" question puts them in control.

Template 5: The Objection-Handling Follow Up

When to use: When you can anticipate likely objections based on their situation or past conversations with similar prospects.

Subject: In case this was the concern

Hi [Name],

When I don't hear back, it's usually because of [common objection - timing, budget, already have a solution].

If that's the case here, totally understand. For what it's worth:

[Brief 1-2 sentence response to the objection]

If it's something else entirely, I'm curious what's giving you pause.

[Your name]

Why it works: This template does something counterintuitive - it names the resistance directly. By acknowledging likely objections, you show empathy and give them permission to voice concerns. Many people don't respond because they don't want to deal with objections - handling them preemptively removes that barrier.

Template 6: The Social Proof Follow Up

When to use: When you have relevant results from similar companies or new case studies to share.

Subject: [Similar Company] results

Hi [Name],

Quick update - we just wrapped up work with [similar company/industry peer] and helped them [specific result with numbers if possible].

Given what [their company] is doing with [relevant initiative], thought this might be relevant.

Happy to share more details on what worked if it's useful.

[Your name]

Why it works: Social proof reduces perceived risk. Seeing that a peer got results makes your offer more concrete and credible. This works especially well when you can reference a company they'd recognize or respect.

Template 7: The Breakup Email

When to use: As your final follow up after 4-5 touches with no response.

Subject: Should I close your file?

Hi [Name],

I've reached out a few times and haven't heard back, so I'll assume the timing isn't right.

I'll stop filling your inbox, but if [pain point you solve] becomes a priority down the road, I'm here.

Either way - wishing you and the team at [Company] a strong [quarter/year].

[Your name]

Why it works: The breakup email works through loss aversion - people respond to the possibility of losing access. The respectful tone also leaves the door open for future contact without burning bridges. Many salespeople report getting their highest response rates from this final message.

How Many Follow Up Emails Should You Send?

The short answer: more than you think, but not unlimited.

Data consistently shows that response rates continue improving through at least 5-6 touches. Most people give up after one or two. This creates an opportunity for those willing to persist thoughtfully.

Here's a practical framework:

5-6 emails for cold outreach to prospects who haven't engaged at all. Beyond this, you're likely irritating rather than persuading.

7-8 touches for warm prospects who have shown some engagement - opened emails, clicked links, or had prior interaction with your company.

Unlimited (with spacing) for high-value targets where the deal size justifies extended effort. But space these out to monthly or quarterly touches that add genuine value.

The key isn't hitting a magic number - it's ensuring each touch adds value. Five value-add follow ups will outperform ten "just checking in" messages every time.

Signs You Should Stop Following Up

Not every prospect deserves infinite follow ups. Here's when to stop:

They've explicitly said no. Respect it. A clear "not interested" is different from no response. Thank them and move on - or ask if you can check back in six months.

They've asked to be removed. Immediately comply. Beyond being legally required in many contexts, continuing after an unsubscribe request damages your reputation and deliverability.

Your engagement data shows zero interest. If someone hasn't opened a single email across multiple attempts (and you trust your tracking), they've made their position clear passively.

The account no longer fits your ICP. If you learn something that disqualifies them - they've chosen a competitor, their company is contracting, they've restructured away from your use case - stop and reallocate your energy.

You're damaging your brand. If you sense you're becoming "that annoying salesperson," trust your instincts. Your reputation in a market matters more than any single deal.

What to Do Instead of Following Up

When you stop active follow up, you have options:

Move to nurture. Add them to a lower-touch content sequence - monthly newsletters, quarterly check-ins, or event invitations. Stay visible without being aggressive.

Set a future trigger. Note specific conditions that would justify re-engaging - a funding round, leadership change, or contract renewal window. Set a reminder and revisit when circumstances change.

Ask for a referral. If they're not the right fit, perhaps they know someone who is. A polite "if this isn't relevant for you, is there someone else at [Company] I should be talking to?" can open new doors.

Document and learn. What made this prospect seem like a fit initially? Why didn't they engage? These insights improve your prospecting criteria for future outreach.

Building Sequences That Scale

Individual templates are useful, but most outbound runs on sequences - pre-built series of emails that fire based on time or behavior triggers.

Effective sequences combine the templates above into a coherent flow:

Example 5-Touch Sequence:

Day 0: Initial outreach (not covered here - see our prospecting guide)
Day 3: No response follow up (Template 1)
Day 8: Value-add follow up (Template 2)
Day 15: New angle or objection-handling follow up (Template 3 or 5)
Day 30: Breakup email (Template 7)

Key principles for sequences:

Each email should stand alone - don't assume they read previous messages
Vary your angle and value proposition across touches
Include at least one pure value-add that doesn't directly ask for anything
End with a clear breakup that respects their time

Manual follow up doesn't scale. If you're managing outreach for multiple clients or running high-volume campaigns, you need systems that automate the timing while keeping messages personal.

Measuring Follow Up Effectiveness

What gets measured improves. Track these metrics for your follow up emails:

Response rate by touch number. Which follow up in your sequence generates the most replies? This tells you where your messaging is strongest.

Response rate by template type. Do value-add follow ups outperform direct asks? Does social proof move the needle? Let data guide your approach.

Time to response. How long after sending do replies come? This helps optimize your timing.

Positive vs. negative responses. Not all responses are equal. Track how many lead to conversations versus how many are rejections or unsubscribes.

Sequence completion rate. What percentage of prospects make it through your full sequence without responding? If most drop off early, your initial emails need work.

FAQ

How many follow up emails should I send?

Plan for 5-6 follow ups for cold outreach. Data shows response rates continue improving through at least this many touches. Most salespeople give up too early - after just one or two attempts. The key is ensuring each follow up adds value rather than just "checking in."

When should I send a follow up email after no response?

Send your first follow up 2-3 days after your initial email. This keeps you fresh in their memory without seeming desperate. Subsequent follow ups should space out progressively - 4-5 days, then a week, then two weeks between touches.

How do I write a follow up email that isn't pushy?

Focus on adding value rather than extracting it. Share a relevant insight, address a likely concern, or offer something useful - even if they never buy from you. The value-add formula is: Context + Value + Easy Response. If your follow up gives them something, it won't feel pushy.

What's the best subject line for a follow up email?

Keep your original subject line and let the email thread continue - "Re: [Original Subject]" shows it's a follow up, not a new cold email. For standalone follow ups, short and specific works best. "Quick question" and "Thought you'd find this relevant" consistently perform well.

Should I reference that they didn't respond?

Briefly and without guilt-tripping. "I wanted to make sure my email didn't get buried" acknowledges reality. "I've emailed you three times and you haven't responded" makes them defensive. Assume good intent - they're busy, not ignoring you maliciously.

When should I stop following up entirely?

Stop when they explicitly say no, ask to be removed, show zero engagement across multiple attempts, or when you learn they no longer fit your ideal customer profile. Continuing past these points damages your reputation and wastes your time.

Stop guessing which follow ups work. Parlantex tracks every send, open, and reply across your sequences - automatically promoting messages that get responses and retiring the ones that don't. Build follow up sequences that learn and improve with every campaign. See how it works at parlantex.com.