How many follow-ups should I send?

Most cold email sequences use 4–6 total emails (initial + follow-ups). A typical benchmark is ~5+ touchpoints for meaningful results, depending on your audience and offer.

What is a break-up email?

A break-up email is the final follow-up that closes the loop politely (e.g. “Should I close your file?”). It often gets replies because it reduces pressure and prompts a simple response.

When should I send follow-ups?

Best results typically come from Tuesday–Thursday, sent in the recipient’s timezone. Common windows are 8–10am and 4–6pm. Avoid Monday mornings, Friday afternoons, and weekends.

Parlantex

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Cold Email Follow-Up Sequence Builder - Optimal Timing & Templates

Build your cold email follow-up sequence with optimal timing. Get templates for each touchpoint and see the cadence used by top-performing sales teams.

cold email follow up

follow up email sequence

cold email sequence

Build your follow-up sequence

Start date (Email 1)

Sequence length (3–7)

Prospect first name (optional)

Company (optional)

Problem / trigger

Offer (value proposition)

Proof (optional)

CTA

Cadence

Standard matches the cadence in our follow-up best-practices article.

Email 0

Day 0

Subject

Quick question, there

Hi there,

I’m reaching out because scaling outbound and improving reply rates.

We help teams like your team improve reply rates with better targeting + tighter messaging. 

Open to a quick chat this week?

Thanks,
{sender_name}

Email 1

Day 3

Subject

Re: quick question, there

Hi there,

Bumping this in case it got buried.

scaling outbound and improving reply rates

Open to a quick chat this week?

Thanks,
{sender_name}

Email 2

Day 8

Subject

Re: quick question

Hi there,

Thought this might be relevant: improve reply rates with better targeting + tighter messaging.

Open to a quick chat this week?

Thanks,
{sender_name}

Email 3

Day 15

Subject

Different approach

Hi there,

I’ve reached out a couple times about this. Trying a different angle:

scaling outbound and improving reply rates

Does this resonate, or am I off base?

Thanks,
{sender_name}

Email 4

Day 25

Subject

Still relevant?

Hi there,

Quick check — is scaling outbound and improving reply rates still a priority right now?

Happy to reconnect later if timing is bad.

Thanks,
{sender_name}

Email 5

Day 39

Subject

Should I close your file?

Hi there,

I haven’t heard back, so I’ll assume the timing isn’t right.

I’m going to close the loop for now, but feel free to reach out if this becomes a priority later.

Thanks for your time,
{sender_name}

Why follow-up emails matter more than your first email

Here's the uncomfortable truth: 80% of sales require 5+ follow-ups, but 44% of salespeople give up after just one.

Your first cold email has roughly a 1-5% reply rate. Your follow-up sequence is where the real responses come from.

How this tool works

1. Enter the date of your first email

2. Select your sequence length (3-7 emails)

3. Get a calendar with optimal send dates

4. Copy follow-up templates for each touchpoint

The optimal follow-up cadence

Here’s a common cadence (approx. ~6 weeks) used in many high-performing cold email sequences.

Email	Days after previous	Purpose
Email 1	Day 0	Initial outreach
Email 2	+3 days	First follow-up (“bump”)
Email 3	+5 days	Add value
Email 4	+7 days	New angle
Email 5	+10 days	Check-in
Email 6	+14 days	Break-up email

Follow-up email templates

Follow-up #1 (Day 3) - The bump

Subject: Re: [original subject]

Hi {{firstName}},

Bumping this up in case it got buried.

[One sentence reiterating your value prop or question]

Worth a quick chat?

[Your name]

Follow-up #2 (Day 8) - Add value

Subject: Re: [original subject]

Hi {{firstName}},

Thought this might be relevant—[share a resource, insight, or case study related to their challenge].

Still happy to chat about [your offer] if the timing works.

[Your name]

Follow-up #3 (Day 15) - New angle

Subject: Different approach

Hi {{firstName}},

I've reached out a couple times about [topic]. Trying a different angle:

[Ask a question or share an insight from a different perspective]

Does this resonate, or am I off base?

[Your name]

Follow-up #4 (Day 25) - The check-in

Subject: Still relevant?

Hi {{firstName}},

Quick check—is [problem you solve] still a priority at {{company}}, or has the situation changed?

Happy to reconnect later if timing is bad.

[Your name]

Follow-up #5 (Day 39) - The break-up email

Subject: Should I close your file?

Hi {{firstName}},

I haven't heard back, so I'll assume the timing isn't right.

I'm going to close out your file for now, but feel free to reach out if [problem] becomes a priority down the road.

Thanks for your time,
[Your name]