The Follow-Up Email That Actually Gets Replies
Most sales follow-up emails get ignored. Here's a structure that consistently gets responses from health tech buyers.
You had a great call. The prospect was engaged, asked good questions, even said “this looks promising.” You send a follow-up email. Silence. A week later, another email. Silence. The deal goes cold.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. But the problem usually isn’t the prospect — it’s the email.
Why Most Follow-Up Emails Fail
The typical follow-up looks like this: “Hi [Name], great speaking with you today! As discussed, here’s some information about our platform. Let me know if you have any questions. Looking forward to next steps!”
This email fails for three reasons. It puts the burden on the prospect to figure out next steps. It’s generic enough to have been sent to anyone. And it doesn’t give the prospect a reason to respond right now.
The Structure That Works
Every follow-up email should have four parts:
Recap what they told you (2 sentences). Not what you told them — what they told you. This proves you were listening and anchors the conversation in their problem.
State the specific next step (1 sentence). Not “let me know your thoughts” — a concrete action with a date. “I’ll send the ROI model by Friday. Can we review it together next Tuesday at 2pm?”
Add one piece of new value (1-2 sentences). A case study, a relevant data point, a connection to someone in their network. Something they didn’t have before the email.
Make it easy to say yes (1 sentence). “Does Tuesday at 2pm work, or would Wednesday morning be better?” Two options. Low friction.
The Full Template
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for walking me through the challenges your team is facing with pilot conversions — especially the disconnect between clinical validation and procurement timelines. That’s exactly the pattern we see with Series B health tech companies.
I’d like to share how one of our clients, a remote monitoring platform similar to yours, shortened their pilot-to-contract timeline from 14 months to 6. I’ll put together a brief case study and send it by Friday.
Can we book 30 minutes next Tuesday or Wednesday to walk through it together?
Best, Brendan
Why This Works
It’s personal. It’s specific. It delivers value. And it makes the next step crystal clear. The prospect doesn’t have to think about what to do — they just have to pick a time.
One More Thing
Send the follow-up within two hours of the call. Not the next day. Not “when you get a chance.” Two hours. Speed signals seriousness, and in health tech sales, seriousness wins.