Did you know that only 2 percent of sales occur on the first meeting with a potential lead? This makes following up with leads crucial to closing deals.
While many communication tools can help with sales follow-ups, texting is quick, budget-friendly, convenient, and personal.
So let’s set you up with customizable follow-up message templates for any situation.
Jump right to:
- Why follow-up messages matter
- 35 follow-up text message templates
- Best practices for effective follow-up messages
<h2 id="Why">Why follow-up text messages matter</h2>
Modern businesses are facing a more competitive climate than ever. Customers are inundated with information, products, and service decisions from many different communications channels and are more educated on their buying options. Follow-up SMS messages are a sales team’s way of gaining a competitive advantage and standing out from the crowd.
The numbers speak for themselves, with over 60 percent of customers saying no to sales offers four times before they say yes, and over 80 percent of closed sales requiring five or more follow-ups.
And while it’s clear that follow-ups are an integral and necessary part of the sales process, roughly 45 percent of sales representatives aren’t making more than one follow-up outreach.
Sales teams that neglect to implement SMS follow-ups into their strategy are losing out on high open rates, direct customer access, and a cost-effective engagement option.
<h2 id="Templates">35 follow-up text message templates for sales teams</h2>
There are many areas in the sales cycle in which follow ups are effective. Let’s dive into 35 follow-up text message samples you can use as inspiration and tweak to suit your needs.
After the lead makes initial contact
When a lead fills out a contact form or inquires about a product, you’ll want to follow up with them quickly. Research shows that sending a text follow-up after initial contact increases the engagement conversion rate by an impressive 112 percent.
Sales representatives should use this follow-up to introduce themselves and talk next steps with the prospect.
Hi, [Name]. This is [Salesperson]. Thank you for your interest in [Company name]. Do you have any questions about [Product/Service]?
Hi [Name]. This is [Salesperson] from [Company]. I’d love to schedule a quick 15-minute chat to discuss your needs. Schedule it here: [link]
After the initial phone call
After the initial sync, it’s a good idea to thank prospects for taking time out of their day to speak with you. This shows appreciation for their time and helps build a positive relationship.
Hi, [Name]. This is [Salesperson]. Thanks for taking the time to speak with me today! Please call or text me if you have questions before our next meeting.
After leaving a voicemail
Use texting to alert a lead that you left a voicemail. A short text reminds leads to listen to the voicemail and gives them another way to reach you. Plus, a short text lets a contact know who left the voicemail, in case they didn’t save your number.
Hi, [Name]. It’s [Salesperson] at [Company]. I just left a voicemail but am reaching out via text in case it's more convenient. Feel free to text or call me back.
After a no-response message
There are many reasons why a lead may not respond to a text message. To increase the chance of a reply, follow up and reference the subject of the prior message.
Hi [Name]. I’m [Salesperson] from [Company]. I’m following up on my previous message about [XYZ]. Did you see it?
After a product or service demo
If you provided a product or service walkthrough, send a text message to your prospect as a way to stay in touch. Let them know you’re available to answer questions and that you’ll plan to follow up with them again after they have time to digest. Statistics show it takes five follow-ups to close 80 percent of deals, so even if you got to this stage, you’ll need to follow up.
Hi, [Name]. I hope the [demo/consultation] was helpful! Feel free to text me any questions here. I’ll follow up with you in a few days. [Salesperson]
After a free trial period
The end of a free trial period is an excellent conversion opportunity for sales representatives because the customer already knows your product, has demonstrated value, and the product could potentially have become a necessary part of their workflow.
Post-free trial texts are a great way to keep engagement high and retain that relationship with the potential customer.
Hi [Name], your free trial of [Product/Service] ended today! Ready to make it official? Here’s a link to choose your feature-packed plan: [Link]
Before a contract expires
A proactive follow-up before a customer’s contract expires increases the chances of renewal, prevents service interruption, reduces churn, and makes the customer feel appreciated.
It’s also an excellent opportunity for upselling, as the end of the contract might be a good time to suggest additional services or value your business could add.
Hi [Name], this is [Name] from [Company]! I noticed that your contract is set to expire on [Date] and I wanted to share a new offer for your plan’s renewal. Do you have a few minutes for a quick chat?
Follow up after an unanswered email
If you sent an important email to your prospect that was left unopened, text them a reminder. Even perfectly-crafted emails can be filtered into spam or forgotten about. Use texting to gently nudge them to open it and reply.
Hi, [Name]. I recently sent an email about [XYZ]. Did you get a chance to look it over? Feel free to text me with any questions. Thanks, [Salesperson].
Hi, [Name]. I recently sent an email covering [XYZ]. Feel free to text me here for a more prompt response. Thanks, [Salesperson].
After a requested quote
Pricing quotes help customers make informed purchase decisions, making the accuracy of these quotes very important. As a result, follow up with someone who requested a quote by asking for more details.
Hi, [Name]. To help me provide an accurate quote for [product offering], can you fill out this form [link]? Thanks, [Salesperson] from [Company].
After a provided quote
Every decision maker involved in a purchase will want to know how much your product or service costs. After providing these quotes, it's important to follow up with potential clients to see if they’re ready to buy or have any questions about the price.
Hi, [Name]. It’s [Salesperson] following up about the provided quote for [XYZ]. Let me know if you have any questions or if you’re ready to move forward!
After an unclaimed offer
If you notice a lead didn’t use a discount or free trial you gave them, follow up to see if they need help with setting up an account or using the discount.
Hi [Name]. This is [Salesperson]. I noticed you didn’t use your [unclaimed offer]. Do you need any help getting this [set up/used]?
After an event or networking opportunity
After a networking event, conference, or webinar, make sure you follow up with any leads. Sending a quick sales follow-up text message will ensure that your company and product stay top of mind.
Hi [Name]. This is [Salesperson] from [Company]. It was great to meet you at [event]. I’d love to book a demo for you to see how [product] solves [problem].
Hi [Name]. Thanks for attending [Company]’s webinar on [topic]. Here’s a link to the full webinar [link]. Let me know if you have any questions!
After a prospect asked you to reach out later
When it comes to sales, timing is everything. As a result, use texting to follow up with leads who asked you to reach out in a few months. It’s a good way to get back in touch and see if now is a better time to discuss.
Hi [Name], I hope you’re doing well! I’m checking in to see if now is a better time to set up a call about [Product/Service.] [Salesperson] from [Company].
After a prospect goes radio silent
It happens all too often. You had an interested prospect, but seemingly out of nowhere they no longer reply to your calls, texts, or emails. In this scenario, you’ll want to follow up with them to help you understand if they are still interested or just busy.
Hi, [Name]! I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to check in and see if you’re still interested in [Product/Service]?
After a successful meeting
When the meeting was a success, use a follow-up text to thank them for their time, provide your personal number, and encourage them to reach out.
Hi [Name], thanks for meeting with me today! You can reach me here if you have any questions. It’s my personal line. [Salesperson]
After a completed purchase
Increase the lifetime value and relationship with customers with a post-sale follow-up text. It can be the difference between a one-time or loyal customer. You can use one of these messages to thank your customers for choosing your business and let them know how to get help.
Hi, [Name]. We’re grateful you chose [Company] for your needs. Please reach out if you need help with anything! [Salesperson]
Hi [Name]! Thanks for becoming a customer with [Company]. You can always reach me here if you need help or our support line at [contact information].
After a missed meeting or appointment
Although you try to avoid meeting no-shows with appointment reminder texts, the reality is they still occur. If this happens, don’t fret. Instead, follow up with that lead to reschedule. Propose a new date and time without making them feel bad about missing the original timeslot.
Hey, [Name]! It’s [Salesperson]. I’m sorry we didn’t connect today. Would you be available for a meeting on [date] at [time] instead?
Hey, [Name], this is [Name] with [Company]. Sorry we weren’t able to meet today! Feel free to reschedule at your best convenience: [link]
After a prospect speaks with decision-makers
Often, your lead may need to speak with their team or a key decision-maker before purchasing a product or service. In this case, you’ll want to send a follow-up text to see if your lead had that conversation or if they need anything to aid in the decision-making process.
Hi, [Name]. Were you able to speak with [Decision maker]? Let me know if there’s anything you need from me.
After an upsell text
If you share an upsell opportunity with a client and haven’t heard back, send a follow-up message. They may not have seen it and the follow up will increase the likelihood of a response.
Hey, [Name]. It’s [Salesperson]. I wanted to see if you’ve decided on getting the [upsell opportunity]?
After a failed sale
Use a follow-up message to gain valuable feedback from leads who ultimately decided against using your product. This will help you improve the sales process or product for future customers.
Hi, [Name.] Thanks for your time. Would you mind taking a quick survey to help us understand how we could meet your needs better: [link]
After you already sent one follow-up
The reality is that leads may miss your first follow-up message. Don’t be afraid to send a second follow-up message to get their attention. It can be short and sweet.
Hi [Name]. This is [Salesperson] from [Company]. I wanted to follow up to see if you have time to connect this week for a [call/meeting/demo]?
Hi [Name]. This is [Salesperson] from [Company]. I wanted to check in to see if you had time to review [quote/materials]?
Hi [Name]. This is [Salesperson] from [Company]. I wanted to check in to see if you saw my last message. Here if you have any questions!
After several follow-ups with no response
While you don’t want to give up too early on a lead, it’s important to know when to send a last-effort follow-up message. In these scenarios, you’ll want to encourage prospects to respond. You can do this by asking if you should stop following up, asking them to direct you to a different contact in the organization, or letting them know you’ll check back in a few months.
Hi [Name]. I wanted to check to see if I should stop following up about [Product/Service]? Thank you. - [Salesperson] from [Company].
Hi [Name]! Since I haven’t heard back, I wanted to check if you’re the best person to chat with at [Company]. If not, can you point me to the right person?
Hi [Name]. It seems like now may not be the best time to purchase [Product/Service]. I’ll try following up again in [X months]. [Salesperson] from [Company].
After receiving a referral
Sending a follow-up message after receiving a referral shows gratitude and appreciation to the referrer, increasing the chances of gaining a second referral from them. Plus, sending your post-referral follow up in a timely manner also builds trust with the prospect and enhances their perception of your business.
Referral follow ups should express gratitude, be personal and professional, and demonstrate value to the prospect.
Hi [Name], this is [Salesperson] with [Company]. [Referrer’s name] thought we might be a great fit for some of your [Product/Service] needs! Is there a time this week that works for you to chat?
Hi [Name], [Referrer’s name] thought you might need help with [Product/Service]. We’d love to help you out the same way we helped [Referrer’s name]! Let me know if you’re interested. [Salesperson]
Hello [Name]! My name is [Salesperson], I work with [Referrer’s name] regularly and [he/she] thought I might be able to help you with your [Product/Service] needs! Would you like to schedule a demo this week?
After sending a helpful resource
Sharing informational or instructional content with leads is a great way to educate them on the values, benefits, and use cases for your product or service.
Once the lead has received the resource, it’s important to follow up with them to ensure they’ve properly understood and utilized the information. Plus, the follow-up message can help to encourage the prospect to take action.
Hey [Name], I hope you found the [resource name] helpful and informative. Let me know if you have any additional questions. I’m happy to chat anytime!
Looking for more sales text message examples? Get 73 templates for each stage in the sales cycle.
<h2 id="Best">12 follow-up message best practices</h2>
There are several best practices to keep in mind when writing and sending effective follow-up sales text messages. We break down 12 of them below.
- Personalize messaging. Make sure you’re personalizing each text message. Even addressing someone by their first name goes a long way in building rapport with leads.
- Provide value. To best demonstrate value and increase chances of engagement, entice prospects to take action with offers like a free trial, discount, or product demo.
- Pay attention to timing. When it comes to follow-up messages, timing is key. You don’t want to send a message every day to your leads. Instead, you’ll want to use a respectful follow-up cadence to give leads time to think, digest, and have the right conversations.
- Introduce yourself. Your prospects likely don’t have your phone number saved. As a result, make sure to introduce yourself or your company in the text message.
- Add a clear CTA. Another key when sending follow-up messages is to add a clear call to action. This is the step you want your contact to take.
- Keep messages short and sweet. SMS is limited to 160 characters. This means you’ll want to keep your message to the point and concise.
- Be persistent. When it comes to sales follow-up, you need to be persistent. Don’t give up after one follow-up. The reality is it will take more than one to close a sale.
- Understand when to use a human touch vs. automation. At times, you’ll want to use automated messages to save time and ensure messages are sent in a timely manner. But there may be other times you want to use manual intervention to ensure prospects feel heard and get their questions answered.
- Know when to stop. You don’t want to waste time on a prospect that is no longer interested. As a result, make sure you understand when to stop following up.
- Keep the tone in mind. The tone used in your follow-up should reflect the voice of your brand and be tailored to the situation. Maintain a consistently professional, positive, and friendly tone.
- Test and optimize. Track and measure the performance of your follow-up messages with slight variations. Optimize messages depending on which variations generate the most engagement and response.
- Reply quickly. Responding quickly is one of the best ways to ensure continued lead engagement. If a customer is actively thinking about your product or service, it’s best to respond to them in the moment to retain their attention and interest.
Ace your follow-up messages with Textline
With the right technology, follow-up text messages to clients are a breeze. Textline’s SMS platform equips sales teams with the right tools to help them reach more prospects and close more deals.
Textline’s Automation features help sales teams save time and ensure message timing is optimized. Easily set up auto-reply messages, get a series of follow-up texts scheduled, craft text message templates, and more.
Additionally, you can set Reminders to follow up with specific contacts at a particular point in the future. The Reminders feature helps you remember to send a follow-up message or complete a task related to the deal.
Try Textline today for your sales follow-up text messages and start closing more deals.
