| name | follow-up-sequences |
| description | Produces post-meeting, post-demo, and post-proposal follow-up email
sequences that advance deals through the sales pipeline using sales
cadence methodology. Use when the user asks to create follow-up emails
after a sales meeting, write post-demo follow-up sequences, build
post-proposal nurture emails, or design email sequences that keep
deals moving forward.
Do NOT use for cold outreach to new prospects (use cold-outreach-sequence),
customer onboarding emails (use cs-handoff-document), or marketing
email campaigns to subscribers (use email-campaign).
|
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| metadata | {"author":"foundry-skills","version":"1.0.0","tags":"sales email template planning","category":"marketing-sales","subcategory":"sales","depends":"","disclaimer":"none","difficulty":"intermediate"} |
Follow-Up Email Sequences
When to Use
- User asks to create follow-up emails after a sales meeting or call
- User wants to write post-demo follow-up sequences to advance a deal
- User needs post-proposal emails that nudge the prospect toward a decision
- User asks to build email sequences for different stages of the sales pipeline
- User wants to design follow-up cadences that keep deals from stalling
- Do NOT use when: user needs cold outreach to new prospects (use
cold-outreach-sequence), post-sale onboarding emails (use cs-handoff-document), or marketing email campaigns (use email-campaign)
Process
-
Collect follow-up context. Before producing the sequences, gather:
- Product or service being sold
- Target buyer profile (title, company type)
- Which sales stage the follow-up addresses (post-discovery, post-demo, post-proposal)
- Average deal cycle length
- Key stakeholders involved in the decision
- Common reasons deals stall at this stage
- Materials available to share (case studies, ROI calculators, testimonials)
-
Design the post-discovery follow-up. After a first call:
- Email 1 (same day): Recap the conversation, confirm next steps
- Email 2 (day 2-3): Share a relevant resource tied to their stated pain
- Email 3 (day 5-7): Check in on the agreed next step
- Purpose: reinforce the conversation and maintain momentum
-
Design the post-demo follow-up. After a product demonstration:
- Email 1 (same day): Recap what was shown, highlight the moment that resonated most
- Email 2 (day 2-3): Send a case study from a similar company
- Email 3 (day 5): Address the primary concern raised during the demo
- Email 4 (day 7-10): Propose next step (proposal, trial, technical review)
- Purpose: address concerns and build confidence in the solution
-
Design the post-proposal follow-up. After sending a proposal:
- Email 1 (day 1-2): Confirm receipt and offer to walk through the proposal
- Email 2 (day 4-5): Share a proof point relevant to their biggest concern
- Email 3 (day 7): Ask if there are questions or if additional stakeholders need information
- Email 4 (day 10-14): Create gentle urgency (proposal validity, implementation timeline)
- Email 5 (day 21): Direct ask for a decision or honest "not now"
- Purpose: guide the prospect toward a decision without pressuring
-
Write each email. For every email in every sequence:
- Subject line referencing the previous interaction or their specific situation
- Opening that connects to something they said or showed interest in
- Body focused on one idea (resource, proof point, question, or next step)
- Single clear CTA that advances the conversation
- Under 100 words per email
-
Define cadence rules. For each sequence:
- When to stop (reply received, meeting booked, deal closed)
- When to escalate (engagement without reply -- opens but no response)
- When to pause (out of office, holiday period, prospect asked for time)
- When to re-engage (trigger event, new quarter, budget cycle)
Output Format
## Follow-Up Sequences: [Product/Service]
**Target Buyer:** [Title at company type]
**Sales Cycle:** [Average length]
**Date:** [Date]
---
### Sequence 1: Post-Discovery Follow-Up
**Trigger:** After a completed discovery call
**Goal:** Secure the next meeting (demo, technical review, proposal)
**Emails:** 3 over 7 days
---
**Email 1: Same-Day Recap**
**Subject:** [Reference to their conversation]
**Send:** Within 2 hours of the call
Hi [Name],
[Recap sentence referencing what they shared about their challenge.]
[Confirm the agreed next step with specific date/time.]
[Attach or link to any materials promised during the call.]
[Signature]
**Word count target:** 60-80 words
---
**Email 2: Resource Share (Day 2-3)**
**Subject:** [Resource tied to their stated pain]
Hi [Name],
[One sentence connecting to their specific challenge.]
[Brief description of the resource and why it is relevant to their situation.]
[Low-pressure CTA: "Thought this might be useful as you evaluate options."]
[Signature]
**Word count target:** 50-70 words
---
**Email 3: Next Step Check-In (Day 5-7)**
**Subject:** [Reference to the agreed next step]
Hi [Name],
[One sentence checking on the agreed next step.]
[Offer flexibility: "If timing has shifted, happy to adjust."]
[Specific CTA: suggest 2-3 times for the next meeting.]
[Signature]
**Word count target:** 40-60 words
---
### Sequence 2: Post-Demo Follow-Up
**Trigger:** After a completed product demo
**Goal:** Address concerns and advance to proposal or trial
**Emails:** 4 over 10 days
---
**Email 1: Same-Day Demo Recap**
**Subject:** [Reference to the demo highlight]
**Send:** Within 2 hours of the demo
[Recap the demo, highlight the feature or moment that resonated most.]
[Confirm next steps discussed at end of demo.]
**Word count target:** 70-90 words
---
**Email 2: Case Study (Day 2-3)**
**Subject:** [Similar company's result]
[Share a case study from a company similar to the prospect's.]
[Connect their stated challenge to the case study outcome.]
**Word count target:** 60-80 words
---
**Email 3: Concern Addresser (Day 5)**
**Subject:** [Address their primary objection or concern]
[Reference the concern raised during the demo.]
[Provide specific information, data, or example that addresses it.]
**Word count target:** 60-80 words
---
**Email 4: Next Step Proposal (Day 7-10)**
**Subject:** [Advancing the conversation]
[Propose the specific next step: proposal, trial, technical review.]
[Explain what the next step involves and what they will get from it.]
**Word count target:** 50-70 words
---
### Sequence 3: Post-Proposal Follow-Up
**Trigger:** After sending a formal proposal
**Goal:** Guide the prospect to a decision
**Emails:** 5 over 21 days
---
**Email 1: Proposal Walk-Through Offer (Day 1-2)**
**Subject:** [Proposal reference]
[Confirm they received the proposal.]
[Offer to walk through it together.]
**Word count target:** 40-60 words
---
**Email 2: Proof Point (Day 4-5)**
**Subject:** [Relevant result from a similar customer]
[Share a specific data point or testimonial related to their biggest concern.]
**Word count target:** 50-70 words
---
**Email 3: Stakeholder Check (Day 7)**
**Subject:** [Questions or stakeholder needs]
[Ask if other stakeholders need information or a separate conversation.]
**Word count target:** 40-60 words
---
**Email 4: Gentle Urgency (Day 10-14)**
**Subject:** [Timeline or implementation reference]
[Reference the proposal validity date or implementation timeline.]
[Create gentle urgency without pressure.]
**Word count target:** 50-70 words
---
**Email 5: Decision Ask (Day 21)**
**Subject:** [Direct and respectful]
[Direct ask for a decision: yes, no, or not now.]
[Respect their time -- make it easy to say any of the three.]
**Word count target:** 40-50 words
---
### Cadence Rules
| Sequence | Stop When | Escalate When | Pause When | Re-engage When |
|----------|-----------|---------------|------------|----------------|
| Post-Discovery | Reply or meeting booked | 3+ opens, no reply -- call | Out of office | New trigger event |
| Post-Demo | Reply or next step agreed | Proposal opened but no reply -- call | Asked for more time | New feature or case study |
| Post-Proposal | Decision made (any) | Proposal viewed 3+ times -- call | Holiday or budget freeze | New quarter or budget cycle |
Rules
- NEVER produce follow-up sequences without first collecting the sales stage, buyer profile, and deal context
- Every email must be under 100 words -- follow-ups that read like proposals are ignored
- Each email in a sequence must have a different purpose -- do not repeat the same ask
- The first follow-up after any meeting must be sent within 2 hours, not "later today"
- Every email must reference something specific from the previous interaction -- no generic "checking in"
- CTAs must be specific and low-friction: "reply with a time" not "let me know your thoughts"
- The post-proposal decision ask (final email) must make it easy to say "no" or "not now" -- respect beats persistence
- Include cadence rules for when to stop, escalate, pause, and re-engage for each sequence
- Subject lines must reference the prospect's situation or previous conversation, not generic follow-up language
- NEVER use guilt, artificial scarcity, or pressure tactics in follow-up emails
Edge Cases
- Multi-threaded deal (multiple stakeholders): Create follow-up variants for each stakeholder. The technical evaluator gets different content than the economic buyer. Include a sequence for the champion to use internally (email they can forward to their boss with your key points).
- Prospect went dark (no response to any emails): After the final email in a sequence, move to a long-term nurture cadence (monthly value-add, no ask). Re-engage when a trigger event occurs (new funding, leadership change, competitor news). Do not keep sending follow-ups into silence.
- Very fast sales cycle (under 1 week): Compress all sequences to 1-2 emails each. Combine post-demo recap with proposal delivery. The post-proposal sequence becomes same-day and next-day only. Speed matters more than sequence completeness.
- Prospect said "not now, follow up in Q2": Create a single nurture email per month leading up to Q2 with relevant content (no pitch). Re-initiate the post-proposal sequence when Q2 arrives, referencing the previous conversation and what has changed since then.
- Deal involves a formal procurement process: Follow-up content shifts to procurement support: ROI documentation for the business case, security questionnaire completion, reference customer contacts. The cadence follows the procurement timeline, not the sales timeline.
Example
Input: "Create follow-up sequences for our project management SaaS. We sell to marketing managers at mid-size companies. Average deal is $15K/year, 3-4 week cycle. Main concern after demos is team adoption."
Output:
Follow-Up Sequences: [Product] Project Management
Target Buyer: Marketing Manager at mid-size companies (50-500 employees)
Sales Cycle: 3-4 weeks
Date: [Current date]
Sequence 2: Post-Demo Follow-Up
Email 1: Same-Day Demo Recap
Subject: Your team's workflow in [Product]
Hi [Name],
Thanks for walking me through how your marketing team manages campaigns today. The moment that stood out was when you saw how [Product] maps to your existing sprint process -- you mentioned that was the first tool that did not force your team to change how they work.
As discussed, I will send over a proposal by [date]. In the meantime, here is the recording of your personalized demo.
[Signature]
Word count: 68 words
Email 3: Concern Addresser (Day 5)
Subject: How [Customer Name]'s team went from 20% to 90% adoption
Hi [Name],
You mentioned adoption was your biggest concern -- your team has tried tools before and stopped using them within a month.
[Customer Name]'s marketing team had the same experience. They failed with two previous tools before [Product]. The difference: we configured [Product] to match their existing workflow instead of asking them to learn a new one. They hit 90% adoption in 3 weeks.
Happy to connect you with their marketing director if that would be helpful.
[Signature]
Word count: 82 words
