How to write follow-up messages that get replies, with templates

A follow-up message that gets a reply does three things in a few lines: it reminds the person who you are, it gives them something useful or relevant, and it asks for one easy next step. This guide gives you a structure, ready-to-use templates for LinkedIn, email and chat apps, and a simple rule for when to nudge and when to stop.

The templates use placeholders in square brackets. Replace every one; a message with "[Name]" left in it is worse than no message.

Step 1: pick the channel they chose

Follow up where the conversation is most natural for them:

• They gave you a card or an email address: email.
• You connected on LinkedIn at the event: a LinkedIn message.
• They gave you their mobile and said "message me": a short chat message on the app they mentioned, such as WhatsApp or Signal.

Do not send the same message on three channels. It reads as automation, even when it is not.

Step 2: use the hook, value, ask structure

Every template below follows the same three parts:

1. Hook: where you met, plus one detail only the two of you would know. "Good to meet you at the fintech breakfast, and thanks for the tip about the Leeds trams."
2. Value: the thing you promised, or something relevant to what they said. A link, an introduction, an answer to their question.
3. Ask: one small, specific next step that is easy to say yes or no to. "Would a 20-minute call next Tuesday or Wednesday work?"

The detail in the hook is what makes the message feel personal. That is why it is worth capturing it at the time: see what to write in your notes after meeting someone.

Step 3: choose a template

LinkedIn connection note

Keep it to two sentences. LinkedIn limits the length of invitation notes, and short ones read better on a phone anyway.

Hi [Name], good to meet you at [event] earlier. I enjoyed our chat about [topic], and would like to stay in touch.

LinkedIn message after connecting

Thanks for connecting, [Name]. As promised, here is the [article/guide] on [topic] I mentioned: [link]. The section on [specific part] is the bit relevant to what you said about [their situation]. Happy to compare notes over a call if useful.

Email: same day, with what you promised

Subject: The [thing] I mentioned at [event]

Hi [Name],

Good to meet you at [event] today. As promised, here is [the thing]: [link or attachment].

You mentioned [their challenge]. [One sentence on how the thing helps, or one practical tip.]

If it would help to talk it through, I am free [two specific slots]. Either way, good luck with [their project].

[Your name]

Email: asking for a meeting

Subject: Following up from [event]: [their topic]

Hi [Name],

We spoke briefly at [event] about [topic]. You said [specific detail], and it has stuck with me because [short reason].

I have helped [type of client] with something similar, most recently [one-line example without confidential details]. Would a 20-minute call be useful? I could do [day] or [day], or send me a time that suits.

[Your name]

Email: making an introduction you offered

Ask the person you are introducing them to first, then write:

Subject: Intro: [Name A] and [Name B]

Hi both,

As promised, an introduction. [Name A], meet [Name B], who [one line on what they do and why it is relevant]. [Name B], meet [Name A], who I met at [event] and who is [one line on their need].

I will leave you to take it from here.

[Your name]

Chat message

Messages on chat apps should be short, friendly and easy to answer with a thumb.

Hi [Name], it's [your name] from [event] earlier. Great chatting about [topic]. Here's that link: [link]. Shall we grab a coffee in the next couple of weeks?

When there is no specific next step

Not every good conversation needs a meeting. A warm "keep in touch" is fine:

Hi [Name], really enjoyed meeting you at [event]. No agenda from me, but if you are ever looking for [what you do], or want a second pair of eyes on [their topic], I am happy to help. All the best with [their project].

Step 4: write a subject line they will open

Good subject lines are specific and plain:

• "The pricing template I mentioned at SaaStock"
• "Following up from the Bristol founders breakfast"
• "Intro: Priya and Tom"

Avoid "Quick question", "Checking in" and anything in capital letters. They look like sales sequences.

Step 5: time it

For a full post-event plan, see the 48-hour plan for actioning leads after a networking event.

Step 6: nudge once, then close the loop

If there is no reply after about a week, send one short nudge in the same thread:

Hi [Name], just bumping this in case it got buried after [event]. No pressure either way.

If there is still nothing after another couple of weeks, close the loop politely:

Hi [Name], I will assume the timing is not right, so I will not keep chasing. If [topic] comes back up, my door is open.

Then stop. Silence often just means the timing is wrong. The record stays in your CRM, and a natural reason to get back in touch will come along: see how to keep in touch with your network.

Step 7: log it, so the next step is not left to memory

After you send a follow-up, record it and set the next date. With Shmor, reply to the person's card, by text or voice:

Sent the case study. Follow up in a week if no reply.

Shmor adds that to the person's note and creates a follow-up task due in a week, in ShmorCRM, Attio or HubSpot. See setting follow-up tasks from a chat message.

Personal follow-ups and marketing are different

A one-to-one message about a conversation you actually had is a normal follow-up. Adding someone to a newsletter or a marketing sequence is electronic marketing, which in the UK is covered by PECR as well as UK GDPR.¹ Ask before you add anyone to a list.