How to End an Email (Tips + Templates)
Learn how to end business emails effectively with tips and templates. Include a smooth closing line, professional sign-off, and contact info. Avoid informal lan...
11 min read
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Email Templates
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What are break-up emails and why send them?
A break-up email is the very last email you should send to a prospect when you haven’t heard from them in a while (or haven’t heard from them at all) to provoke a response. It basically serves as a pattern-interrupt to get unresponsive, slow-moving prospects to hit reply and take action as most of them are surprised to get a ‘goodbye" email from a salesperson. In other words, it is a business resignation letter from a company to their soon-to-be former client.
The break-up email is one of the most effective sales follow-up emails you can use if your prospect has gone cold and isn’t responding to your multiple follow-up attempts. When done right, break-up emails can help you improve response rates, bring those cold prospects back into your sales cycle, and close deals that otherwise would have probably been lost. In fact, according to Katharine Derum, senior sales manager at HubSpot, her team sees a 33% response rate to their breakup emails. No wonder these types of email are becoming more popular with salespeople in the B2B environment.
Why send break-up emails?
Even though most break-up emails aren’t going to convert, there are a few solid reasons to send them:
- Break-up emails give prospects that little push they might need to jump back into your sales funnel and raise your response rates.
- Well-crafted break-up emails leave a positive lasting impression on prospects and keep you on top of mind in case they ever need your product/service.
- These emails get poor prospects out of your pipeline and clear up time so you can focus your efforts on better-fit leads.
- Break-up emails enable you to close the communication loop while also setting up a new follow-up cycle in the future.
Break-up email subject lines
- Thank You From [Brand]
- Goodbye from [Brand]
- I guess this is goodbye?
- Should I stay or should I go?
- Are you still interested in [their goal]?
- Permission to close your file?
- Time to part ways
- Final follow up
- I didn’t hear back from you
- It’s not you. It’s me.
- Before I go…
- I’ll check back in 6 months
- [Name], my last attempt unless you want to reconnect
10 Break-up email templates
Break-up emails can be efficient for outbound follow-ups (when you’re sending out cold emails to prospects who haven’t previously interacted with you), inbound emails (when you’re sending follow-ups to prospects who have at some point expressed interest in your offering), or even when addressing resignation letters to your superior. Whatever the case, these 10 break-up email templates can serve as a starting point for your own last follow-up messages to unresponsive prospects.
Polite & formal break-up email
Hi [Name],
Apologies if my level of persistence has become annoying. I recently spoke with you about how we can help you with [your value proposition], and at that time it seemed as if we fit your needs. Since then, however, my attempts to reach you have failed. Would you let me know if this is still an opportunity you are interested in?
If I don’t hear back from you by end of the day on Friday, I will assume you would like me to close the file on this opportunity for now. If that is the case, I completely understand and hope that we may be of service to you in the future.
Regards, [YOUR SIGNATURE]
Casual break-up email
Hi [Name],
I’ve reached out to you a few times over the past six months about [your value proposition], but haven’t been able to get a hold of you. I understand that you may be busy, and I hate to bother you further if this is of no interest at all.
If anything changes, feel free to get back in touch and we can schedule a call.
Thanks, [YOUR SIGNATURE]
Straightforward break-up email
Hi [Name],
I hope you’re well. I’ve tried to connect several times to discuss [your product/service] as a solution for [their challenge]. I haven’t heard back from you, so I’m guessing the timing isn’t right, or you’ve gone in a different direction.
If you’re still interested, do let me know. If not, I’ll stop reaching out and wish you all the best with [their objective]. My contact information is below if anything changes for you.
Regards, [YOUR SIGNATURE]
Short & simple break-up email
Hi [Name],
I thought we were like two peas in a pod, but I totally get it. The timing just isn’t right for us, or [your product/service] isn’t a priority at the moment. If it ever makes sense to reconnect, shoot me an email.
Cheers! [YOUR SIGNATURE]
Value focused break-up email
Hi [Name],
I’ve reached out to you a few times recently, but I understand that nobody likes being ambushed with random emails. The truth is, I really believe you’d be interested in what [your product/service] can offer your team. When we spoke last, you mentioned a few key areas that you were looking to improve:
- [Value proposition #1]
- [Value proposition #2]
- [Value proposition #3, etc]
Are these still priorities for you? If I don’t hear back from you within this week, I’ll assume this isn’t the right time to continue our conversation and I’ll stop reaching out.
Best, [YOUR SIGNATURE]
Sharing helpful resources
Hi [Name],
I hope things are well at [their company].
When we last spoke it seemed like [your product/service] was a fitting solution for [their challenge]. Since I haven’t heard back from you in a while, I assume the timing isn’t right or you have gone in a different direction.
I won’t bug you again about this, but I did want to leave you with a bit of information about [something relevant to their goal].
[Resource 1] [Resource 2] [Resource 3]
I hope this helps you achieve [their specific goal]. I won’t reach out again but please feel free to get in touch if you ever need help with [what you provide], I’d be happy to reconnect.
Wishing you all the best, [YOUR SIGNATURE]
Asking for permission to close their file
Hi [Name],
I’m in the process of cleaning up my sales pipeline, but I wanted to check with you one last time before I close your file. Since I haven’t heard from you in a while, I’m guessing you’re super busy or your priorities have changed.
If you aren’t interested, do I have your permission to close your file? If you are still interested in how we can help you achieve [specific goals], what do you recommend as the next best step?
P.S. You can book a demo on the following link, and I’ll show you what [your product/service] can do for you: link to a demo
Cheers! [YOUR SIGNATURE]
Setting up a new follow-up cycle
Hello [Name],
I’ve been reaching out because I see a tremendous opportunity for your team to [reach specific goals] with [your product/service]. I don’t want to be a bother, and from my ignored messages I’m sensing that’s the case. I’ll check back in six months or so unless you let me know you’re ready to evaluate sooner.
Best, [YOUR SIGNATURE]
The funny break-up email
Hi [Name],
I don’t want to keep bombarding you with emails, but my job is to follow up persistently on strong potential matches for [your company], like [their company], which is why I’ve continued to hustle.
However, I haven’t heard back from you yet, and that tells me one of the three things:
- You’re all set with [business need] and I should stop bothering you.
- You’re still interested but haven’t had the time to get back to me yet.
- You’ve fallen and can’t get up and, in that case, I’ll call 911 for you…
Please let me know which one it is because I’m starting to worry that it might be No. 3.
Regards, [YOUR SIGNATURE]
The ‘Goodbye’ break-up email
Hi [Name],
I’ve reached out to you a few times over the past couple of months to continue our discussion on how [your product/service] could help you to achieve [their objective]. But it’s starting to feel a little lonely over here… I don’t want to hassle you with more emails if you’ve decided to put off the decision or go with another solution.
If you’re still interested in exploring [your product/service], let’s reconnect. If not, I guess this really is goodbye.
All the best, [YOUR SIGNATURE]
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