16 Breakup Email Templates Before Giving Up on Prospects

Sushant Shekhar
SalesBlink
Published in
12 min readMar 8, 2021
Photo by Yogas Design on Unsplash

This article was originally posted on our company website. SalesBlink helps sales teams go from Prospecting to Outreach to Closing at a lightning-fast speed.

Sales is a tough job, and those who are into it can’t agree more. A salesperson has to deal with a lot, but there is no looking back once he masters the craft.

One thing that is part and parcel of sales is cold emailing. Yes, it is an excellent technique of cracking a deal and delivers results when done right.

Where there is cold emailing, there is a breakup email sent to a prospect who is not responding.

You reach this stage after no response from the other end, even after 5–6 emails. A breakup email is the last one you send to the prospect but hoping to get a reply.

In this article, I am going to tell you the 16 Best Breakup Email Templates you can send before you stop following up.

Sounds good?

Let’s begin.

What is Cold Emailing?

Generally speaking, a cold email is an email you send to an individual you don’t know. In fact, a cold email does not belong only to the world of marketing and sales; you use it unknowingly in everyday life too!

For example, when an e-store sends an email to a person who bought their product online, it is a cold email. It is because you don’t know the person whom you are emailing.

By definition, a person sends a cold email to another person to get a benefit in return related to sales, a favour, or an opportunity.

A cold email is like an arrow for a salesperson that can hit the target when used correctly.

What is a Breakup Email?

Breakup email is the last email you send to a potential customer who is not responding to you at all. It is more like giving your best shot one last time in the hope of getting a response from a prospect.

The fact that you are sending a breakup mail means that you have reached the stage where conversion chances are pretty low.

Later, I am going to show you the best breakup email templates you can use.

You must send one as it may act as a trigger to make the prospect respond.

On a different note, if it doesn’t work, the bare minimum it will do is leave behind a good image. The prospect may think of you for future requirements.

Breakup Email: Whom should you send it to?

Well, it is someone with whom you have interacted several times in the past. It is a sales technique meant for those prospects you have been in touch with.

You should focus the power of the breakup email in the right direction for it to work. People are also getting fed up with the breakup email because sales teams are using it way more often than they should.

In short, you have to send a breakup email to those prospects to whom you have spoken at length through different media but have stopped getting a response. You shouldn’t send it to people randomly.

Another critical point to keep in mind is that you must not bully your potential client into responding. You must have a sense of respect for the prospect, both in the subject line and the body.

Use a breakup email to get clarification or give information. You can do so using any tone you like — a friendly one or a more formal one.

Breakup Email Subject Lines

The fact that you have reached this point means that you have thought that you are not going to pursue the prospect further in the back of your mind. The breakup email is one last try. So, you can get dramatic with your subject line. After all, you aim to get the attention of the prospect.

If the prospect dislikes your drama, the only thing he will do is ignore your email, which would end with that particular prospect.

Here is how you can phrase the subject line of a breakup email:

Goodbye from Clara

Moving on

Should I stay or go?

Time to say goodbye

It’s not you. It is me.

Thank you from Clara

My last try

Yes or No?

There are other ways to approach a prospect as well. You can acknowledge that the prospect is busy and uses a subject line like this — ‘Let’s revisit this at a better time’. Maybe sometime later this will work in your favour.

If you have been too persistent with the prospect, you can accept that and say, ‘Am I getting annoying?’.

16 Email Breakup Templates

Here are some breakup email sales templates that you can use after making a few necessary alterations.

1) Make the prospect feel that you want to help

If you show that you are after a prospect only for your benefit, the chances are high that the person will not pay heed to you. It is quite natural. Why would somebody care when there is nothing in it for them? You have to stress the fact that you are here to help them.

Hello < Name of the prospect>,

I didn’t hear from you in a while.

Our last discussion was about the hardships you were facing with <the difficulty> and how <your offer> could be helpful in <achieving a specific goal> within <a timeframe>.

Do you still want to discuss the matter further? If not, kindly let me know so that I can stop contacting you.

Best Regards,

<Your Name>

In the above breakup email example, you remind the prospect about the last discussion in which your company’s product or service seemed to be of use for his/her business.

Doing so may help you get the lead back if the person is still interested but didn’t have the time to revert to your previous emails. It is like picking up the conversation from where you left.

2) Ensure that it is short and sweet

It would be best if you honoured people’s time. That is why instead of beating around the bush, you should come to the point. Skip the introduction and keep it short.

Hello <prospect’s name>,

I am sorry if my emails are getting annoying.

Are you still interested in talking about < the main point>?

If not, kindly let me know so that I can stop getting in touch with you.

Best Regards,

<Your Name>

This is a straightforward way of writing your breakup email. It is up to the prospect to decide whether the deal is on or not. If not, you can very well move on and use your energies elsewhere.

3) Closing the loop

This kind of breakup email lets you decide the future of the correspondence. From your side, you are closing the loop. Here’s how it should be:

Hello <name of the prospect>,

As I have not heard from you, I am going to assume that you have moved on or there has been a shift in your priorities.

Do let me know if I can be of help to you in the future.

Best Regards,

<Your name>

Please note that you are doing away with all the emotions and writing them down with a practical mind. You are assuming that the deal has no future. But, in case the prospect is still interested, they will put in efforts from their end.

4) Offer something before leaving

Offer the potential client a piece of knowledge in your email. The template should be as follows:

Hello <prospect’s name>,

I have tried reaching you a few times to help you with <business goal>. But, as there has been no reply from your end, I guess that the timing is not right.

I am offering you a few resources that will help you with <business goal>

<Resources>

In case you want to get in touch later, please let me know.

Regards,

<Your name>

In the breakup email template above, you mention that you are okay with the relationship getting over. At the same time, you are offering some valuable resources to the prospect.

The tone is such that those who don’t want to say goodbye will try to get in touch with you again. You earn the prospect’s goodwill by giving valuable resources. This will help your company in the long run.

5) Bring the CEO in the picture

Prospects can value a salesperson a little less. That is why you can write an email posing as the CEO of the company. Draft an email and ask the CEO to send it over to the prospect. You can then request your CEO to forward the responses to you.

Hello < Name of the prospect>,

My name is Xyz, and I am the CEO of <company’s Name>. < Name of the sales rep> recently gave you a product demo, and I wished to know how you found it.

You are an important client/prospect, and I want to help you in every possible way.

Thanks,

< Name of the CEO>

The above breakup sales email template is an attempt to get a reply from your prospect.

6) Begin following up all over again

As the prospect is not answering any of your emails, it doesn’t mean that it is all over. Just tell them that you will get in touch after a few months or so.

Hello <prospect name>,

Since I have not heard from you in a while, I am assuming that you are not giving priority to the <service/product>. It is understandable, and I don’t want to disturb you.

I will get in touch with you in 6 months and see if you like to talk about the <service/product>.

Regards,

<Your name>

The tone above is quite friendly, and such a breakup email will keep the relationship going. After the mentioned time frame, begin all over again with a new email thread. Send a neutral message to start the conversation again.

7) Try to restart the communication

You can draft your breakup email with a question that doesn’t offend the prospect. It is a way to restart the conversation. You can keep it related to the discussion you had with the prospect or about the field you are in. Here is a template from Hubspot:

Hello <name of the prospect>,

I hope you are doing good!

I came to know that your company has started a new service. How has the journey been? I would be happy if you share it with me.

Cheers,

<Your Name>

8) Assume that the prospect doesn’t need help

If there is no response even after getting in touch with the prospect repeatedly, you can send a breakup email assuming that the prospect needs no help. It can stir the prospect’s thoughts, and there is a chance of getting a reply.

Hello <prospect’s name>,

I tried getting in touch with you several times but have not heard back from you.

I felt that your company would find the services of <your company’s name> helpful. However, after your long silence, I assume that you don’t need any help from our side.

In case the need to reach out to us arrives, kindly get in touch with me.

Regards,

<Your name>

9) Give a recap of your previous engagement and close the account

In this breakup email example, you mention the details of all the previous conversations with the prospect before stating that you are closing the loop from your end. When the person sees the history of the conversations he has had with you, there are chances of a reply.

Hello <prospect’s name>,

I hope you are doing good! As I haven’t been able to reach you, I want to recapitulate the conversation we had with each other over the months, for your knowledge.

Conversation 1

Conversation 2

As more than two months have passed, I assume that this is not on your priority list anymore. Therefore, I choose to give closure to the conversation.

Regards,

<Your name>

10) Ask whether there is an emergency

When the prospect doesn’t reply after repeated follow up, you can send a breakup email. Let the email have a tone of worry, stating that you can help if there is a problem.

The chances of getting an “I’m fine” reply are pretty high.

Hello <Prospect’s name>,

I have been emailing you for a very long time without getting a reply from your end. This makes me think that either you are too busy to reply or there is an emergency.

I am worried for you, and if need be, I can call the emergency helpline for you.

Kindly let me know.

Regards,

<Your Name>

11) Asking for a reason

Hi <Prospect’s name>,

I don’t wish to send you so many emails, but it is a part of my job to follow up on prospects.

You seem to be a solid potential customer for <your company>. However, as I have not heard from you lately and I feel that the reasons for it can be the following:

  1. You chose our competitor over us
  2. It is not the best time to get in touch with you, and I should connect later.
  3. There is an emergency, and you need help

Can you please tell me the reason? I am worried about you as I am assuming it to be an emergency.

If none of the above are correct, can I please connect to you for a 10-minute call on Friday?

Thanks,

<Your Name>.

This is more like an extension of the previous break up email template, but here you are asking the prospect to choose from 3 options that you feel can be the case. It conveys a lot and is more likely to get a response.

12) Simply accepting it

Hi <Prospect’s name>,

I was under the impression you were a perfect match for what we have to offer, but I understand. Maybe the timing isn’t right.

In case you are seeking <product or service>, do send me an email.

Thanks,

<Your name>.

In this breakup email sales example, you are directly accepting the fact that you should part ways. If at all the mind of the prospect changes, you can expect a reply.

13) Being straight forward

Hi <Prospect’s name>,

I like sending you emails, but you simply dislike replying to them.

What is it that I can do to make a 5-minute phone call worth your time?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

<Your name>.

This kind of a breakup email is totally on point and works well because the intent is clear. You are also giving a CTA, which happens to be a request for a phone call.

14) Being polite and formal

At times being polite and formal can do the trick. Here is a template:

Hi <Name of the Prospect>,

I am sorry if my level of persistence seems annoying to you.

I spoke with you about how < product or service> can solve <pain point>, and at that time looked as though it would meet your requirements.

I have been following up since then, but I have failed to reach out to you.

Can you please let me know whether you still have an interest in < product or service>?

In case I don’t hear back from you <timeline>, I will assume that you want me to close the file for the time being. If it is so, I understand and hope that we may help you in the future.

Regards,

<Your name>

15) Being casual

You can try to be casual and conversational with the prospect, and here is how the breakup email sample should be:

Hi <Name of the Prospect>,

I have tried to reach out to you several times in the last six months about <product or service> but haven’t been able to get to you.

I feel that you may be occupied, and I hate to trouble you any longer if you don’t have an interest.

If you change your mind, please shoot an email to me, and we can schedule a call.

Thanks,

<Your name>

16) Saying Goodbye

You can choose to say goodbye to the prospect, and if the person feels the urge to get in touch with you, he will.

Hi < Name of the prospect>,

Several times in the past couple of months, I have reached out to you to resume our conversation on how <your product or service> could help you with <pain point>.

However, I am feeling a bit lonely as you are not replying. I don’t want to bombard you with any more emails if you choose another company over us or have postponed the decision.

If you feel like giving another thought to <your product or service>, we can connect. If you don’t wish to, then this is a final goodbye.

All the best,

<Your Name>

Conclusion

A breakup email is one last try to gain the attention of prospects who have not been replying to all the follow-up emails you send to them. You can try any of the above breakup email templates to get a response from your prospect.

It may not be easy to close the deal, but persistence and using the right approach in your email can help you reach where you want to.

Make sure that what you draft has a lasting impression on the potential customer’s minds so that you get a response from them and maybe even go as far as closing the deal.

--

--

Sushant Shekhar
SalesBlink

Founder of salesblink.io | From Prospecting to Outreach to Closing at lightning fast speed