Re-engage a cold lead
AEs and founders
Send this only when something changed: their quarter, a job they posted, a product you actually shipped. “Just circling back” is not a reason. If you have no reason, do not send it.
Subject. Has this come back around?
Hi — we spoke a while back and the timing was wrong. I am not going to pretend this is a continuation of that thread.
I am writing because the thing you put off tends to come back when budgets reopen. If it has, I can restart. If it has not, I will leave it.
Has this come back around?
- Yes, let's talk
- Still not now
- Wrong person
In Gmail these are buttons. The recipient clicks one. The answer comes back to the thread. They do not install anything.
Before you send. Replace the budget line with the real reason you are writing. A post they made, a renewal month, a launch. If the sentence is vague, the email is not ready.
Why this gets more replies
A cold lead does not remember your last paragraph, and they will not reread the thread to be polite. A new email that asks whether the problem returned is easier to answer than a forwarded novel. Wrong person matters here: the contact you had may have changed jobs.
FAQ
How long is cold?
Long enough that a “bumping this up” makes you look like you did not notice the gap. A quarter is a reasonable line. A week is not cold. That is the no-reply follow-up.
Should I reply on the old thread?
No. Start a new email. The old thread is you, talking to yourself, and that is the first thing they will see.
Free for 50 sends a month. The other person does not install anything.