SMS marketing is a reliable and popular way of generating leads for new customers, promoting a special offer, upselling or cross-selling depending on where the lead is in the sales funnel. Indeed open rates and the subsequent response rate are almost beyond belief: Crazy Egg found that the average open rate for text message marketing is 98% and then that 91% of consumers respond to a text within 60 minutes of receiving it (EZ Texting). Compare that to email marketing: an open rate of 21% and a click-to-open rate of 10% (Campaign Monitor)! But text messaging can be useful at the personal level as a follow-up technique. Let’s say you scheduled a consultation or sent a proposal for a new project sometime last week. It’s Monday, and you haven’t received feedback. You don’t know if your proposal got approved or if the client still remembers the scheduled meeting. Do you make a quick call when it might not be the right time or send a friendly reminder in the form of an SMS text?

Apart from generating new leads, SMS messages using text message templates can be a great way for your sales team to follow up with potential customers or send appointment reminders to avoid wasted visits or calls. With the phenomenal open rates and response rates, building sales text messages into the sales process or as part of sales follow-ups is a great way to make sure your company name stays in front of a potential lead. Text conversations with the relevant information to the right people, in the right message format and using the right balance is an effective way to convert potential clients.

Let’s go back to your proposal. It’s a new week. There are gaps in your schedule you can’t afford to leave empty. You’re a bit confused.  

• What are the best practices get feedback from clients and bosses without sounding demanding or intrusive?
• How do you catch leads’ attention before they move on without settling for a hit-you-in-the-face kind of advertising?
• How do you provide the gentle nudge interested leads need to tune in?

So many questions!

Well, Relax! Take a deep breath and think ‘follow-up text message.’

Assuming that you have the phone number (!) a follow-up text message is any short descriptive text that helps you get your client’s or boss’s consent or approval about a particular issue. A good follow-up message is a great way to make clients feel appreciated, and your sales are more likely to happen.

This article will teach you the ABCs of writing attractive follow-up text messages with samples to guide you.

14 follow-up text message examples that are incredibly easy to pull off

Follow-up after a lead fills an online form

If you’re in sales or marketing, you’re used to this follow-up message multiple times. It entails booking discovery calls and sending attractive discount offers.

Following up with leads and prospects who just interacted with your brand is an easy way to win new clients and attract sales. Here is a template you can use.

Hi Jake, this is Mike from Pie-0-Mie; thanks for filling out our online form and detailing your needs. I don’t know if you’ll be free for a call at 3 pm Monday? If that’s not convenient, kindly reply with a time and date that works best. 

Image source 

Follow-up after a lead requests a quote 

Sending a quote to clients, especially if you have little to no idea of the client’s budget, can be scary. You wouldn’t want to overcharge and lose the client or undercharge and lose the pay of a lifetime.

You can use this follow-up text message to weigh your client’s pocket and, at the same time, project an estimate.

Hey John, this is Clara. About the graphic design project, here are two samples. The first {sample link} can go for $1000 or lesser, while this one {sample link} is estimated at $1000 or more, depending on the design. Which should I send a quote for?

Follow-up after a discovery call

Discovery calls allow you to highlight clients’ requirements and estimate workload. Most discovery calls come with mixed feelings. Sometimes positive, other times negative.

In most cases, it’s hard to tell whether or not a client is satisfied after a discovery call. But either way, the next step should be to clear the air with the below follow-up text message.

Hi Dan, this is Mathew; I don’t know if it’s okay to text you? Anyways, I have examined the scope of your project and think I can handle it perfectly. When do you think we can start? 

Follow-up after an unanswered email or call

Waiting for a response to an email or call is highly devastating, especially if it’s urgent. You can save yourself the hassle of this tiring wait by sending a warm and expressive follow-up text message. 

But hey, before you dive into the text message creation process, kindly consider the timing. You can use the below example;

Hi Dav, I wanted to follow up on my initial email; I hope it safely arrived in your inbox.🙂 A reply will be duly appreciated. 

Follow-up opt-in message 

If you’ve ever spearheaded an email marketing campaign, you’d clearly understand how vital follow-up opt-in texts are. 

Follow-up opt-in messages help marketers gain express permission to send marketing text messages to subscribers. Example;

Hi Mark, thanks for filling out our online form; I hope it’s okay to contact you here? Don’t worry; we won’t bore you with irrelevant messages🙂

Image source

Follow-up about a one-on-one conversation with prospects 

For most 21st century marketers, marketing revolves around emails, calls, and social media messages. The days of door-to-door marketing seem to be long gone.

However, many responsibilities in the corporate world still require one on one conversations with clients. And most times, it’s hard to know if such coffee talks are impactful. Here is a follow-up email to guide you;

Hi Jane, thanks for having coffee with me the other day. I have been thinking, should we reschedule the project for June, or is May fine by you? 

Follow-up for rescheduling a meeting 

We’ve all had to reschedule a meeting for unknown reasons. And from experience, we can tell you that rescheduling meetings usually comes with multiple drawbacks. 

Though, with a follow-up text message – which we recommend you send after a phone call or email – you maximize potential setbacks. Here is an example;

Hi Jones, really sorry about my request to reschedule. Have a personal issue to tend to and wouldn’t want to bore you with details. Kindly pick a date; I will adjust my schedule to suit your convenience. 

A quick note: Depending on the way you sell and the formality of your industry you may want to think about using the first name rather than the family name. Whenever I receive a text with my falily name it akes me back to the time when we received a hundred offers through the mail for Reader’s Digest always addressed to the family rather than my father or mother. Don’t make the same mistake.

Follow-up for confirming a meeting time 

Don’t get tense if you somehow forget an important date. You’re not the first, and hey, it happens to most experts. Nonetheless, a follow-up text message can make your forgetfulness of such information less nerve-wracking. 

Use this template to lessen the hassle; 

Hi Gerald, sorry I forgot about the time for the meeting. I know it’s sometime tomorrow. Can you please tell me when?

Image source 

Follow up after a meeting 

Most times, multiple unanswered questions come to mind after a meeting. The easy way is to forget about any new question and focus on the topics discussed. But that’s not a good idea.

You might miss out on some crucial information directly affecting your bottom line. Here is a follow-up text message you can use;

Hi Drake, thanks for discussing your business needs with me today. Here is my line. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any pending questions. 

Follow up after a product walkthrough 

In today’s market, demos and trials allow consumers to connect fluidly with your brand and build sustainable relationships.

It’s easy to provide demos and offer a 7 or 30 days free trial. What’s not so easy is converting leads enticed by your free trial to recurring buyers. Below is a follow-up text message you can use; 

Hi Bill, I hope you enjoyed the 30 days free trial? If you didn’t; or have any question that needs clarification, kindly reply to this text. 

Follow up text about limited availability 

Most consumers believe the limited availability tag is about making a sale seem urgent and getting fleeing customers to dip their hands in their pocket and finalize a deal. 

Regardless of how you view limited availability messages, one thing is sure; it’s a genuine and compelling way to make sales happen. Check out this example; 

Hi Jun, this is Mark from MKP Designs. I want to inform you that we are almost out of stock for the product you explored a while ago; would you like me to help you finalize your purchase before we run out of stock? 

Image source 

Delivery confirmation follow-up text messages 

Making sales is one thing; getting the product to the customer is another. While most of the delivery details are, in most cases, attached to the order confirmation email, you still need a follow-up text for a streamlined delivery process.

Delivery text messages help you set suitable delivery times and keep customers updated. An example:

Hi Gab, your delivery is on its way. It should arrive at your doorstep around 2 pm Monday. Kindly reply Yes if this timing works for you; otherwise, we can reschedule. 

Follow up text for order confirmation 

Ensuring that an order is legit is vital to the growth of every eCommerce store. Save yourself the stress of having to design confirmation text messages each time a customer makes an order by automating the process. 

You can flow with something like this;

Hi Mensa, this is Laura from ATS. We have your order on record and would like to inform you that we will ship it on (date). Kindly have $550 in hand for our delivery agent. 

Follow up for price change 

As the market fluctuates, prices change. This is not the best news for both buyers and sellers, but regardless, sellers still need to inform regular buyers about price changes.

Instead of waiting till customers come knocking for their next buy before you break the message, you can send this follow up text;

Hi Mario, this is John from infotech. Due to some recent upgrades and added features, we are updating our price list. Kindly explore this link for detailed information. 

7 tips for writing attractive follow-up text messages to clients 

Following up after a client interaction is a must. You want to make sure that you’re not only doing the right things but that you’re also getting the right results. It should be a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people forget to follow-up; or, in some cases, send annoying follow-up messages. Here are some tips to keep in mind;

Straight to the point 

Behind every follow-up text message is a benign desire to avoid time-wasting. You either want to know if there is any headway with your request or if a client is still interested in a service.

Regardless of your intention, don’t shy away from your key message. Successful follow-up messages thrive on their ability to save both parties time, and be sure to stay on point. 

Show empathy 

Use words that show that you care about your customers’ or bosses’ reactions to your message. If you want a positive response, try to show empathy with your text. 

Put yourself in the recipient’s shoes and weigh your reaction if such text messages should land in your inbox. Edit and restructure your text until you’re confident it’s appealing and compelling enough to attract the desired response. 

Personalize your test message

When you’re following up with your clients, you want to imitate the same personality you had during the initial contact. This is important because it shows that you’re a real person and care about the results.

Note that an email personalization sequence is quite different from that of text messages. Personalized text messages work best because it shows that genuine human effort went into the text message creation process and that you care about potential outcomes.

Be brief

Texting is a highly informal way of communicating, and it can make you seem a little pushy if you’re trying to talk clients into doing things. 

It’s best to stay as brief and to the point as possible so leads don’t feel pressured into doing anything they don’t want to do. 

This means you should try to keep your follow-up texts below 100 words while asking questions, not intrusive to their personal space. 

Use emojis

It would help if you always tried to use an emoji in your follow-up texts. Emojis can make your texts seem more casual, set a friendly tone, and keep the recipient in a pleasant mood.  

Check your spelling and grammar

The best way to make sure you don’t come off as pushy or rude in your follow-up texts is by checking your spelling and grammar multiple times before sending. 

Proofread your texts carefully before you send them. If unsure about your word choice, get someone to proofread your text. 

Final words

As a business owner, you know that following up with your clients is essential. It makes you look professional, but it also shows that you appreciate your clients and the work they do for you. 

If you run an SME or fortune 500 company that sends lots of follow-up text messages daily and need a reliable SMS service provider to help you automate the process, explore Sender — it can help you do more while spending less.

Author Bio

Skirmantas Venckus is a writer by day and reader by night. He hates talking about himself in the third person. He is also the growth hacker at Sender.net I got a bit stuck with the article– the email marketing provider that is focused on user-friendliness, affordability, and utility.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skirmantas-venckus-8ba16983/</a>