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My follow-up email template just cost me a client last month
I used the same basic 'checking in' template for years, but it backfired in April. I sent it to a potential client who had asked for a quote, and they replied saying my email felt 'impersonal and automated.' I lost the $5,000 project. I realized my template was too generic and didn't reference our past talk. I had to rewrite everything from scratch. Has anyone else had a client call them out for using a template, and what did you change?
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rosepark6mo ago
Oof, that "impersonal and automated" line is brutal. I get why you'd lean on a template, but @beng51 has the right idea. Just adding one line isn't enough though. If you're just slotting a name and problem into a fixed script, it still feels like a fill in the blank exercise. You have to change the actual body text each time to match the vibe of your last talk. I keep a few bullet points of stuff I must mention, but I write the email fresh every single time now. It takes two extra minutes and saves you from sounding like a bot.
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joseph_bailey6mo ago
Ever get that sinking feeling when you realize your own email sounds like a help desk ticket? I used a slick template for client check-ins. Then my buddy Mark replied asking if my account got hacked. Said it read like a terms of service update. Now I jot three unique things from our last call right at the top. Makes all the difference.
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beng516mo ago
My old agency had this polished three paragraph follow up we used for everything. I thought it was perfect until a client, Sarah from that tech startup, forwarded it back with "Did you even read my last email?" written above. That stung. I started adding just one line about their specific problem before the template part. It went from sounding like a robot to showing I remembered our talk. Now I keep a basic outline but force myself to fill in two blanks about them before hitting send.
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