It’s easy to forget the importance of following up after a meeting. However, a well-crafted thank-you email can go a long way in building relationships and closing deals.
Writing a thank-you email after a sales meeting is a simple way to show your appreciation for the time and effort your client or prospect has invested in meeting with you. It’s also an opportunity to reinforce your value proposition, build trust, and keep the conversation going.
Whether you’re a seasoned sales professional or just starting out, sending a thank-you email after a sales meeting is a best practice that can help you stand out from the competition. By taking the time to craft a thoughtful message, you can show your prospects that you’re invested in their success and committed to building a long-term relationship.
So, let’s dive in and explore how to write a thank-you email after a sales meeting that will help you close more deals.
Sending a thank you email after a sales meeting is essential for building strong relationships with prospects. This small gesture can go a long way in influencing the prospect’s buying decision.
But many sales reps miss out on the opportunity by sending generic or poorly crafted emails. According to a study by Salesforce, only 37% of sales reps send thank you emails consistently after sales meetings.
In this guide, we will look at how you can write effective thank you emails that make an impact on your prospect.
Why Send a Thank You Email After Sales Meetings?
Here are some key reasons why sending a thank you email after sales meetings is crucial
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Shows you value the prospect’s time – By thanking them for the meeting, you demonstrate that you appreciate them taking time out of their busy schedule to meet with you. This builds goodwill.
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Keeps you top of mind – The email touchpoint reminds the prospect about you and your solution after the meeting This increases the chance of closing the deal
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Provides a recap – You can summarize key points discussed and highlight why your solution is the right fit This reinforces what you discussed.
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Opens the door for follow-up – Thank you emails position you to follow up and keep the sales process moving. You can check in regarding next steps in the same email.
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Makes you stand out – With only 37% of reps sending thank you notes, this sets you apart from the competition.
So in short, prompt and thoughtful thank you emails enhance your professionalism and differentiate you in a positive light.
When to Send the Thank You Email
Timing is critical when sending your follow-up email after a sales meeting. As a rule of thumb:
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Send the thank you email within 24 hours of the meeting. 48 hours is acceptable if need be.
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For email introductions or brief first-time meetings, strive to send it the same day. This conveys efficiency.
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If no one else from your company was in the meeting, send it before anyone else from your side follows up. Be the first one.
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For meetings first thing in the morning, end-of-day is fine.
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If on a Friday or before a holiday, early the next business day is best.
Adjust the above recommendations based on any requests or preferences stated by the prospect during your meeting.
The key is to maintain momentum post-meeting when everything discussed is still fresh in the prospect’s mind.
How to Craft an Effective Thank You Email
Follow these best practices when drafting your thank you email after an important sales meeting:
1. Use an Specific Subject Line
The subject line is key because that is the first thing your prospect sees in their overflowing inbox. Using a generic subject like “Thank You” will likely get overlooked.
Instead, make it specific and personalized:
- Thank you for discussing [project name]
- Appreciate your insights on [topic]
- Follow-up from our [date] meeting
This helps provide context and gives them a reason to open it.
2. Start With a Personalized Greeting
Skip the generic greetings like “Dear Sir/Madam”. Make it more personal by using their first name along with their appropriate title:
- Hi John,
- Hello Ms. Smith,
If you don’t recall their exact name, avoid using names altogether in the greeting. Use their title only or say something like “It was great speaking with you”.
3. Thank Them and Recap the Meeting
In the first paragraph, thank them for taking time to meet with you. Make sure to mention specifics about the meeting – where it took place, when, who all attended, etc.
This helps jog their memory about the context of the meeting.
Then provide 1-2 sentence recap of the key discussion points or topics covered. This reminds them of what was discussed and any open items.
For example:
“Thank you for taking the time to meet with me and Paul from my team last Tuesday at the Convention Center. It was great to learn more about the challenges you are facing with lead generation for the upcoming product launch. We discussed several options to help improve conversion rates on the landing page and how our platform can help facilitate that.”
4. Highlight Relevant Value/Solutions Discussed
Use this email as an opportunity to follow-up on how your product or solution can address their needs.
Pick 1-2 key discussion points or use cases you covered and reiterate in 2-3 sentences how your offering delivers value.
Focus on aspects that the prospect seemed most interested in or concerned about. Make sure to keep it benefits focused.
For example:
“As we discussed, our platform can help you rapidly create and test different landing page variations without burdening your web developers. This enables you to experiment with content, offers, and design to maximize conversions. Just wanted to re-emphasize how our A/B testing and personalization features can help improve campaign performance by 25-30% on average.”
5. Share Any Follow-Up Items Discussed
Did you promise to send over a case study, pricing sheet, or trial access to your platform? The thank you email is the perfect opportunity to deliver on any follow-up items you discussed.
Attach the relevant documents or links and mention that you have shared them as discussed.
If there were any action items or next steps outlined related to the prospect, briefly recap those as well. This helps keep the sales process moving forward.
For example:
“As promised, I have attached the 2 case studies we discussed that highlight how [Company X] and [Company Y] achieved their lead gen targets using our platform. The slides with pricing comparisons are also included.”
6. Close With a Call to Action
Every sales email needs a clear call to action to guide the prospect on what you’d like them to do next.
The CTA should be related to advancing the sales discussion and process. Some examples include:
- Let me know if you would like to schedule a product demo
- Please feel free to reach out if you have any other questions
- Give me a call to discuss next steps
Avoid asking them to straight away “schedule a meeting”, unless you explicitly discussed that in the meeting and they agreed to it. Offer them low pressure options to engage further.
7. End With a Friendly Sign Off
Finish your thank you email with a warm sign-off:
- Regards,
- Best wishes,
- Have a great week ahead,
Adding your name and contact details helps create a complete professional signature. Avoid informal sign-offs like “Thanks!” or “Cheers” in a business setting.
Sample Thank You Emails After Sales Meetings
Now let’s look at some sample thank you emails you can use or adapt for post-sales meeting follow-up:
Sample 1: Recapping Meeting and Highlighting Benefits
“Hi Matt,
I wanted to thank you for taking the time to chat with me and Amanda yesterday. It was great learning more about the supply chain challenges Plutt’s is currently facing.
*As we discussed, our AI-powered analytics platform can provide the real-time visibility you need into inventory levels across your retail stores. This enables you to optimize supply chain logistics to avoid stockouts, reduce waste, and improve customer satisfaction. *
I will be sending across a case study from Groff’s Department Stores highlighting how our solution reduced their out-of-stocks by 20% within 3 months. Feel free to share any other use cases you may be interested in analyzing further.
Have a great rest of your week!
Best wishes,
John”
Sample 2: Follow-up with Pricing and Next Steps
“Morning Chris,
I truly enjoyed our meeting yesterday and learning about Silcorp’s content marketing initiatives for the year ahead. Thank you again for hosting us.
As promised, I have attached the pricing sheet with the annual subscription fees for our Pro and Enterprise plans. The Pro Plan at $1,299/year seems like it would fit well based on the volume and use cases we discussed.
Looking forward to speaking again soon!
Regards,
Mary”
Sample 3: After an Introductory Meeting
“Hi Anne,
It was a pleasure chatting with you earlier today at the Digital Marketing Summit. Thanks for taking a few minutes out to meet me.
As we briefly discussed, my company DataSprints helps ecommerce businesses improve their email marketing and retention through advanced data analytics and segmentation. We integrate closely with all the major ecommerce platforms.
Please feel free to reach out if DataSprints could potentially help you strengthen customer loyalty across Alexander’s online stores. I would be happy to learn more about your retention challenges and see if we may be a good fit to collaborate.
Choosing the Right Medium
When it comes to sending a thank-you email after a sales meeting, there are several ways you can go. You can send a traditional email, a handwritten note, or even a video message. The medium you choose will depend on your personal style and the nature of the relationship.
A traditional email is a safe and effective option for most situations. It allows you to express your gratitude and follow up on any action items from the meeting. If you want to add a personal touch, you can include a sentence or two about something you discussed during the meeting.
If you want to go the extra mile, you can send a handwritten note. This shows that you are willing to take the time and effort to show your appreciation. However, it may not be practical in all situations, especially if you need to send the note to multiple people.
Finally, a video message can be a great way to stand out and make a lasting impression. It allows you to convey your gratitude in a more personal and engaging way. However, it may not be suitable for all situations and may require more time and effort to produce.
When to Send the Email
It’s important to send the thank-you email as soon as possible after the meeting. This shows that you value the time and effort the other person has put in and that you are serious about building a relationship.
If you wait too long to send the email, the other person may forget about the meeting or lose interest in the conversation. On the other hand, if you send the email too soon, it may come across as insincere or rushed.
Ideally, you should send the email within 24-48 hours of the meeting. Make sure to strike the right balance and send the email at an appropriate time.
Thank you email after a business meeting.
How to write a thank you email after a sales meeting?
Before determining how to write a thank you email after a sales meeting, let’s discuss what goes into a successful follow-up email: Remember that you are writing an official letter to your potential business partner or hiring manager. Be polite and professional in everything you say. The text needs to catch the reader’s attention.
What is a follow-up thank you email after a sales meeting?
A follow-up thank you email after a sales meeting is exactly what it sounds like: a message thanking your prospect for their time. Although it may seem simple, it is an essential part of creating reliable business relations. There are many ways to tell a person that you appreciate the opportunity to get acquainted with them.
How do you thank people for attending a meeting?
Taking time out of your day to attend a meeting isn’t always easy. Instead of getting important work done, you are using your valuable time to be at a meeting. Therefore, it is important to show your appreciation and thank your meeting attendees. For example, sending a thank you email after a sales meeting could be a crucial step in closing.
What does a thank you email after a meeting mean?
[Your Name] To me, a “Thank You” email after a meeting affirms that the meeting itself was constructive. It shows that you’re interested in starting and sustaining a productive relationship with your contact.
