Sales email templates exist because structure works. The problem isn't templates, it's that most reps use them unchanged, at scale, for years, and buyers have become extraordinarily good at recognising them.
A template that worked in 2021 is now a signal that your email was not written by a human who thought about you specifically. That's the opposite of the impression you want to make.
The right way to use email templates is as a starting framework, a structure and an approach, that you personalise enough to seem genuine, because it is. Here are templates for each stage of the sales process, along with notes on what to personalise.
Why most email templates don't work
Most templates fail for the same reason: they open with something about the sender, not the recipient. "Hi [Name], I'm reaching out because I help companies like yours..." is a me-first email. The prospect's first instinct is to close it.
Good sales emails open with something specific about the recipient, their company, their situation, something they've said publicly, or a shared connection, before introducing who you are or what you offer.
The other common failure: templates end with a vague call to action. "Let me know if you'd like to chat" puts all the friction on the prospect. End with one specific, low-commitment ask, a yes/no question or a direct calendar link.
Cold outreach: making first contact
The goal of a cold email is not to close a deal. It's to earn a 20-minute conversation. Everything else is noise.
Subject: [Specific observation about their company or role]
Hi [Name],
[One sentence showing you've done your research, something specific about their company, role, or a recent announcement that's relevant to what you do].
We help [companies like theirs / teams of their size] [specific outcome, not feature list]. [One concrete example of result a similar company got].
Worth a 20-minute call to see if there's a fit? Here's a link to my calendar: [link].
[Your name]
What to personalise: the observation in the first line, and the specific outcome in the second paragraph. The research investment here is five minutes per prospect, not an hour. LinkedIn profile, company website, and recent news is enough.
Post-demo follow-up
Send this within 24 hours of a demo. Its job is to confirm what was discussed, anchor the next step, and provide a reference document the prospect can share internally.
Subject: Following up from today's call, [their company name]
Hi [Name],
Thanks for the time today. Quick summary of what we covered and where we landed:
• Their situation: [one sentence describing the problem they described]
• What we walked through: [features shown, relevant to their specific problem]
• Open questions: [anything that came up that needs follow-up]
• Agreed next step: [specific action] by [specific date]
Happy to send over [relevant case study / pricing breakdown / technical docs] if that would help move things forward on your side.
Talk [day of agreed next step].
[Your name]
Following up on a proposal
Use this after you've sent a proposal and reached the agreed follow-up date without a response. Never open with "just checking in."
Subject: Re: [Proposal name], quick question
Hi [Name],
We agreed to catch up this week on the proposal. Did you get a chance to review it with [the other stakeholder they mentioned]?
If there are questions or anything that needs adjusting, happy to jump on a call and work through it. I can also [specific thing that would help them move forward, more detail on a section, pricing alternative, etc.].
[One question that's easy to answer yes or no to]
[Your name]
Re-engaging a cold deal
For deals that have gone quiet after multiple attempts. Reference something new, a product update, a customer story, a market development, rather than repeating the original pitch.
Subject: Something that might be relevant for [their company]
Hi [Name],
We last spoke in [month] about [the problem they described]. I know timing wasn't right then.
[One sentence about something that has changed, a new feature, a customer success story from a similar company, a development in their industry], made me think of you.
Still worth a conversation, or has the situation changed? Either way, happy to reconnect whenever it makes sense.
[Your name]
The breakup email
After five unanswered attempts, send this. It sounds counterintuitive, but removing pressure often generates a response when nothing else did.
Subject: Should I close this out?
Hi [Name],
I've tried a few times to connect and don't want to keep bothering you if timing is off or priorities have shifted.
Should I close this conversation out, or is there a better time to pick this up?
Either way, no pressure, just want to respect your time.
[Your name]
The reason this works: it's the only email in the sequence that asks for nothing and removes all friction. Responding to close something out is easy. It also frequently prompts a reply explaining what changed, which reopens the conversation.
All of these templates work better when you have context on what's been discussed. That's what BCC email logging gives you, a full email history on every deal, so you always know exactly where the conversation left off.
Try Klooser free
Stop losing deals to a messy pipeline.
14 days free, no credit card.
The simple CRM built for small sales teams. Every feature included from day one.
Start free trial →