Guide to write follow-up emails post-discovery calls. Summarize takeaways, reinforce value, book next meet. Craft under 160 chars.
A discovery call, also sometimes referred to as an introductory call or consultation, is an important first conversation when exploring a business relationship. During this initial interaction, both parties share information to determine if working together is a good potential fit.
The discovery call sets the stage for moving forward. Following up properly after the call is crucial to continue building rapport and momentum. A well-crafted email reminds the prospect about your discussion, reinforces shared goals, and propels next steps.
This article provides tips and guidelines for writing an effective discovery call follow-up email. The goal is to summarize key points, propose logical next actions, and position yourself as a helpful expert. With a thoughtful and strategic follow-up message, you can increase the likelihood of converting an initial connection into an ongoing business relationship.
Start your follow-up email by expressing gratitude for the prospect's time and participation in your initial call or meeting. A few sentences thanking them for the opportunity shows that you respect their time and valued the conversation.
For example, you could say:
"Thank you for taking the time to speak with me earlier today. I really enjoyed our conversation and appreciated learning more about [company name] and your goals for [insert goal discussed]."
Or:
"I wanted to reach out and thank you again for meeting with me. I know your time is valuable, so I appreciate you making room in your schedule to connect."
This helps start the email on a positive note while also positioning you as respectful of their time. People like to feel valued and acknowledged, so thanking them upfront is an important piece.
The purpose of recapping key takeaways is to reiterate the main points from your initial discussion and highlight shared insights that were uncovered. This helps both parties align on interests, goals, or potential obstacles that were identified.
When recapping, succinctly summarize 3-4 of the most salient discussion points from the call. For example:
Avoid simply rehashing the whole conversation. Be selective and focus on the pieces most relevant to moving the relationship forward. Use this section to affirm that you were listening closely and share the same perspective on the path ahead.
During our discovery call, we discussed several shared interests that show great potential for a partnership between our companies. In particular, we are both looking to expand in the [industry] sector and attract more [customer persona] to our products and services.
I was excited to hear that you are prioritizing [goal mentioned] this quarter - that is one of our top goals as well. We also face similar challenges around [common challenge discussed], so it seems we could benefit from collaborating and sharing strategies on overcoming that hurdle.
Our shared passion for delivering top-notch [service/product] to [target customer] really stood out during our discussion. We are clearly aligned on wanting to provide the best customer experience and set new standards in [niche]. I'm confident that working together, we can accomplish that aim even faster.
Let me know if I missed any other shared goals or interests that you noted during our call. I believe the commonalities between our businesses present some truly promising partnership opportunities. Looking forward to exploring those more.
The discovery call provided an excellent opportunity to discuss our shared interests and potential ways we could work together. Now it's time to take the next step.
Given our conversation, I believe it would be very beneficial if we [met again next week to explore X more deeply] or [hopped on a quick call Thursday to walk through the Y proposal I'm drafting].
I'm excited about the possibility of [working together/partnering/collaborating] and look forward to [advancing our discussion/moving forward with next steps/taking this to the next level]. Please let me know if you would like to schedule some time to connect again soon. I'm happy to share additional details about [my experience/our services/the project plan] or answer any other questions you may have.
The discovery call was a productive first step, and I'm optimistic about where we go from here. I'm ready to [dive deeper/explore further/take things to the next level] whenever you are. Just say the word, and we can get the ball rolling on next steps. Looking forward to it!
The follow-up email is a great opportunity to offer your assistance to the prospect. Make it clear that you are available and eager to help them in any way you can. Some things you can offer help with:
Use a friendly and helpful tone when offering your assistance. This shows the prospect you are committed to helping them have a positive experience, even if they aren't ready to move forward yet.
Offer to make things as easy as possible for them. Don't apply pressure, just make it clear you are ready and willing to help. The right assistance could tip the scales in your favor.
Be sure to make it easy for the prospect to contact you going forward. Include your phone number, email address, and any other relevant contact information right in the email.
For example:
My cell phone number is 555-123-4567. Feel free to call or text me if you'd like to discuss further. My email is jane@company.com. I'm also available on Skype (my Skype ID is janesmith). Please don't hesitate to reach out via your preferred channel.
I'm looking forward to continuing our conversation and learning more about how we can potentially work together. Don't hesitate to get in touch!
It can be helpful to share additional resources that are relevant to your discussion. This shows you were paying attention and provides value to the prospect.
Some examples of additional resources to share:
When sharing these, include a quick personalized note explaining why it's relevant and how it could be useful to them.
For example:
"John, I thought you'd find this ebook interesting given your plans to expand to a new market. It has some great insights on international growth strategy."
Resources should be sent as follow up as quickly as possible after the call to reinforce your helpfulness. Avoid simply sending links; the personal context helps make the connection between the resource and your discussion.
It's important to ensure the prospect fully understands everything you discussed and doesn't have any unanswered questions. You can ask directly if they need any clarification on something you talked about.
Try framing it conversationally, such as:
"I want to make sure I explained everything clearly in our call. Do you have any other questions about what we discussed or need me to clarify anything?"
You can also summarize the key points again and ask if that aligns with their takeaways:
"To recap, we talked about [topic 1], [topic 2], and [topic 3]. Does that match your understanding of our discussion and main points? Please let me know if you need me to clarify or expand on anything."
Checking for understanding shows you care about whether the information resonated and enables you to fill any gaps in their knowledge. It also gives them a chance to get answers before proceeding.
It was a pleasure speaking with you today and learning more about your business and goals. Our discussion highlighted several potential areas where we may be able to work together and accomplish [key goals discussed]. I'm extremely excited about that possibility and look forward to continuing our conversation.
Thank you again for taking the time to speak with me. It was incredibly helpful for me to learn from someone with your background and expertise in [prospect's industry/role]. Please feel free to reach out if you would like to discuss next steps or have any other questions come up.
I will be following up in [proposed timeframe for follow-up] to check in. In the meantime, don't hesitate to contact me at [email and phone number] if I can provide any additional information or be of assistance. I look forward to the possibility of working together soon!
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