Example: the owner of a small print shop in Londrina, in southern Brazil, finishes an online business round with three contacts released: a buyer from a pharmacy chain, an agency and a food manufacturer. She knows she should write today, but she gets stuck on the opening line and leaves it for tomorrow. Tomorrow becomes next week. If that sounds familiar, start with the Follow-up Generator, which drafts the message for WhatsApp, LinkedIn or email from what you talked about. This article gives you templates by situation, what to replace in each one and when each one makes sense.
Before you copy: the four parts of a follow-up message
Every template below follows the same order. Once you understand that order, you can adapt any of them without sounding like a script someone handed you.
- Who you are and where you met: your name, your company and where the conversation happened. The other person talked to many people that day; help them remember you.
- One detail from the conversation: something only the two of you know, like the supplier who keeps delivering late or the product launch planned for March. That is what separates a follow-up from a mass message.
- A single request: a meeting, a piece of information, sending a sample. Two requests in the same message usually turn into none.
- An easy reply: two time slots, a yes or no question. The less the person has to think before answering, the sooner they answer.
In the templates, whatever is in square brackets is what you replace: [name], [company], [detail from the conversation]. If you have no real detail to put there, the message loses its strength, so write down what you heard right after each conversation. The full step by step, with timing and priorities, is in the guide to following up after a business meeting.
After the business round: the first message, the same day
When both sides mark interest, contact details are released and the next move is yours. Ideally, write the same day; the limit is 48 hours, while the person still links your name to the conversation. The first message has one job: turn a short conversation into a second conversation on the calendar. This is not the moment for a catalog or a price list.
WhatsApp is widely used for everyday work in Brazil, and it is the fastest and most personal channel. Use it when the person gave you a mobile number and the conversation felt informal. Keep the message short, in blocks of two lines, and skip voice notes.
Hi [name], this is [your name] from [company]. We spoke today at the business round about [detail from the conversation]. I came away with an idea for [next step] and would like thirty minutes to show you how it would work. Does [day] at [time] or [day] at [time] suit you better?
This works well when the person is at a larger company, where WhatsApp is not the usual channel for work matters. Send the connection request with a short note and, once it is accepted, the message itself.
[Name], it was good talking to you today at the business round. I liked hearing that [their company] is [detail from the conversation]. I will send you a short summary here of how we have handled similar cases. If it makes sense, shall we set up a call next week?
Email is the right channel when the next stage involves other people, such as a buyer who needs to take the matter to the management team. The subject line has to say where you met, so the message is not mistaken for cold outreach.
- Subject: [company] and [your company]: today's conversation at the business round
- Hello [name], thank you for today's conversation. You mentioned that [detail from the conversation]. I have put together [material or example] showing how we solved this for a similar client. Could we talk on [day] at [time] so I can understand your volume better? If someone else on your team should join, just copy them on this email.
After the proposal: confirm it arrived and book the call
A proposal sent without a date to follow up is a proposal forgotten. A common mistake is to send the file and wait. Here, the follow-up message confirms it was received, points to the part that matters and suggests a call to answer questions. If the proposal itself is still unclear, review the guide on how to write a sales proposal before you ask for an answer.
Use it the day after you send the proposal by email. The only goal is to make sure the file reached the right person and did not get lost in an inbox.
[Name], yesterday I sent the proposal to your email, with the subject [subject]. The section on [timeline or terms] was built from what you told me. Could you take a look by [day]? If you prefer, I can walk you through it in fifteen minutes on a video call.
Use it three to five business days after sending, in the same thread as the proposal, so the person has the attachment at hand.
Hello [name], I am following up on the proposal I sent on [date]. To help with the decision, here it is in one line: [what you deliver, how fast and at what price]. Is anything unclear about [sensitive point, such as payment terms]? I can adjust the scope if this quarter's budget is tight.
Notice that neither one asks "did you get a chance to look?". That question forces the person to admit they have not, and it often goes unanswered. Instead, give a summary and a specific question that can be answered in one line.
No reply: the second and third follow-up
Silence does not always mean no. Often it means the person was busy, the message got pushed to later or the decision depends on someone else. The second follow-up comes about a week after the first, is shorter and brings something new. The third, if you need it, closes the topic gracefully and leaves the door open.
[Name], this week I saw [news item, industry figure or client case] and remembered our conversation about [detail]. Sharing it in case it helps. If the topic is still on your list, I am around for that quick call whenever it suits you.
The closing email is the third contact, about a week after the second (roughly two weeks after the first). It is useful because it gives the person an easy way out: replying "not now" costs very little, and a "not now" is worth more than silence, because it tells you when to come back.
Hello [name], since I have not heard back, I imagine [topic] is not a priority right now, and that is fine. I will stop writing about it here. If it comes back, for example during [likely period, such as next year's planning], just reply to this email and I will pick up where we left off.
After the third follow-up with no reply, stop. Mark the contact as stalled in your tracker and set a date to come back in a few months, with a different reason to write.
Reconnect with an old contact without apologizing
Sometimes a contact has been quiet for months: the conversation from last year's trade show, the client who bought once and disappeared. Do not open with a paragraph of apologies for the delay. Acknowledge the gap in one line and bring a concrete reason to write now.
Good for contacts who changed roles or companies. Their profile already gives you the reason for the message.
[Name], I saw you took on [new role] at [company]. Congratulations. It has been a while since we talked about [old topic], and since then we have started [news from your company]. If it fits your new challenge, I can tell you how it works in a short call.
Good for former clients and for proposals that stalled. Remind the person of what was done or discussed, without pressing for the decision from back then.
Hello [name], it has been a few months since [the last delivery or the proposal from that month]. I am writing because [new reason: new product, new region served, price change]. I thought of you because, back then, [detail you wrote down]. Would you like me to send an updated version?
This kind of reconnection only works if you wrote the detail down at the time. That is why it pays to keep contacts in a simple list, with the date of the last conversation and the next step, as the guide to organizing business contacts without a CRM explains.
Pick the channel by the moment, not by habit
The same text does not work on all three channels. The table sums up when each one tends to work best for a small business.
| Channel | When to use it | Length | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| First message the same day, proposal reminder, second follow-up | Fits on the screen without scrolling | No voice notes and no messages outside business hours | |
| Larger companies, reconnecting after a change of role | One short paragraph | A note with the invitation, not a sales pitch | |
| Proposal, decisions involving more people, closing message | Specific subject line and up to three paragraphs | Reply in the same thread so the attachment stays at hand |
When in doubt, use the channel where the person replied last time. And do not send the same text on two channels on the same day: it reads as pressure. To see how follow-up fits into a broader relationship routine, read the guide to business networking.
Where to start
Pick one stalled contact in your calendar and write to them today, using the template for the situation they are in. If you get stuck, fill in the Follow-up Generator with the name, the detail from the conversation and the next step. Then put each contact in the Follow-up Planner, with the date of the next contact, so you do not depend on memory.
Your company's first online business round is on us: all you need is an active Brazilian CNPJ (the Brazilian company registration number), once per CNPJ, and contact details are only shared when both sides mark interest. See the upcoming business rounds and leave with conversations that already call for a follow-up message the same day.