Breaking up with a prospect isn’t really easy. Especially if you’ve worked so hard to build a strong relationship. But there are times when it’s important to part ways and pursue alternative options. The trick is to do it in a way that respects their time and attention while also leaving the door open for future conversations. Let’s check out the breakup emails that can do this job for you!
These templates not only make the process simpler but also boost the likelihood that your prospect will respond. These emails are created to be courteous, expert, and customized while attending to the particular requirements and concerns of your prospect.
What is a Sales break up email?
A sales breakup email is your final chance to win over a prospect before they are removed from your sales pipeline for good. Unlike in real life, where the purpose of a breakup is to end a relationship, sales break-up emails have precisely the opposite objective. Break-up emails are the last attempt to re-engage a prospect.
The reason is hardly difficult to understand. With a median ROI of 122% (Source), email marketing is extremely rewarding. No way a marketer would let go of their prospects easily.
What makes a breakup email unique in their challenge is that they are the last attempt to woo back your prospect (unless you plan to follow up with another breakup email 🙂 ). That means they’re a last-ditch effort: if your prospect isn’t going to respond, you’ve lost them for good.
The good news is that breakup emails when done right, can get your prospects to respond quickly and positively.
Tips to send breakup emails
- Personalize the email: Address your prospect by name and include specific details about your previous conversations.
- Be polite and professional: Even if you’re ending the relationship, it’s important to maintain a respectful and professional tone.
- Keep it short and sweet: Your prospect is likely busy and doesn’t have time to read a long email. Keep your message concise and to the point.
- Explain your decision: Give a clear reason for why you’re ending the relationship. This helps to avoid any confusion and shows that you’ve put thought into the decision.
- Offer value: Even though you’re ending the sales conversation, offer something of value to your prospect. This could be a referral, a resource, or a piece of advice.
- Provide a CTA: End your email with a call to action that encourages your prospect to reply. This could be a question, a request for feedback, or an invitation to connect in the future.
- Test and optimize: Experiment with different subject lines, email copy, and calls to action to see what works best for your audience. Use A/B testing to compare the effectiveness of different email versions.
Here are the 10 Breakup emails your prospects will notice
1. The Humor Angle
Humor is effective, but it’s also risky.
That’s because it’s highly culture-centric. Besides, humor can easily get distorted when you’re writing to someone whose first language isn’t the same as the one you’re writing the email in. Finally, there’s the risk it could fall flat and not leave the impact you thought it would.
That said, you’ll appreciate the following sample:
| Sub: My first date and my emails Hi Zac, This isn’t something I’m proud of, but I’ll confess nevertheless. The emails I keep sending you; remind me of my first date! My first date was with Niki and – you guessed it – I was stood up on that date! Yeah, like I waited for nearly an hour at Zoomies’, the great deli by my high school, and she never turned up 🙁 And when you don’t respond to my emails, all those memories come back to haunt me. Any chance we can catch up on a 15-minute call later this week? Or is it goodbye for now? Best, Neil PS: Despite that, I still think Niki is the nicest person I’ve known – we’ve been married for 12 years now! |
The key factor: This is an example of self-deprecating humor. Because we’ve all heard such instances, it’s easy to identify with the situation.
The let-me-take-one-last-chance CTA (‘Any chance we can catch up…’) rounds off the email nicely.
And the last line ensures you don’t think Niki is a mean girl. And saying this shows you in good light as well!
2. The Exaggerated Story
Well, not so exaggerated as to make your prospects wince, just enough interesting to get you the email engagement you’re looking for.
Here goes:
| Sub: Our elves are sobbing! Hi Kelly, Do you know we have small elves sitting inside our email system? These elves are soft and sensitive creatures – and they get hurt a lot! These elves really care for you – all they were looking for was a simple email reply from you! So like when we sent you three emails and you didn’t respond, they felt so deeply hurt. They sat in a corner and nearly wept themselves to death. No cake, no pastry would make them change their mind! These elves have lost interest in everything else – they sit by our inbox all day long and keep staring and waiting for that ‘Ding!’ sound that’d ring out the moment your reply would land up in our inbox. Kinda sad, ain’t it? I’m not insisting you hit ‘Reply’ but if you think you’d like to light up their faces and their lives, that’d be the thing to do. Will you? Or it’s just goodbye? Best, Adam |
The key factor: Needs no explanation. It’s the story factor that keeps the prospect reading on right till the end.
And after that, the two words, ‘Will you?’ are short yet powerful enough to move the toughest negotiator. Email responses from your prospects will come in flying – be ready!
3. The Plain-speak Breakup Email
This style is not uncommon in email marketing yet it suits a few products and prospects and not others.
Check it out:
| Sub: Costs not a priority now? Hi Alice, I’ve written to you a few times but I haven’t heard back from you. So I’m assuming improving staff productivity <or whatever is your key selling point> isn’t your current priority. Anytime you need help with that, I’ll be happy to take it up again. Take care. Jay |
The key factor: This is short and crisp, but there’s a subtle force here. Even while breaking up, you are hinting at what the prospect is missing by not responding (staff productivity, in this case).
This approach seems to work best when you’ve got the right prospect. The right prospect, by the way, is one whose profile best matches that of your buyer persona.
Go ahead, and try this clean-cut email.
4. The Reconnect Hook
Breakup emails should not burn your bridges.
When you’re saying goodbye, make sure you leave something with which to put your foot in again. Here’s a sample:
| Sub: Your comprehensive guide Hi Boris, I haven’t heard from you so I’m assuming this isn’t the time you’d want to discuss how our <product feature>. It just so happens that I found a comprehensive guide for companies considering the import of casters <or whatever product>. I think you’ll find it hugely useful, so here it is:<Link> Let me know when you’d again want to discuss this. Best, Nora |
The key factor: This email looks like it’s an extension of the plain-speak break-up email, but it’s not. The objective here is to share something valuable even when you’re not going to do business together, at least not right now.
So the focus here is to show how you genuinely want to help your prospect, sales or no sales.
While this email cannot guarantee an immediate reply, you’ve already done a favor by sharing something of value. It’s a very small favor, but a favor nevertheless, and people are always keen to return the favor whenever possible.
As a result, you’re going to be the first person your prospect will reach out to when they’re ready to discuss.
5. The Confident Email
It’s important to feel proud of whatever you sell. And it’s also important that this feeling comes through in the email nicely, without sounding vain.
Here’s an example of how you can use your faith in your product to get email responses:
| Sub: Here’s why I’m so persistent Hi Hafeez, You’re probably wondering why I’m being so persistent. Am I so desperate to sell? Yes, I’m keen to get this going but for a different reason. I’ve studied <name of prospect company> pretty closely. And I’m increasingly convinced your flattening sales curve can be upturned with the Sales Training Program (STP) we have in mind for you. Hafeez, I’m confident our 5-day STP will transform the way you close deals. And that’s why I simply don’t want<name of prospect company> to ignore this. A short 10-minute call is all that will take to show you how this will work. I don’t see you saying no! Best, Adi |
The key factor: This email rests on your, i.e. the sender’s confidence in the product. Directly relating the product you sell with the clear benefits your prospect will likely get is a great way to win back prospects.
Phrases like I’m keen to… and I’m increasingly convinced … make this email sound like a friend making a product recommendation. Such a style is important, or the email would sound self-centered and fluffy.
Notice how the ghostwriter has used the prospect’s name in the middle of the email. That’s done to make this sound conversational and improve the chances of email engagement, but more importantly, that’s done to shake off any impression of excessive pride the email might have given.
6. The Last Offer Email
The goal of this email is to make a final push to close a sale or get the recipient to take action.
| Sub: Final Offer – [Product/ValueName] Hey [Name], I wanted to touch base with you regarding the [product/service name] that we previously discussed. As you know, we have been in communication about the possibility of you purchasing our [product/service]. I understand that there may have been some hesitation on your part, and I wanted to assure you that our product/service is of the highest quality and has received great feedback from our other customers. I wanted to extend one last offer to you to purchase the [product/service] at a discounted price of [price]. This offer will expire in [number of days], after which the price will return to its original amount. I understand that you may need some more time to consider this offer, but please keep in mind that this is the final offer that we will be extending. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. Thank you for considering this offer, and I hope to hear back from you soon. Best Adam. |
The key factor: Urgency. Providing a deadline for the recipient to take advantage of the final offer, creates a sense of urgency and encourages them to take action sooner rather than later.
This can be an effective motivator for those who may be on the fence about making a purchase or taking the next step in a business transaction.
Additionally, the emphasis on the high quality of the product can help address any objections or concerns they may have and increase the perceived value of the offer.
7. The Worrisome Email
This email expresses concern about the prospect’s silence and attempts to re-engage and encourage them to take action, whether that means responding to the email, expressing interest in the solution, or letting you know that they are not interested at this time.
An example-
| Subj: Concerned about your silence Hey[ First Name], I wanted to check in and see how you’ve been since our last conversation. I hope everything is going well for you. I noticed that I haven’t heard back from you since our last interaction. I understand that you may be busy or that something may have come up, but I wanted to make sure that everything is okay on your end. As an SDR, my main focus is to provide you with the best possible solution that meets your needs. I am here to help you in any way that I can, and if there’s anything you need assistance with, please do not hesitate. If you are interested in our solution or not interested right now, please let me know either way so that I can update my records and avoid any future follow-ups that may be unwanted. Thank you for your time, and I hope to hear back from you soon. Best regards, Adam |
The key factor: The key factor is to express concern and provide reassurance to the prospect while also emphasizing the value of your solution.
In the email, you can express concern about the lack of response and offer assistance if needed. You can also give the prospect an easy out by acknowledging that they may not be interested in your solution at this time.
By doing so, you can avoid future follow-ups that may be unwanted and also show that you respect their time and decision-making process.
8. The Reason-choosing Email
In all other emails, we try to convince them to write a reason for their no response. This break-up email requires recipients to select a reason rather than write one.
Example-
| Hey [First name] This will be my last email. Since I did not hear back from you after multiple emails, I’m assuming you’re either very busy or are not interested in the product. I’d love to know the reason so that we can either part ways or take the next step. Please let me know- which one of the following reasons best describes your current situation. 1. I have a product that serves that works well. 2. It’s not a priority for us right now 3. I’m not interested in your product. 4. I’ve been really busy the past few weeks. Contact me next week. 5. The budget is tight at this moment. Let me know this and I’ll not contact you unless you want me to! Best, Adam |
9. The Acceptance Email
Let the prospect know that you’ve accepted the fact that it’s not going to work anymore. Simply state the fact and ask if you can discuss the opportunity for the last time.
An example:
| Hey [Prospect name], I wanted to follow up with you to see if there have been any updates or changes in your business that might make [product name] more relevant to you. We’ve continued to enhance our offerings, and I believe we can provide valuable solutions to the challenges your business may be facing. I understand that circumstances change, and you may no longer be interested in our offerings. However, I’m genuinely interested in hearing your thoughts and seeing how we can assist you. If you have a few minutes to discuss this further, I’d be happy to schedule a call at a time that suits you. Alternatively, if you’re not interested, please let me know, and I’ll not bother you again. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing back from you soon. Best regards, Adam |
The Key factor: Here, the key factor is to convey a genuine interest in the prospect and a willingness to listen to their needs. It’s essential to avoid coming across as pushy or insincere, as this may turn the prospect off.
By being friendly, respectful, and open-minded, you can increase the chances of re-engaging with the prospect and moving the sales process forward.
10. The CEO’s Email
Not only prospects, but people generally tend to hesitate before ignoring an email from a CEO or someone high up in the leadership team. Craft and design the email and let them send it from their email IDs.
An example:
| Sub: Thank you for your time Hey [Prospect name], My name is X, CEO of [Company name]. One of my sales reps, [Sales rep name], brought to my notice that you recently had a chance to try out our product in a demo. As the leader of our organization, I’m committed to ensuring that we provide the best possible service to our customers. That’s why I wanted to reach out and check in on your experience with our product. Did the demo meet your expectations? Is there anything we can do to improve? We value your business and would love the opportunity to work with you in the future. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or if there’s anything we can do to support your needs. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Best regards, [CEO name] |
The Key factor: This email from high-ranking executives of a company is not easily ignorable. People will think twice before taking action.
It’s about feeling important. People feel respected and valued when they receive such personalized messages from the top leadership. For the same reason, giving a proper reply becomes obviously crucial there.
So you can expect a response from a prospect once the CEO or any other top executive sends an email.
Key takeaways
The whole idea behind writing a breakup email is to receive a response from the prospects who have gone cold. Your breakup emails should convey that you’d like to know if the other party would want to discontinue their sales relationship.
Clearly state that you’re open to ending the relationship if they want the same too. Write the breakup emails in a professional and respectful tone. Keep it concise and to the point.
Most importantly, your subject line should clearly indicate that the email is a breakup email. Before sending the email, edit and proofread it carefully to avoid any errors or misunderstandings.