Sales Follow-Up Prompts by Industry (Steal Whichever Fits)

Generic follow-up emails are why prospects ghost. "Just following up" is the most dangerous phrase in sales. Industry-specific follow-ups, in the language of the buyer's day, get responses.

These prompts produce follow-ups that sound like a peer wrote them. One per major industry I work in.

CPA / Tax Practice

``` Draft a sales follow-up to a CPA partner who didn't reply to the proposal.

Days since proposal: {DAYS} What we proposed: {SUMMARY} What's happening in their world right now: {SEASONAL_CONTEXT (e.g., busy season, extension season, year-end planning)} Last thing they said in any conversation: {LAST_QUOTE}

Voice: peer-to-peer, not vendor-to-buyer. Reference the seasonal context (they're either in fire-fighting mode or in planning mode, and the follow-up needs to acknowledge which).

Length: 3-5 sentences.

Banned phrases: "just checking in", "wanted to follow up", "circling back", "any thoughts", "did you have a chance".

If it's busy season: acknowledge it directly, offer to wait until after April 15, and propose a specific date. If it's planning season: bring a new angle — a related insight from another firm we've worked with, a relevant regulatory change, a deadline they should know about. ```

The seasonal switch is the magic. A follow-up that acknowledges "I know it's March 30, I won't bother you again until April 20" lands better than any pitch.

Wealth Management / RIA

``` Draft a sales follow-up to a wealth management firm partner.

Days since last contact: {DAYS} What we discussed: {SUMMARY} Current market context: {MARKET_NOTES} Their AUM and team size: {SIZE_CONTEXT}

Voice: thoughtful, calm, long-term-oriented. Wealth managers value advisors who are not transactional.

Length: 4-6 sentences.

Lead with one specific observation about something happening in their segment of the wealth space (a regulatory update, a competitive move, a client-side trend). Connect it to what we'd discussed.

End with a low-stakes next step. Not a meeting. Maybe a short call, maybe a document to review.

Banned: anything that sounds urgent. Anything that mentions returns or performance specifically. Anything that treats them like a buyer who's not paying attention. ```

Wealth managers respond to thoughtful, not pushy. Match the energy of how they treat their own clients.

Law Firm

``` Draft a sales follow-up to a managing partner of a law firm.

Days since last contact: {DAYS} What we discussed: {SUMMARY} Practice area: {AREA} Firm size: {SIZE}

Voice: precise, respectful of their time, no fluff. Attorneys are trained to spot waffle words.

Length: 3-4 sentences max.

Format: - Sentence 1: One specific thing relevant to their practice area that's changed recently - Sentence 2: How our prior discussion connects - Sentence 3: One specific question or proposed next step - Sentence 4 (optional): A close that respects their time

Banned: passive voice, hedge words ("might," "could potentially," "perhaps"), generic claims, anything that sounds like template content. ```

The 4-sentence limit forces precision. Lawyers respond to precision.

Coaching / Consulting

``` Draft a sales follow-up to an executive or business coach.

Days since last contact: {DAYS} What we discussed: {SUMMARY} Their stated business size: {AUM_OR_REVENUE_OR_CLIENT_COUNT} Their personality from prior conversations: {PERSONALITY_NOTES}

Voice: warm, reflective, direct. Coaches value emotional intelligence and notice when a follow-up tries too hard.

Length: 5-7 sentences.

Open with a specific thing they said in the prior conversation that's stuck with you. Tie it to a recent observation. Pivot to whether we should keep the conversation going.

End with a low-pressure next step. A book recommendation, a related resource, or a specific time-bound call invitation (not "let me know when you're free").

Banned: anything overly polished. Anything that sounds like a sales sequence. Anything that suggests this is one of many follow-ups. ```

Coaches can smell template energy from a mile away. Each follow-up has to feel like a one-of-one note.

Trades / Service Business

``` Draft a sales follow-up to an owner of a service business (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, etc.).

Days since last contact: {DAYS} What we discussed: {SUMMARY} Their season: {BUSY/SLOW/SHOULDER} Their fleet size: {NUMBER_OF_TRUCKS_OR_TECHS}

Voice: direct, no-bullshit, peer-of-the-owner. They are not interested in jargon or process.

Length: 3-4 sentences.

Lead with the dollar number. "If we did what we talked about, here's what changes." Specific. Real.

Then one question. Not "are you ready to move forward." Something like "what would it take for you to give this a 60-day trial."

Banned: any vendor language. Any consulting-speak. Anything that doesn't lead with a number. ```

Trades owners are the most direct buyers in any industry. Match the directness.

The meta-pattern

Notice what each prompt has: - Industry-specific seasonal context - Voice constraint matched to the buyer's industry culture - Length constraint (different by industry — lawyers shortest, coaches longest) - Specific banned phrases that don't work in that industry - A close that fits the industry's pace

A generic sales follow-up prompt cannot produce these differences. You need the industry context in the prompt.

What I do in practice

I have 8-12 industry-specific prompts saved as Raycast snippets. Before any follow-up I select the right one and fill placeholders.

The follow-up takes 90 seconds to generate, 60 seconds to edit, 30 seconds to send. 3 minutes total.

Without these, the same follow-ups would take 10-15 minutes and would land less well.

Reply rate change

When I switched from generic to industry-specific follow-ups, reply rates on the second touch went from about 18% to about 34%. The third touch went from 9% to 22%.

These are my numbers across about 400 sequences. Your industries will differ. The direction will not.

The deciding factor

Match the energy of the buyer's industry, not the energy of generic sales advice. A direct trades email feels rude to a coach. A reflective coaching email feels slow to a trades owner.

Prompt your AI to match the industry. The output will land.