How to Compose a Break-Up Email That Will Generate a Response6 min read

After numerous attempts to catch your prospect’s eye and get them to respond to you fail, it’s probably time to make that hard decision and bid them goodbye. 

Don’t hesitate to eliminate a non-responsive prospect from your funnel, because if it stays there for too long, it will become stale. Disqualifying a bad lead is equally important as qualifying the one that’s the right fit. 

Even a “maybe,” followed by a deafening silence, has the same effect, as you have no idea whether the prospect in question opted for your competitor or abandoned the idea of making a purchase whatsoever. And you’re still stuck, clinging on even a remote possibility that things might change. 

Either way, break-up email is the right move! 

It’s more likely to prompt your prospect to respond than a regular email. 

Yes, it’s hard to part with a prospect, but on the bright side, this process will 

• keep your database clean
• help you save time and focus on prospects that are more likely to convert into paying customers
• boost your response rate. 

After this message, you’ll be able to definitely see where you stand – you’ll either find out whether a prospect is still interested or they moved on. 

A Couple of Must-Haves and No-No’s of a Compelling Break-Up Email

Before we discuss the actual crafting of a break-up email, it’s a good idea to list all the do’s and don’ts that you should take into consideration. 

1. Don’t make your prospects feel guilty

Unless you want to sound unprofessional and reek of desperation.

Don’t even think about trying to guilt-trip your prospects by saying how much time you spend trying to find the best solution for them or something like that. Being bitter will only ensure that you’ll never hear from your (once) potential customers and lead them to think that you’re just too annoying.  

Stay away from negativity as you don’t actually want to sever all the ties with them. 

2. Polish your subject line

This is an absolute must. 

While you don’t want to come off as angry, you should express your disappointment that things didn’t go as you planned. This is the right place to be emotional and catch your prospect’s eye. 

Let them know that this is a goodbye email right from the start so that your subject line should contain something along the lines of:

• Goodbye from XY Company
• This is my last email to you
• Thanks for your time 

Your recipients will be intrigued and perhaps compelled to respond. 

3. Keep it short and sweet 

And to the point! 

There’s no need to be elaborate and ask your prospects 10 questions. Instead of that, provide some relevant information about your company and a pain point you can help them with. 

Say that you won’t be writing anymore, but that they can reach out to you whenever they need some help.

It’s a good idea to include a useful resource as a sign that there are no hard feelings and that your prospects’ best interest is your priority.

4. Emphasize that you won’t bug them again 

This is a subtle trick that is supposed to play on their emotions and trigger some kind of response. Again, don’t be accusatory, but insist that this is the last time you reach out to them. You’ve got nothing to lose, so why not take a chance with this approach? 

The Anatomy of an Effective Break-Up Email 

Structure your break-up email well if you want it to bring results. 

• Your first point should be that your intention was to be a valuable asset to your prospect by offering them a solution to their pain point. This is a great opportunity to remind them what you actually do and mention one of your products’ main features that they could benefit from. Do this in no more than two to three sentences. State that your wish to be helpful and to do something good for your prospect was your main motivation. 
• Then talk about how the prospect has never responded, and say that you understand that they are busy, not interested, or that they committed to another vendor. Or you can formulate this as a question and ask them for the reason they failed to reply. Many people are willing to provide feedback, so don’t hesitate to be straightforward. 
• After that, conclude that this is your last email to them. Inform them that you value their time and that you don’t want to flood their inbox if they don’t care about receiving your messages. 
• But, leave the lines of communication open by encouraging your prospect to reach out to you whenever they have a problem or a question regarding your product or service, as well as how they can benefit from using it. Insert a link to your calendar and tell them that they can simply book an appointment whenever it suits them. 
• Provide other contact details, including your phone number, and social media accounts. You can do this by optimizing your signature and pointing your prospects to check it out. This email element is like tiny but very valuable real estate that you should take advantage of to the fullest. 

Examples 

1. Add Value Before You Go 

2. Pull Out the Big Guns and Let Your CEO Step In