home / skills / humanizerai / agent-skills / follow-up

follow-up skill

safe

/skills/follow-up

This skill writes concise follow-up emails that re-engage prospects using proven psychology and a clear call to action.

npx playbooks add skill humanizerai/agent-skills --skill follow-up

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

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SKILL.md

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---
name: follow-up
description: Write follow-up emails that re-engage without being annoying. Uses proven psychology for follow-up sequences. 42% of replies come from follow-ups.
user-invocable: true
argument-hint: "[original email context] [days since sent] [follow-up number 1-3]"
---

# Write Follow-Up Email

Generate a follow-up email that re-engages prospects who didn't respond.

## Input

Parse $ARGUMENTS for:
- **Original email** or context of first outreach
- **Days since last email**: How long ago was it sent
- **Follow-up number**: Is this #1, #2, or #3?
- **New context** (optional): News, trigger events, new value to offer

If original context is missing, ask for the key points from the first email.

## Strategy by Follow-Up Number

### Follow-up #1 (3-5 days after)
- Assume they're busy, not uninterested
- Add new value or angle
- Keep it shorter than original

### Follow-up #2 (7-10 days after)
- Try a different approach
- Share a relevant insight or resource
- Reframe the value prop

### Follow-up #3 (14+ days after)
- "Break-up" email or permission-based close
- Give them an easy out
- Last attempt before moving on

## Frameworks

### The Bump
- Quick, friendly nudge
- "Floating this back up" energy
- Best for follow-up #1

### The Value-Add
- Share something useful (article, insight, idea)
- Shows you're thinking about their problems
- Best for follow-up #2

### The Breakup
- "Should I close your file?"
- Creates urgency without pressure
- Best for follow-up #3

## Hard Rules

1. **Shorter than original** - Each follow-up gets shorter
2. **New angle**: Don't just repeat the first email
3. **No guilt trips**: "I haven't heard back" sounds needy
4. **No "just checking in"**: Empty phrase, add value instead
5. **Reference original**: Brief callback to first email
6. **One CTA**: Same or simplified ask
7. **30-75 words max**: Follow-ups should be scannable

## What NOT to Write

- "I wanted to follow up on my last email" (weak opener)
- "I'm sure you're busy but..." (apologetic)
- Resending the exact same email
- Being passive-aggressive about no response
- Multiple CTAs or new complex asks

## Output Format

```
Subject: Re: [original subject] or [new short subject]

[Email body]

[First name]
```

**Framework used:** [which one]
**What's different:** [how this differs from original]
**Word count:** [number]

Overview

This skill writes concise follow-up emails that re-engage prospects without sounding pushy. It uses proven psychological tactics and three tailored frameworks to increase reply rates. The outputs are short, value-focused, and follow clear timing and length rules.

How this skill works

The skill parses inputs: the original outreach, days since last email, follow-up number (#1–#3), and any new context or trigger. It selects a framework (Bump, Value-Add, or Breakup) and generates a subject line, a 30–75 word body, a single clear CTA, and meta notes about strategy and word count. If original context is missing, it prompts for the key points of the first message.

When to use it

After the initial outreach when no reply was received
When you need to try a new angle without annoying the recipient
To share a timely insight or resource that adds value
Before closing a lead or moving on to other prospects
When you want a final, permission-based close

Best practices

Keep each follow-up shorter than the original email
Use a new angle each time—don’t resend the same message
Include one simple CTA and make it easy to respond
Reference the original outreach briefly, without guilt
Match timing to follow-up number: 3–5, 7–10, and 14+ days

Example use cases

Follow-up #1: Quick bump three days after the first pitch with a fresh benefit
Follow-up #2: Share a relevant article or insight as a reason to re-open the conversation
Follow-up #3: Send a break-up message offering an easy out and one last chance to engage
Re-engaging old leads with a new product update or case study
Following up after a trade show or networking event when context has changed

FAQ

What if I don’t have the original email text?

Provide the main points and the original ask; the skill will craft a reference and build a follow-up from those key facts.

How long should follow-ups be?

Aim for 30–75 words and a single clear CTA; each follow-up should be shorter than the previous message.