Re-engagement email template
Restarting a conversation that went quiet months ago.
A re-engagement email should acknowledge the gap in one line, give a concrete reason for writing now, and make it easy to decline. Pretending no time has passed reads as automated, which is what killed the thread in the first place.
At a glance
| Use it when | A previous conversation stalled three months ago or more |
|---|---|
| Length | 70 to 110 words |
| Tone | Low pressure, no guilt |
| Ask for | A yes or no, explicitly |
The template
Subject lines that work with it
- Worth picking this back up?
- Circling back on [topic]
- [Their company] and [your company] - still relevant?
How to write this email well
- Give a reason the timing changed: you shipped something, their situation moved, the price changed. Without a reason there is no new information to respond to.
- Offer an explicit way out. "If this is not a priority, say so and I will stop" gets more replies than a softer close.
- Do not attach the old thread. Restate the relevant part in one sentence instead.
Questions
How long should I wait before re-engaging?
Three months is usually enough for circumstances to have changed. Under a month reads as pestering.
Should I reference the old thread?
Reference it in words, do not forward it. Forwarding makes the reader do the work of remembering.
How many times can I try?
Once. If a re-engagement gets no reply, the contact is not cold, it is closed.
More cold outreach templates
Cold outreach
First touch introduction
The opening email to someone who has never heard of you.
Cold outreach
Referral introduction
Reaching someone through a mutual contact.
Use this template in Gmail
Copy the HTML above and paste it into Mailplate, the free Gmail extension that inlines the CSS so the layout survives sending. Or edit the wording directly in the preview and insert it into your message.
See Mailplate