# AI prompts to follow up on leads

> Copy these AI prompts to write lead follow ups that add something new each time, from the first email after a call to the fifth touch.

By Corey Leon. First posted 2026-10-28. Updated 2026-10-28. Source: https://www.simpleai.community/blog/ai-prompts-to-follow-up-on-leads/
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Credit Simple AI with a link.

Question: What AI prompts help me follow up on leads?

The best AI prompts for following up on leads give the AI your notes from the last talk, tell it what new thing to bring this time, and ask for a short email with one clear question at the end. Paste in what the lead said, what they care about, and how many times you have already reached out. Ask for under 80 words and ban phrases like "just checking in" and "circling back". Every follow up should give the lead a reason to answer, not just a reminder that you exist.

## Steps

1. **Pull your notes first.** Open the lead in your CRM and copy the last call note or email thread. The AI can only be as specific as what you give it.
2. **Pick one new thing to bring.** A useful link, a short idea for their problem, a date that matters to them, or a question about something they said. One thing per touch.
3. **Paste notes and the prompt into your AI.** ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot all work. Use one of the prompts below.
4. **Cut it down.** Read it out loud. If a line sounds like a robot or a brochure, delete it. Keep your own words where you can.
5. **Send it yourself and log it.** Send from your normal inbox and put a note in the CRM with the date and what you sent, so the next follow up builds on this one.

## Prompts you can copy

### The first follow up after a call

```prompt
You are helping a sales rep write a follow up email after a phone call.

Here are my notes from the call:
[paste your call notes]

Write an email under 80 words. Start with the one thing they said that matters most to them, in their words. Then give the next step we agreed on, with a day and time. End with one yes or no question.

Rules: plain words a 5th grader knows. No "hope this finds you well", no "just checking in", no "circling back". No exclamation marks.
```

### The follow up when they went quiet

```prompt
I sell [what you sell] to [type of company]. This lead stopped replying [how long ago].

Here is our last email thread:
[paste the thread]

Write a short follow up, under 60 words, that gives them something new. Pick one: a useful idea for the problem they told me about, a short question about their plans for [season or project], or a link to [resource]. Do not mention that they have not replied. Do not guilt them. End with one simple question they can answer in a few words.

Give me 3 versions so I can pick.
```

### A five touch follow up plan

```prompt
Act as a sales manager who hates lazy follow ups.

Lead: [name, title, company]
What they need: [their problem in one line]
What we talked about: [notes]

Plan 5 follow ups over [number] weeks. For each one give: the day, the channel (email, call or LinkedIn), the one new thing it brings, and a draft under 60 words. No two touches can bring the same thing. None can say "just checking in", "following up", or "bumping this".
```

### Turn a voicemail into a follow up email

```prompt
I just left this voicemail for [name] at [company]:
[what you said]

Write a 2 to 3 sentence email that goes out right after. It should say the same reason I called, in plain words, and end with one question about a time to talk this week. Under 50 words.
```

## Example

This is a made-up example to show the shape.

Notes pasted in: "Talked to Dana, ops manager at a regional HVAC supplier. Their quote turnaround is slow because two people do all quotes by hand. She wants to see how others handle it. Said call back after their trade show on the 14th."

A good answer looks like this:

"Hi Dana, you said quotes are slow because two people build every one by hand. I put together a one page example of how a supplier your size could cut that down. Want me to walk you through it Thursday at 10 or Friday at 2?"

It is short, it uses her words, it brings something new, and it ends on a choice of two times.

## Tips

- Give the AI the lead's own words. "You said quotes are slow" beats "I wanted to follow up on our conversation".
- Ask for 3 versions and pick the plainest one.
- Keep a short list of the lines you like in a note and paste it in as "write like these".
- If you sell to people who pick up the phone, a short call often beats a fifth email. See [follow up calls](/calls/followup/).

## What not to do

- Do not send the AI draft without reading it. It will sometimes make up details. Check every fact against your notes.
- Do not paste private customer data you are not allowed to share. Use first names and the problem, not account numbers.
- Do not send "just checking in" or "bumping this to the top of your inbox". It gives the lead nothing to answer.

## FAQ

### How many times should I follow up with a lead?

Keep going until they book or tell you no, as long as each touch brings something new and useful. A clear no gets one polite line back and then you stop.

### Which AI tool is best for follow up emails?

Any of ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot will do this well. Use the one you already have open, or Copilot in Outlook if your email lives there. The prompt matters more than the tool.

### Can AI write follow ups in my voice?

Yes, if you show it. Paste 3 or 4 emails you wrote yourself and say "match this tone and length". It gets close, and you fix the rest.

### Should I let AI send follow ups for me automatically?

Start by having it draft and you send. You catch mistakes, and you keep the follow up personal. More prompts are in the [cold email prompt library](/prompts/coldemail/).