Breakup Email Templates
A breakup email is the last message in a sequence. It tells the prospect you'll stop, and makes it easy to reply with "not now", "talk to someone else" or "actually, yes". HubSpot reports a 76% response rate for Bryan Kreuzberger's "Permission to close your file?" email, which the first template here is modeled on.
The last email in a sequence. Close the loop politely and make it easy to say "not now" or point you to someone else.
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{{Purple}} fields are merge fields your sending tool can fill. [Amber] lines are the part you research and write for each person. That part is what gets the reply.
Download all 68 as a PDFBreakup emails
Close the file
The last email of a sequence, after three or four with no reply.
Subject: closing your fileOr try: permission to close your file
Hi {{firstName}}, I've sent a few notes about [problem], so I'll assume the timing is off and close your file for now. If I've got that wrong, reply with a number: 1. Interested, let's talk 2. Not now, try me in [month] 3. Not interested, please stop {{senderName}}
Why it works: It takes the pressure off and makes replying almost effortless. HubSpot reports a 76% response rate for Bryan Kreuzberger's "Permission to close your file?" email, which this one is modeled on. (48 words)
Check back later?
When they've shown some interest but keep going quiet.
Subject: checking back in [month]
Hi {{firstName}}, Sounds like now isn't the moment for [topic], which is fair. Should I check back in [month], when [reason timing may be better, e.g. "next year's budget is set"]? If so, I'll set a reminder and won't email before then. {{senderName}}
Why it works: It swaps a sales ask for a scheduling question most people can answer in a word, and it turns a dead thread into a dated follow-up. (43 words)
Last email, ask for a name
When you suspect you've been emailing the wrong person.
Subject: the right person for [area]
Hi {{firstName}}, I'll stop emailing about [topic] after this one. If someone else at {{companyName}} looks after [area], would you point me their way? A name is enough. Thanks either way, {{senderName}}
Why it works: Even someone who isn't interested can answer this in five seconds, and a name from inside the company makes your next email warm. (32 words)
Leave something useful
To end a sequence on a good note with someone you'd like to hear from later.
Subject: one last thing for {{companyName}}
Hi {{firstName}}, This is my last note. Here's [something you'd normally share on a call: a teardown, benchmark or template] for [their team], no strings attached: [link] If [problem] comes up later, you know where to find me. {{senderName}}
Why it works: Ending with a gift leaves a good last impression, and a thank-you reply reopens the conversation on friendly terms. (39 words)
How to use the Breakup Email Templates
- 1
Pick the template
Each one says when to send it. Choose the one that matches what just happened with this prospect.
- 2
Fill in the gaps
Your sending tool fills the purple merge fields. Write the amber lines yourself for each person: that research is what earns the reply.
- 3
Copy and send
Copy the subject and body into your email or sending tool, read it once out loud, and send.
More cold email templates
The full set of 68 cold email templates has every situation on one page, with a six-step follow-up sequence and the research behind each rule. Or jump to another situation:
- First-Touch Cold Email Templates
- Trigger Event Email Templates
- LinkedIn Follow-Up Email Templates
- Referral and Intro Email Templates
- Follow-Up Email Templates
- Event and Meeting Follow-Up Templates
- Re-Engagement Email Templates
- Sales Reply Email Templates
- Cold Email Templates for Agencies
- Founder and Partnership Email Templates
Get all 68 templates as a PDF
One file to keep next to your sending tool: every template with its subject lines and when to send it, plus the six-step follow-up sequence.
Need the address first? The Email Permutator lists every likely format for a name, and the Company Email Pattern Finder works out the one a company uses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do breakup emails work?
Often, because they take the pressure off. HubSpot reports a 76% response rate for Bryan Kreuzberger's "Permission to close your file?" email. Send one only after three or four unanswered emails, so it reads as closing the loop rather than a push.
When should I send a breakup email?
After three or four emails with no reply, usually two to three weeks into a sequence. Josh Braun warns that sending one too early can come across as confrontational.
Should a breakup email be funny?
Keep it polite rather than cheeky. 30 Minutes to President's Club advises against joke multiple-choice options; plain numbered choices, like the ones here, make replying easy without mocking the reader.
What if they reply to a breakup email with "not now"?
Thank them, ask when to check back, and set a reminder. The "check back later" template here turns a dead thread into a dated follow-up.