In our last post, we showed you how to create a complete marketing automation strategy in 4 steps:
- Decide on a lifecycle marketing funnel for your startup.
- Choose the most important metrics to track at each stage of the funnel.
- Map out your customer journey.
- And create (or at least decide) what marketing automation flows you need.
You’re already on the right track to increase conversion, retention, and up-sell opportunities for your startup!
But…
Despite providing almost everything that you need to create a complete marketing automation strategy, there’s one important piece that was missing from this guide:
Powerful email sequence templates that you can reuse in your automation workflows.
Good email sequences and email copy are the barebones of a successful marketing automation flow. Yes, there are in-app messages, SMS, and push notifications, but email is still The King.
Email marketing is the king of the marketing kingdom with a 4400% ROI and $44 for every $1 spent.
The thing is…
Writing good email sequences takes a lot of time.
Fortunately for you, we got you covered. Below are the flow templates that you can choose from when creating a new flow in Encharge. They all come up with pre-filled email sequences and copy.
We packaged these email sequences into a post for you here. That way you can reuse them in your own workflows, email service provider, or marketing automation tool.
We are going to share 15 email sequences with 35 email templates that will help convert and retain more customers for your digital business.
The templates are grouped into 4 types of email sequences based on a standard lifecycle funnel for a SaaS (or a digital startup) company:
- Lead Nurturing Email Sequence Templates
- Onboarding Email Sequence (or welcome email sequence) Templates
- Product Adoption Sequence Templates
- Churn Prevention Sequence Templates
A note on outbound vs. inbound sequences: We haven’t included any outbound/unsolicited/cold email templates here. Cold email is a completely different subject – you need dedicated cold email software for that (not your typical ESP or Encharge). This guide assumes you have inbound leads and users that come to your website/landing page and leave their emails. If you want to learn more on the topic, check out our post on inbound vs. outbound marketing.
- The titles of the emails are also the Subject lines of the emails. For example: “Email 1: Download your eBook” means the subject line of the email is “Download your eBook”.
- Square brackets indicate a placeholder that you need to update to make the email relevant. For example:
[eBook]means you need to type in the name of your eBook or another lead magnet. - Curly brackets indicate a dynamic merge tag that is automatically inserted by your email provider. For example:
{{ person.firstName | default: "there" }}This is the standard formatting used in Encharge, so if you copy-paste these templates in Encharge you don’t have to change anything there.
With that out of the way, let’s get down to business.
Contents
What is an email sequence?
First things first, what do we mean when we talk about email sequences?
An email sequence is a series of pre-defined emails that get sent throughout the customer lifecycle — from the very first moment someone leaves their email and becomes a subscriber, all the way to becoming a loyal advocate of your brand.
Among marketers, sequences are also known as drip campaigns, autoresponders, and email series.
Email sequences could be time-based or behavior-based/trigger-based (for instance, when someone opens an email or does something in your app).
This is what an example of an effective email sequence looks like:
In the example above, the sequence gets triggered when a product or service trial ends. Then, based on whether the user has replied to the first email, we send the follow-up email. This allows you to create a full follow-up sequence. Also, notice the Chargebee trigger which removes the person from the sequence if they become a customer. This is an advanced sequence that combines both time-based and trigger-based triggers, but in the end of the day is a series of two emails.
Now let’s explore the first type of sequences.
Lead nurturing email sequence templates
Lead nurturing helps you convert your inbound traffic into paying customers or at least trials to start with.
For the purpose of this guide, we are going to call “leads” any email subscribers that are not users of your product, yet. These are people that have downloaded a lead magnet (eBook, worksheet, infographic.) on your site or showed interest in your product – for example, by subscribing to your product newsletter or giving you their email at an event.
The goal of the lead nurturing sequences is to make a brand new, cold lead aware and interested in your product. But also to qualify and filter out the bad leads before you try to push them down the funnel.
Companies that excel at lead nurturing generate 50% more sales-ready leads at 33% lower cost.
Sequence 1: Capture leads with a lead magnet and send a nurture sequence
Description: When a person downloads an eBook, cheatsheet, report, checklist, or join a course/challenge/program through a form on your site — send them a nurturing email sequence.
Goal: Nurture a lead with valuable content and get them to try your product.
Email 1: Download your eBook
Thank you for downloading [eBook]!
Click here to get the [eBook] or click the button below.
[Download eBook button]
This confirmation email from Betty Rocker is a brilliant example of how to set the stage for your leads. It provides the most important steps after they join her #makefatcry challenge, like whitelisting her email address, and the required preparation, as well as a clear call to action to her meal plan guide, which works as a great sales email:
Email 2: Make [eBook] work for you!
Hey, {{ person.firstName | default: "there" }},
It’s [your name], [1-2 lines description of who you are and what you do].
I hope you enjoyed reading the [eBook].
Most people collect guides on their hard drives and never get to apply the advice. I don’t want you to be one of those people.
Here’s a simple step from the eBook that you can start executing today, not tomorrow.
[The 1st and easiest step a reader of the lead magnet needs to execute in order to get value. Demonstrate how your product makes this step so much easier.]
Just hit reply to this email and let me know if you executed this step today?
Best,[your name]
Email 3: What to do next?
Hey, {{ person.firstName | default: "there" }},
It’s [your name].
By now, I expect that you completed the 1st step of the eBook.
You might be wondering what to do next?
Most people are getting the best value by executing [chapter / strategy / tactic or advice from the guide. Make sure this strategy or advice uses your product].
Of course, don’t forget that you can always get in touch with me by replying to this email if you ever get stuck!
Best,
[your name]
Email 4: More resources on [topic of the guide]
Hey,{{ person.firstName | default: "friend" }},
It’s been a week since you downloaded [eBook].
If you’ve applied everything from this guide, you should [become a better marketer / achieved a specific goal / improved a specific skill / unlocked promised benefit].
I don’t want you to stop there, though.
I really want to help you reach the next level!
Today I have put together a list of posts on our blog that will expand on the topic of the [eBook].
Check them out below:
And don’t forget, there’s no point in reading these if you don’t execute!
Best,
[your name]
Read more: 8 Lead nurturing strategies that work in 2022
Sequence 2: Remind a person to download a lead magnet
Description: When a person leaves their email for a lead magnet on your website but doesn’t click on the Download link in the confirmation email, remind them with a follow-up email.
You’d be surprised how many people that request a lead magnet on your site or landing page don’t end up clicking the download link in the confirmation email.
In my latest eBook a whole 77 people out of 228 didn’t end up getting the eBook. That’s a whopping 33.8% or 1/3 of the people.
This simple email sequence will drastically improve the click-through rate of your lead magnets, making it a low-hanging fruit to build into your marketing automation strategy.
Goal: Get a person to download your lead magnet.
Email 1: Download your eBook
Thank you for downloading [eBook]!
Click here to get the [eBook] or click the button below.
[Download eBook button]
Email 2: Reminder: Download your eBook
Just wanted to make sure you download the [eBook]
Click here to get the [eBook] or click the button below.
[Download eBook button]
Email Sequence Template 3: Double the open rate of a newsletter broadcast
Description: Send a follow-up email with a different subject line to people who haven’t opened your first broadcast. That way you’re going to increase the open rate of the broadcast with almost no extra effort.
Goal: Increase open rate for an email broadcast
Email 1: Announcing 3 new features
Email 2: Don’t miss this product announcement
Further reading: 30 Product Launch Announcement Emails (Tips, Templates & Examples)
Sequence 4: Pre-webinar sequence templates
Description: Invite your leads to attend a webinar with a series of pre-webinar emails.
Goal: Increase webinar attendance.
Email 1: Invitation to webinar
Hi {{person.firstName}},
Are you interested in learning how to [solve biggest challenge they have]?
I’m doing a webinar for [your audience/email list]on [date] where I will reveal [biggest benefit].
If you want to attend, just click the link [link to landing page].
Best,
Your name
Here’s a great example from Jason Swenk:
Email 2: Webinar confirmation email
Hi {{person.firstName}},
You have successfully signed up for the event: Your Event Goes Here.
This event will help you to [tell them how it will help them].
It’s important because [let them know why it's essential].
The best thing you can do now is to bookmark your webinar link below and set a reminder
on your calendar to avoid missing the webinar.
Webinar Link here.
Calendar Link here.
See you at the webinar!
Your Name
Email 3: First reminder (5 days before webinar)
Hey {{person.firstName}},
Just a quick heads up.
In just 5 days, we start the webinar [add your webinar title here].
You’re going to learn:
Benefit/solution 1Benefit/solution 2Benefit/solution 3
If you haven’t added the event to your calendar, then do it now.
Calendar link.
And here’s your webinar link again.
Webinar link.
See you soon!
Your name
Email 4: Second reminder (1 day before)
Hey {{person.firstName}},
Just a quick, friendly reminder that the webinar [your webinar title here] starts tomorrow.
You’re going to be blown away by this.
Seriously.
I know you’re busy, and time is precious, but believe me, this will be worth it.
I have one chance to impress you; otherwise, our relationship is over — I’m not going to mess this up, I promise you that!
Here’s your webinar link again:
Webinar Link.
See you tomorrow at [insert time].
Your name
P.S. Got any questions? Reply to this email, and I’ll personally help you out. Also, don’t forget to book this live event on your calendar. It’ll change your life.
Email 5: Final reminder (60 – 10 minutes before)
Hey {{person.firstName}},
We’re about to start the [Insert webinar title here].
What you’re about to learn will change your life!
Click here now to access the webinar.
Your name
P.S. There’s a special gift valued at $200 for those that attend the webinar live, and stay to the end.
Want more webinar email examples? Check out our full post on webinar follow-up emails for more templates — both pre and post-webinar.
Onboarding email sequence templates
Free users who complete the prompts (author note: prompts = onboarding emails) within 24 hours are almost 80% more likely to convert to paid customers than those who don’t. That’s a massive drop-off, and we use the 24-hour mark as a benchmark for early customer success.
Groove
Onboarding is perhaps the most critical stage of the customer lifecycle in every SaaS. Time to value or reaching the so-called “Aha” moment is of utmost importance. It’s also the stage that you start thinking about first when you create your marketing automation strategy from scratch.
That’s why I have included not 1 but 4 onboarding and signup email sequences for you.
Sequence 5: Onboard trial users and help them reach the “Aha” moment
Description: When a user signs up for your product, send them an onboarding sequence.
Goal: Onboard trial users and get them to upgrade by leading them to the “Aha” moment.
With an email sequence following a similar structure, we were able to double our trial-to-paid conversion rate at our previous startup HeadReach from 1.5% to 3%.
Needless to say, you can’t compromise on using an onboarding sequence in your SaaS.
Email 1: Welcome to [Product], {{ person.firstName | default: "friend" }}!
Hey, {{ person.firstName | default: "friend" }},
We’re so excited to have you on board!
We’ve been working hard to build [explain your unique selling point in one sentence: easiest tool to find leads / the best task manager to help you organize your life / the most secure cloud storage].
[If you offer a free trial or a freemium plan explain what the user gets in that trial: your first 10 credits are on us / you have 14 days to bring your productivity to the next level with [Product] / [Product] is completely free to use for up to 2 team members].
During this time, you’ll have full access to our features:
[High-value feature 1][High-value feature 2][High-value feature 3]
[Get Started with [Product] button]
Best,[Product team]
Email 2: A personal hello + a quick question
Hey {{ person.firstName | default: "there" }},
My name is [your name] and I’m one of the co-founders of [Product].
Thank you for giving our tool a try!
I know you’ll love it when you see how [fast / easy / cheap / other benefit] to [solve the problem that your product aims to solve].
If you wouldn’t mind, I’d love it if you answered one quick question:
Why did you sign up for [Product]?
I’m asking because knowing what made you join us is important for us in making sure we’re delivering on what our customers want.
Just hit reply to this email and let me know. Or we can schedule a quick 5- minute call over Skype or Hangouts.
Thanks,[Your name]
Further reading: 10 Of The Best Thank You Emails & Subject Lines (Examples, Tips & Templates)
Email 3: Tip 1: [Hottest and most valuable feature of your product]
Hey {{ person.firstName | default: "there" }},
Over the next [X days (depending on how long your onboarding sequence is], we’re going to share with you a few tips on how to leverage the power of [Product].
Tip 1: [Hottest and most valuable feature of your product]
If you’re a [sales person / designer / developer / or whoever your customer persona is], you probably know that [explain their biggest pain-point: for example, "hardest part in sales is not selling to the decision makers but finding them in the first place!"]
Imagine [picture the perfect future for the user: for example, "how many more deals you could close if you were always talking to the right person in charge"]
Click on the video below to learn how to [step they need to complete in your product to start using the most valuable feature and achieve that perfect future. Use the video to demonstrate a premium feature and get people to upgrade their trial.]
Hope this tip was useful!
In the next email, we’re going to show you [how to achieve high-level benefit] with [high-value feature 2].
Best, [Your name]
This example from Hopin shares 3 important tips on how to create more engaging events with the platform:
Email 4: Tip 2: [Second value-based feature]
Hey {{ person.firstName | default: "there" }},
In the final email, I showed you how to [get benefit from Value-based feature 1]. Today, I’m going to show you a trick to [execute Value-based feature 2].
Tip 2: [Value-based feature 2]
[Guide on using Value-based feature 2]
[Video or GIF demonstrating where in the app to execute this feature]
[Mention how they can upgrade to get access to a premium feature or more usage]
[Upgrade Now to Get the Best Benefits Button]
In the next email, we’re going to show you [how to achieve high-level benefit] with [high-value feature 3].
P.s. [Get people to join you on other channels like Twitter, Facebook or a Mastermind group] To get more product tips and talk with like-minded users of [Product] join us on:
Best,[Your name]
Email 5: Tip 3: [Third value-based feature]
Hey {{ person.firstName | default: "there" }},
In the last email, I showed you how to [get benefit from Value-based feature 2].
In this email, I want to show you how to [get specific results] with [Value-based feature 3].
Tip 3: [Third value-based feature]
We’re using [Value-based feature 3] to get [quantified results] for our own product [Product]. [Demonstrate that you actually use your own product]
This is how our team uses this feature:
[Explain the exact process step-by-step]
[Step 1 on using Value-based feature 3]
[Video or GIF demonstrating where in the app to execute this feature]
[Step 2 on using Value-based feature 3]
[Video or GIF demonstrating where in the app to execute this feature]
[Step 3 on using Value-based feature 3]
[Video or GIF demonstrating where in the app to execute this feature]
[Finish with a call-to-action (CTA) that mentions the next immediate action required to get people to start applying the process. For example, “Create your first task" or "Search for Leads"].
[Create your first task with [Product] Button]
In the next email, we’re going to show you [a successful client case study that helped Company X get Y results with [Product]].
Best,[Your name]
Email 6: See how [Company X] is using [Product] to get [results Y]
Hi {{ person.firstName | default: "there" }},
In the last email, I showed you how to [get benefit from Value-based feature 3].
In this email, I want to show you how [Company X] is using [Product] to get [quantified results Y].
See how [Company X] is using [Product] to get [results Y]
We’re going to show you the exact process that [Company X] is using to get [quantified results, for example: "double their trial to customer conversion rate from 1.5% to 3% and above"].
[Explain the exact process step-by-step]
[Step 1]
[Video or GIF demonstrating the process and features used]
[Step 2]
[Video or GIF demonstrating the process and features used]
[Step 3]
[Video or GIF demonstrating the process and features used]
Have you ever wanted to get the same results for your business?
You have [X days] left on your trial – but don’t wait to double your conversion rates. If you execute the process above with [Product] you can start improving your CRs today.
[Include CTA to upgrade]
[Double your conversion rates now with [Product] button]
Best,
[Your name]
Sequence 6: Push unfinished registrations to complete signup
Description: If a user has completed step 1 of a sign-up process but hasn’t finished the rest of the steps (like providing billing details upfront), send them a reminding help email.
This onboarding flow works if you have a 2-step or longer signup process, and it works exceptionally well if you ask for a credit card before product signup.
Goal: Reactivate users that have abandoned the signup process.
Christoph Engelhardt has documented how this single marketing automation flow has helped Drip and his startup LinksSpy increase Trial Signups by 15%.
Email 1: Important: Finish your signup
Hello {{person.firstName}},
Thank you for checking out [Product]!
I noticed you didn’t complete your signup. Was the [credit card / phone number / another step that made them stop in completing the signup] a deal breaker?
You may be wondering why we’re asking for [credit card / phone number] in order to start a free trial.
There are 2 reasons:
- We don’t want our customers to experience any
[service issues / feature issue, for example: email sending interruption / stop receiving reports on time / get their data deleted]. We’ve had this happen before, and it resulted in weeping we’d prefer not to see again. - We also do it to discourage those who have no intentions of using
[Product]. We invest a lot of time and money into each trial by offering[X credits for free / free concierge service / free reports / other free feature or service that costs you money].
I hope this makes you understand. If you’re still interested in trying [Product] you can sign up at [product.com/signup], [enter your card / phone number] and you’d be all set to start your trial.
If you’re not interested in our product and prefer not to hear from us again, simply click the unsubscribe button below.
[Your name],
Founder of [Product]
Email 2: Don’t leave [Product] this way…
Hello {{person.firstName}},
You started registration with [Product - make this link to your Signup page] 2 days ago but never completed your signup.
Is there anything that’s blocking you?
I’d be happy to talk about the issue with and help you resolve it.
I really don’t want you to miss on [Product] and [high-level benefit].
[Your name],
Founder of [Product]
Sequence 7: Trial expiration emails
Description: Trial expiration emails are a must if you run a product or a service with a limited trial period. However, note that not all users will qualify for these emails just because their trial has ended or is close tot ending. We explored a smarter approach to reach out to trial users in our post on trial expiration emails.
Goal: Convert a trial to paying customer.
Email 1: 3-5 days before a trial is over
Hey {{ person.firstName | default: "there" }},
Looks like your trial period comes to an end soon, how did it go?
To upgrade go to your Plan and billing page click Upgrade and choose the plan.
If you need a trial extension just shoot a reply to this email or book a quick call with me to discuss what’s stopping you from upgrading.
Best,Your name
Email 2: When trial ends
Hey {{ person.firstName | default: "there" }},
Just a quick note that your [product] trial is over and your account has been deactivated.
Your data is still safe with us, but your flows are not running anymore.
To upgrade go to your Plan and billing page click Upgrade and choose the right plan based on the number of people in your account.
If you need a trial extension just let me know or book a friendly call with me.
Best,Your name
Email 3: 3 days after trial ends
Hey {{ person.firstName | default: "there" }},
A couple of weeks ago you started a trial with [product], but you never became a customer.
I understand [product] might not be the best fit for everyone, but it would mean the world to me if you share what’s the main reason.
The most common reasons we see people mention include:
1. Didn’t have enough time to try [product].
2. It’s just not what you are looking for {{person.company | default: "your company"}}.
3. Too expensive.
4. Decided to go with a competitor instead.
Regardless of your reason, I’d love to hear your feedback… even if it’s a tiny reply 🙂
Best,Your name
In fact, this is the exact email we send 3 days after our trial period ends (see below). Additionally, you might want to send one more email 7-10 days after the trial is over, a final hail mary to convert them to new customers, and offer a hefty discount for your product (40-60%).
Alternatively, you can send a link to a survey. This email from popular website platform Duda uses the following subject line: “Hey Kalo, It’s Zvi from Duda. I noticed you tried our platform but didn’t purchase a plan.”
Want more inspiration for your trial expiration messages? Check out our post with 9 trial expiration email templates.
Sequence 8: Re-engage expired trials
Description: When a trial ends, but the user didn’t convert, Re-engage the user manually. If the user doesn’t respond to your calls or emails, send them an automated engagement email sequence.
Goal: Convert a trial to a paying customer.
Email 1: Get [free usage or additional premium feature] if you upgrade now!
Hey {{person.firstName}},
I tried reaching out to you personally but haven’t received a response from you.
You registered for [Product] trial but didn’t upgrade your account in the [X days] that you had a chance to use it.
That means that you no longer have access to [high-value feature 1 / high-value feature 2 OR high-level benefit].
[Counter objections with social proof]
[Customer 1] and [Customer 2] have had great success with [high-value feature 1] increasing [KPI] by [X number].
I don’t want you to lose on [high-value feature 1 / high-value feature 2 OR high-level benefit].
[Offer free usage or additional premium features to re-engage the expired trial]
Get 1 month free on us if you upgrade your trial to a premium account now.
[Upgrade Now button]
Product adoption email sequence templates
Instead of hoping your customers will use your product, take charge of delivering an unforgettable user experience that helps them achieve their goals in the shortest possible time and with the least hassle.
Product adoption email sequences will help you shepherd your users to the most valuable bits of your product and guarantee they don’t miss on critical steps required for a great user experience.
With user behavioral Triggers, like for example when a user upgrades to a premium account or activates/installs specific feature, you can use email sequences to engage users when they’re most receptive to your instructions.
The product adoption email sequences are essentially an extension of your in-app tutorials that reinforce repetition and the mere-exposure effect.
Such Triggers could be:
- When a user upgrades from a Trial to a Silver Premium account.
- Creates their first task.
- Sends their first email.
- Create their first landing page.
- Integrates your tool with a 3rd party integration.
- Invites a team member, and so on.
Encharge has native integrations with Segment and Stripe to facilitate the creation of such behavior-based email sequences.
Sequence 9: Increase adoption of premium features
Description: Welcome newly upgraded customers and send an educational email sequence to help with the adoption of premium features.
Goal: Increase adoption and use of product features.
Email 1: You’ve Successfully Upgraded to Silver Premium Subscription!
THANK YOU, {{person.firstName}}!
You’ve Successfully Upgraded to Silver Premium Account!
Thank you for upgrading to a [Product] Silver Premium subscription!
We’re glad to have you in our premium family, and we’re sure you’re going to get a ton of value out of the Silver Premium Subscription.
Your Silver Subscription comes with:
[Silver Premium Feature 1 – hottest most important feature][Silver Premium Feature 2][Silver Premium Feature 3]
Here’s how to get started with [Silver Premium Feature 1]
[Silver Premium Feature 1]
[Step 1 on using Silver Premium Feature 1]
[Video or GIF demonstrating where in the app to execute this feature]
[Step 2 on using Silver Premium Feature 1]
[Video or GIF demonstrating where in the app to execute this feature]
[Step 3 on using Silver Premium Feature 1]
[Video or GIF demonstrating where in the app to execute this feature]
—
RECEIPT INFORMATION:
Your Plan: Silver Premium
Price: [Price]
Renewal Date: [Renewal date]
—
CONTACTING SUPPORT:
We’re here to help every step of the way if you ever get stuck or need a personal demo.
Please contact our 24/7 Support Team.
[youremail@site.com] / [your phone]
Book-summarizing subscription service Blinkist doesn’t shy from sharing all of the major benefits when you upgrade your plan on the platform:
Email 2: Premium Tip 2: [Second premium feature]
Hey {{ person.firstName | default: "there" }},
In the last email, I showed you how to [get benefit from Premium feature 1]. Today, I’m going to show you a trick to [execute Premium Value-based feature 2].
Premium Tip 2: [Value-based feature 2]
[Guide on using Premium Value-based feature 2]
[Video or GIF demonstrating where in the app to execute this feature]
[Start Using Premium Feature 2 Button]
In the next email, we’re going to show you [how to achieve high-level benefit] with [Premium feature 3].
Best,[Your name]
Email 3: Premium Tip 3: [Third premium feature]
Hey {{ person.firstName | default: "there" }},
In the last email, I showed you how to [get benefit from Premium feature 2].
In this email, I want to show you how to [get specific results] with [Premium feature 3].
Premium Tip 3: [Third premium feature]
[Explain the exact process step-by-step]
[Step 1 on using Premium feature 3]
[Video or GIF demonstrating where in the app to execute this feature]
[Step 2 on using Premium feature 3]
[Video or GIF demonstrating where in the app to execute this feature]
[Step 3 on using Premium feature 3]
[Video or GIF demonstrating where in the app to execute this feature]
[Finish with a call-to-action (CTA) that mentions the next immediate action required to get people to start using Premium feature 3. For example, “Create your first task" or "Search for Leads"].
Create your first task with [Product]
This is our last premium feature tip.
Hope you’ve been enjoying your premium plan so far!
If you ever need help with any of these features or your premium account, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Best,[Your name]
Sequence 10: Educate users about a recently activated feature
Description: If a user starts using or activates a specific feature, send them an educational email about that feature to increase feature adoption.
Goal: Increase adoption and use of product features.
Email 1: Achieve [high-level benefit] with [recently activated featured]
Hey {{person.firstName}},
Great job on [activating / starting / installing] [Feature].
With [Feature] you can:
[High-level benefit 1][High-level benefit 2][High-level benefit 3]
We’ve put together this [post / guide / image] to show the awesome things you can do with [Feature] and help you get started. Just click the [button] below:
[ Check out Feature guide button ]
Sequence 11: Revive dead product leads
Description: If a product lead is older than 60 days and not converted to a Premium, send “Are you still looking for a high-value feature?”
Goal: Re-activate old product leads.
Email 1: Are you still looking for a [high-value feature]?
Hey {{person.firstName}},
You previously [installed / used] [Product] when you were into [action specific for the product: "creating marketing automation campaigns", "writing things on the Internet", "improving website Conversion Rates", "making beautiful websites"].
Then you just disappeared.
Are you still looking for [high-value feature: "easy to use marketing automation tool", "free-writting assitant", "all-in-one A/B testing tool", "smart funnels for your business"]?
I just wanted to let you know that you can come back and continue [action specific for the product: "creating successful marketing campaigns", "writing awesome things", "rocking Conversion rates", "making clients happy with your websites"] now.
But if this is something you don’t need anymore, please let me know?
Best,[Your name]
Churn prevention email sequence templates
Churn is the percentage of your customers that leave your service over a given time period.
An acceptable churn rate is in the 5 – 7% range annually or 0.4% to 0.6% monthly – says Bessemer Venture Partners.
Most of you reading this article will very likely have a 5-7% MONTHLY churn rate (that’s kind of the “standard” I’ve observed conversing and working with early to middle stage SaaS companies). Put in other way, you’re churning more than half of your customer base annually.
As Lincoln Murphy says:
It isn’t a lack of customers in the front door that is stopping your growth; it’s the constant flow of customers out the back door that is killing your business!
Hopefully, I don’t have to convince you that employing timely targeted churn prevention sequences is a must for your SaaS business.
There are many emails proven to reduce churn, and pretty much all of the previous email template sequences I covered in this guide have the main purpose of helping you increase your MRR, but in this chapter I want to share 4 sequences that are going to have an instant impact on your churn rate.
Sequence 12: Prevent inactive customers from churning
Description: If a customer is not active for more than 10 days, send “Do you need help?” email. And if they don’t open the email start showing them successful case studies via Facebook ads to reactivate them.
Goal: Prevent churn.
Email 1: Do you need help with [Product]?
Hey {{person.firstName}},
It’s [your name], founder of [Product].
I noticed you haven’t been very active in the last 10 days.
If you don’t mind, I’d be so grateful if you hit reply and let me know why stopped using [Product] recently?
I don’t want you to lose on [high-value feature 1 / high-value feature 2 OR high-level benefit].
Is there anything I could do to help you get [high-value feature 1 / high-value feature 2 OR high-level benefit].
[Your name]
Sequence 13: Get feedback from a recently churned customer
Description: Ask recently churned customers for feedback to improve product and customer experience.
It’s important to understand the moment of churn:
A churn moment could be defined as either:
- At the moment, the subscription ends and renewal doesn’t happen, or
- At the moment of the cancelation.
When a customer cancels, they haven’t churned, yet.
Customers don’t churn until the end of their subscription period arrives and they don’t renew, because they’ve already paid up until the end of their subscription period. If they’ve only canceled, you still have a chance to win them back before their subscription ends.
This is why it’s crucial to get feedback from a recently canceled customer – it gives you an opportunity to
Goal: Prevent churn, get feedback
Email 1: Your feedback?
Hi {{person.firstName}},
I’m sorry to see you go.
I was hoping to learn more about how using [Product] went for you, and what made you cancel?
We’re doing our best to make [Product] the [easiest / fastest / most affordable] tool in [your field], and your feedback is vital to us.
I would really appreciate if you share your experience with [Product] – this will help us focus on the most important bits of the product and improve. I promise we’re going to use your input to make [Product] better!
Just hit reply to this email and let me know why you quit [Product]?
I’m looking forward to your feedback.
Best,[Your name]
Email 2: The reason you cancelled?
Hey {{person.firstName}},
I’m sorry to see you go.
I was hoping to learn more about how using [Product] went for you, and what made you cancel? We’re doing our best to make [Product] the [easiest / fastest / most affordable] tool in [your field], and your feedback is vital to us.
Could you please reply to this email with the reason you cancelled [Product]:
- It’s too expensive.
- It lacks the features I need.
- I switched to a competitor.
- There was a shift in my business, and I don’t need
[Product]anymore. - Something else.
This would mean the world to us!
Thank you,
[Your name]
Last but not least, it always helps to let the churned customer know that they can re-activate their subscription at any time. This is what health club aggregator platform ClassPass do in their cancellation confirmation email:
Further reading: 16 Proven Cancellation Email Examples and Subject Lines
Sequence 14: Prevent delinquent churn
Description: Follow up on failed payments to prevent churn.
Add tag PaymentFailed when a subscription is Past Due and remove it when subscription becomes Active again.
Goal: Prevent churn.
Email 1: Important: Your payment failed
Oh no, your payment failed
Don’t worry. We’ll try your payment again over the next few days.
To keep {Product premium plan} you may need to update your payment details.
[Update Details button]
Sequence 15: Nudge long-term customer to upgrade to annual subscription
Description: Nudge a long-term customer to upgrade their monthly subscription to an annual one by offering them a deal.
Goal: Prevent churn.
Email 1: Get 20% off when you switch to Annual plan
Hey {{person.firstName}},
Thank you for being with us for 3 months already! We’re super glad to have you as a part of our family.
I just wanted to make sure you have the best deal possible for [Product].
You’re currently on a monthly subscription and paying [$X the amount they currently pay] that’s [$X] per year. I want you to save 20% and pay just [$X] a year.
You can do that now by upgrading to an Annual subscription. Switching is straightforward and painless. Just click the button below and select the Annual plan.
If you have any questions about the annual plan or your billing at all, please don’t hesitate to reply to this email. I’m here to help.
Best,[Your name]
Further Reading
- 13 Highly-Converting Onboarding Email Templates for Busy Marketers
- 10 Welcome Email Templates Inspired by Top SaaS Companies
- 38 Automated Email Templates That Work In 2022
- 15 Drip Campaign Examples That Help Engage & Nurture Lead
- How Long Should My Automated Email Sequence Be?
- 18 Types of SaaS Emails You Can Use in 2025
That’s a wrap! 15 proven email sequence templates with 35 email examples to help you convert more leads, increase your monthly recurring revenue, and reduce your churn.
If you’d like to get these email sequence templates and the marketing automation flows right out of the box, make sure to register for Encharge.
Email sequences FAQ
What are the benefits of email sequences?
Email sequences are the easiest and one of the most effective ways to educate and nurture your leads. By implementing a well-crafted automated email sequence, you can improve customer retention and engagement, which ultimately expands the bottom line of your business. You can achieve this by sending post-signup, post-purchase, onboarding, loyalty, or re-engagement sequences to entice customers to revisit your app or website. Generally speaking, the higher the number of emails you send, the greater the opportunities to connect with your target audience. This is especially true when personalizing the emails to tailor them to individual recipients.
Moreover, email sequences offer exceptional scalability, as they enable you to establish an automation that performs all the strenuous tasks for you. They are easy to set up and work in the background. Instead of manually sending each email, your marketing automation software will handle the process, requiring you to configure it once and keep track of the email campaigns’ progress.
What are the most important email sequences to implement?
Depending on the type of your business and its stage, you might want to implement different email sequences. The most important sequences for a SaaS business are:
- Lead nurturing sequence – a series of emails to send to new email subscribers that educate them on the specific problem and offers a solution
- Onboarding sequence – a time-based set of emails that guide new users in your tool
- Customer sequence – a series of emails to newly converted subscribers.
- Sales sequence – a sequence for sales reps to reach out manually to potential customers. Can be combined with social media outreach on LinkedIn and other platforms to automate the sales process across the whole sales funnel.
Is an email sequence and a drip campaign the same?
Yes. Different teams might have different semantics for these terms but generally an email sequence and a drip campaign are the same thing — a series of automated emails.
What is the best software to send an email sequence?
When selecting an email or marketing automation tool you need to consider all the features you need across the whole customer journey. Email sequences are just a part of the features supporeted by marketing automation tools, and fortunately most tools out there support this. If you need an advanced marketing automation platform geared at SaaS feel free to check out Encharge.
Read next: Top 13 SaaS Email Templates For Engaging Your Customers
