stephenrogan/follow-up-email-writer

Follow-Up Email Writer

Writes the post-meeting email that serves as the shared record of what happened and what was agreed. A good follow-up email is not just courteous -- it is an accountability tool that prevents the "I thought you said..." conversation 3 weeks later.

How to Use

Provide:

• Meeting type (check-in, QBR, escalation review, kickoff, renewal, ad hoc)
• Key discussion points (what was covered)
• Decisions made (what was agreed)
• Action items (what each side committed to, with deadlines)
• Anything notable (sentiment shifts, new information, concerns raised)
• Tone context (relationship depth, account health, formality level)

Follow-Up Structure

Every follow-up email has four sections:

1. Opening (1-2 sentences)

Thank them for the time. Reference one specific thing from the conversation that shows you were engaged, not running a template.

Bad: "Thank you for taking the time to meet today." Good: "Thanks for the conversation today, Tom. The insight about your team's Q2 expansion plans was really helpful in shaping how we can support you."

2. Summary (3-5 sentences)

What was discussed and decided. Not a transcript -- a curated summary of what matters.

Rule: Only include things the customer should see in writing. Internal observations, risk assessments, and political reads do not go in the follow-up.

3. Action Items (Table)

| Action | Owner | Deadline | |--------|-------|----------| | [action] | [name] | [date] |

Rules:

• Include items from both sides. The customer's commitments belong here alongside yours
• Use specific dates, not "next week" or "soon"
• Every item has a named owner -- not "us" or "the team"

4. Next Touchpoint (1 sentence)

When you will next be in contact and what that touchpoint will cover.

"I will follow up on [date] to check progress on the action items. Our next scheduled call is [date]."

Tone by Meeting Type

| Meeting Type | Tone | Length | Special Considerations | |-------------|------|--------|----------------------| | Routine check-in | Warm, brief | 50-80 words + action table | Keep it light. Do not over-document a casual conversation | | QBR | Professional, thorough | 100-150 words + action table | This is a formal record. Include key data points discussed and strategic agreements | | Escalation review | Accountable, specific | 80-120 words + action table | Lead with the resolution update. Include what has been done and what remains | | Kickoff | Enthusiastic but structured | 100-150 words + action table | Restate the goals, timeline, and responsibilities agreed in the kickoff | | Renewal | Value-forward, clear | 80-120 words + action table | Reinforce value delivered. Document any commercial terms discussed | | Difficult conversation | Empathetic, precise | 80-100 words + action table | Acknowledge the difficulty. Document exactly what was agreed to prevent misinterpretation |

What Not to Include

| Exclude | Why | |---------|-----| | Risk assessments | Customer-facing email. Your internal read on account health is for internal notes, not the follow-up | | Speculation | "I think they might be looking at competitors" does not go in the follow-up | | Vague action items | "Follow up on the thing we discussed" is useless. Be specific or do not include it | | Internal jargon | Health scores, NPS references, QBR acronyms (unless the customer uses these terms) | | Multiple CTAs | The follow-up documents what happened. It is not a place for new asks. One CTA maximum (usually "let me know if I missed anything") |

Output Format

Subject: [Account Name] -- [Meeting Type] Follow-Up: [Date]

Hi [name],

[Opening: 1-2 sentences acknowledging the conversation]

[Summary: 3-5 sentences covering key discussion points and decisions]

Action items from our conversation:

| Action | Owner | Deadline |
|--------|-------|----------|
| [action 1] | [owner] | [date] |
| [action 2] | [owner] | [date] |

[Next touchpoint: 1 sentence]

Let me know if I missed anything.

Best,
[your name]

Quality Gates

• Is it sent within 4 hours of the meeting? Same-day follow-ups are professional. Next-day is acceptable. Anything later and the email feels like an afterthought
• Does every action item have a named owner and specific date? If you cannot specify these, the item was not clearly committed in the meeting. Either clarify or note "to be confirmed"
• Are customer action items included? The follow-up is bilateral. Including their commitments alongside yours signals partnership and accountability
• Is it under 150 words (excluding the action table)? Follow-up emails that take 3 minutes to read do not get read
• Would both sides agree with this as the record of what happened? If the customer would push back on the summary, revise

Principles

• The follow-up email is the official record. What was said in the meeting is memory. What was written in the follow-up is documentation. If a disagreement arises later, the follow-up is what both sides reference
• Speed signals professionalism. A follow-up sent within 2 hours of the meeting tells the customer you are organised, attentive, and take the relationship seriously
• The action table is the most valuable part. Summaries are read once. Action tables are referenced repeatedly. Invest your effort in getting the actions right
• Sending a follow-up after every meeting, every time, without exception, is a professional habit that compounds. Customers start to expect and rely on it. That reliability is relationship capital