1. Same day, after a demo
Subject: Your [store/product] bot answering [their real question] Hi [Name], thanks for the time today. I loaded [5] of your help center articles into a test bot. Here it is answering "[a real question from their site, like 'Can I return a sale item?']": [link]. If it gets anything wrong, reply with the question and I'll fix it before Friday. Want me to set it up on a [Shopify/Intercom/Zendesk] test page next? [Your name] Use this within a few hours of any call, while they still remember the problem they described.
2. Day 3 of a trial
Subject: What your bot got asked this week Hi [Name], your bot handled [number] chats since [day]. The top questions were [question 1], [question 2] and [question 3]. It handed off [number] to a human, mostly about [topic]. I can add an answer for that today if you send me [the policy/doc]. Worth 10 minutes on [day] to go through the transcripts? [Your name] Send this mid-trial with their own numbers so they log in before the trial quietly expires.
3. No reply after a week
Subject: Still drowning in "[common ticket type]" tickets? Hi [Name], I know [busy season/launch/hiring] probably took over. One question: is [the problem they mentioned, like 'answering shipping questions at night'] still costing your team time? If yes, I can have a bot covering just that live on [their site] by [day], no setup on your side. If not, tell me and I'll stop emailing. [Your name] Use this when a warm lead goes quiet. It points back to their pain, not your feature list.
4. Offer a narrow free pilot
Subject: Free pilot, one topic only Hi [Name], small offer. I'll run the bot on [one page, like your order-status FAQ] for [14] days, free. You'll get every transcript and a count of chats it closed without a human. If it doesn't save your team time, you turn it off and we're done. If it does, it's [$price]/month after. Want me to start [day]? [Your name] Use this when someone is interested but worried the bot will give customers generic or wrong answers.
5. After a pilot ends
Subject: [Number] chats handled, here's the summary Hi [Name], the pilot ended [day]. Results: [number] chats, [number] solved without your team, [number] handed off. Two answers I'd improve: [example 1], [example 2]. To keep it running at [$price]/month, reply "yes" and I'll send an invoice. To expand it to [returns/billing/onboarding], that's [$price]. [Your name] Send this the day a pilot ends so the decision happens while results are fresh.
6. Follow up on a community conversation
Subject: Re: your post about [topic] in [r/shopify / r/CustomerSuccess / Indie Hackers] Hi [Name], you posted that [their complaint, like 'our chatbot keeps sending customers in circles']. I build a bot that answers only from your own docs and hands off to a human when it isn't sure. Happy to test it on [3] of your real questions and send you the answers, no call needed. Want me to? [Your name] Use this after you've replied helpfully in the thread and the person mentioned a problem you actually solve.
7. Close the loop after a no
Subject: Thanks, one last question Hi [Name], understood, and thanks for telling me straight. Was it [price], [timing], or that the answers weren't good enough? One word is fine. It helps me fix the product. I'll check back in [3 months] unless you'd rather I didn't. [Your name] Send this to every no. The reasons tell you what to build, and some come back. Hulby, an AI cofounder, writes and tracks follow-ups like these daily for founders.
People asking this right now
Real, public posts from the last few weeks. Each one is somebody you could help today.
Mistakes to skip
- Following up with "just checking in" instead of a transcript, a number or a working demo.
- Sending a feature list when the buyer cared about one ticket type.
- Offering a vague free trial with no end date and no price after it.
- Stopping after one follow-up. Most replies come on the second or third.
Want this done for your AI chatbot, every day?
Hulby finds the people asking for what you built, writes every reply and email, and keeps you on it until they pay. Free to start.
Find my first customersQuestions
How many follow-ups should I send?
Three to four over two to three weeks, each with something new. Then stop, and send one more in a few months.
Who should I email at a small company?
The person who answers tickets: head of support, customer success lead, or the founder at stores under about 10 people.
Should I attach a demo video?
Link to a live bot trained on their own content instead. It proves more than a recording of your generic bot.
When should I mention price?
In the pilot offer and in the pilot results email. Hiding it until the end wastes both your time.