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How to Email a Past Client About New Business
Send a short, personal email that opens with one specific memory from your past work together. Then give one real reason you're writing now. End with an easy question, not a pitch. Make it about their business today, not your services. A past client already trusts you. Your job is to remind them why, then make saying yes easy.
Past clients are the warmest leads you have. They know your work. They've seen how you handle problems, and they've said yes once already. A good reconnect email doesn't start from zero. It picks up a relationship that went quiet. That's far easier than winning over a stranger.
What makes it land is being specific. Name the project, the detail or the moment you shared. Then give a real reason for writing now: their news, your new offer, or a good time on the calendar. Keep the ask small. A clear, easy next step gets replies. A sales pitch gets archived.
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Free, no signup. The example is filled in: press the button, then replace it with your own situation. In Capstone, a message like it is written for each person you know when their check-in is due.
11 examples to copy
One message is easy. Hundreds of people, all year, is the hard part. Capstone Outreach puts everyone you know on a rhythm you pick, from weekly to every three months. When someone is due, a message like these is already written in your voice from your history with them. You approve it, and it goes from your own email or phone. See how it works.
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Everyone on a rhythm. Who is due, and when. Recorded in the app on a demo account.
1. After a long silence, no ask
Subject: Thinking about [specific project] today
Why it works: A shared memory with no request rebuilds goodwill first, so business talk feels natural later.
2. You've added a service they'd likely need
Subject: Something new that made me think of [Company]
Why it works: Tying the new offer to a problem they told you about shows you listened, so it reads as help, not a pitch.
3. Reacting to news about their company
Subject: Congrats on [news]
Why it works: Their news gives you a real reason to write, and a likely new need opens the door without forcing it.
4. You've moved to a new firm or role
Subject: A quick update from me
Why it works: Telling them yourself keeps the bond with you, not your old employer, and the new offer gives them a reason to talk.
5. Sharing a result from a similar client
Subject: An idea from a recent [industry] project
Why it works: A clear idea from similar work is useful right away, and it gives them two easy ways to say yes.
6. Anniversary of a finished project
Subject: A year since [project]
Why it works: Checking on past work shows you care after the bill is paid, and the next need comes up on its own.
7. Offering a free check-up
Subject: Free review of [deliverable] for [Company]
Why it works: Real value up front with no strings makes it easy to reconnect, and paid work often follows.
8. The last project had a hiccup
Subject: Some thoughts since [project]
Why it works: Owning the problem and showing what changed rebuilds trust in a way a cheerful pitch never could.
9. Asking for a referral instead of work
Subject: A small favor, if you're open to it
Why it works: A referral ask flatters their judgment, is easy to grant, and quietly reminds them you're free to help them too.
10. Before budget or planning season
Subject: Before next year's planning locks in
Why it works: Timing your note to their planning means you help build the budget instead of fighting for leftovers.
11. Your contact moved to a new company
Subject: Congrats on the move to [New Company]
Why it works: People in new roles want quick wins and trusted partners, and you're both, so few openings are warmer.
Sending these to more than a few people? See how people keep track of who to follow up with, and when: what a personal CRM does and the best personal CRMs, compared.
When to send it
- Reach out within a week of news about their company, like a funding round, growth, a new hire or an award.
- Send it four to eight weeks before their planning or budget season. Then you're in the talk before plans are locked.
- Use the anniversary of a finished project as a natural reason to ask how things are holding up.
- Email within a month of a real change on your side, like a new service, firm or role. Then the update feels timely.
- Send Tuesday through Thursday mornings. Avoid holiday weeks and their known busy season.
Subject lines
- Thinking about [project] today
- It's been too long, [Name]
- Congrats on [news]
- Something new that made me think of [Company]
- A year since [project]
- Quick idea for [Company]
- An update from me
- How's [deliverable] holding up?
- Before next year's planning locks in
- Free review for [Company]
- Remember [specific detail]?
- Saw your news and had to write
- A small favor, if you're open to it
- Congrats on the move to [New Company]
- Coffee soon?
- An idea from a recent [industry] project
What to avoid
- Don't open with a generic line that could go to anyone. Name the project or a real detail in the first sentence.
- Don't paste in a service menu or attach a brochure. It turns a reconnect into a cold pitch.
- Don't pretend the gap never happened. A simple "it's been too long" reads as honest.
- Don't ask for an hour-long meeting in the first email. Offer 15 or 20 minutes, or a written summary.
- Don't send the same message to your whole client list. Past clients compare notes and can spot a mail merge.
- Don't lead with a discount. It signals you're short on work and cheapens what they already paid for.
After you send it
If you don't hear back, send one short follow-up after seven to ten days. Add something new, like a useful article or a sharper idea. Don't just ask if they saw your email. If that also goes quiet, wait a quarter before trying again. Once you've reconnected, stay in touch every two to three months with something useful: their news, an intro or a quick idea. Keep notes on what they share, so each message builds on the last.
Building the habit: how to keep in touch with contacts and what a personal CRM does.
They said not now. When do you try again? Set a follow-up of two to five emails. It stops the moment they reply, and it pauses if an out-of-office note says they are away.
Start 14 days free, then $25/mo
A study of 20 million LinkedIn members found that acquaintances, more than close friends, led to new jobs (Science, 2022). Capstone keeps those people warm. You approve every message, and it goes from your own email or phone.
Frequently asked questions
How do you start an email to an old client?
Start with a specific memory from your work together. That could be the project name, a detail you both remember or a problem you solved. Skip generic greetings and get to that shared memory in the first sentence. It reminds them who you are and why they trusted you. That earns you the rest of the email.
Is it okay to email a past client after several years?
Yes. Past clients rarely mind hearing from someone who did good work for them, even years later. Mention the gap briefly. Give a real reason for writing now, and keep the first email light. If your contact has left the company, reach them in their new role. That's often a fresh opening.
How long should I wait before following up with a past client?
Wait seven to ten days, then send one follow-up. Make it short and add something new, like a useful link or a sharper idea. Don't repeat your first message. If there's still no reply, pause for about three months. Silence usually means busy, not uninterested.
Should I mention pricing or offer a discount in the first email?
No. Leave pricing out of the first email and don't lead with a discount. Your goal is to restart the talk, not close a deal. Once they reply and share what they need, you can talk scope and cost. A returning-client rate can be a nice gesture later. It just shouldn't be your opening.
What subject line works best for reconnecting with old clients?
The best subject lines are short, personal and specific. Use the project name, their company news or a simple "It's been too long, [Name]" line. Avoid anything that sounds like marketing, like "Special offer" or "Exciting opportunity" in the subject. A subject that looks like it came from a person they know gets opened.
Should I email or call a past client about new business?
Email first in most cases. It lets them reply on their own time and gives them a written reminder of your work together. Save the call for after they respond, or for clients you often spoke with by phone. A quick email and then a short call usually beats a cold ring.