Follow-up email after sending a contract
Once a contract is out, deals stall in legal review or in someone's inbox. This follow-up confirms who needs to sign, offers help with any questions from legal, and checks the target start date still holds. It's direct without being pushy, because by now you've both agreed on the deal.
;sl-contract;sl-contract in any app.Variations
The same message for a different channel or tone. Copy the one that fits.
When their legal team has sent changes back.
When the person who needs to sign isn't the one you've been talking to.
When to use it
- A few days after sending a contract or order form.
- The buyer's legal team has returned changes.
- The signer is someone other than your main contact.
What to avoid
- Don't threaten to pull pricing at this stage unless it's genuinely about to change.
- Don't negotiate legal terms by email from memory. Check with your legal team first.
- Don't go around your contact to the signer without asking.
The fields in this template
Retext fills these in when the snippet expands. In plain text they become [brackets] to replace by hand.
- First name
{fill:First name} - Your main contact's first name.
- Sent date
{fill:Sent date} - When you sent the agreement.
- Signer
{fill:Signer} - The person who needs to sign, by name or title.
- Start date
{fill:Start date} - The agreed start date.
- Date in 5 days
{date+5} - Inserts the date 5 days from today, worked out when the snippet expands. Useful for deadlines and return dates.
- ;sig-work
{snippet:sig-work} - Pulls in your ;sig-work snippet, so a change to that snippet updates every reply that uses it. Create a snippet with that trigger first (any template in the email signatures pack works), or the field stays as typed.
- Accepted changes
{fill:Accepted changes} - The changes you agreed to, briefly.
- Open clause
{fill:Open clause} - The clause still under discussion.
- Cursor
{cursor} - Where your cursor lands after the snippet expands, so you can start typing the personal part straight away.
Tips
- •Naming the signer gets you a status update even when there's nothing to sign yet.
- •Tie the deadline to their start date, not your quarter end. The start date is what they care about.
- •Use {date+5} so the signing date in the email always matches a realistic week.
Works in Gmail, Outlook, Salesforce, DocuSign and every other app
Retext types the snippet wherever your cursor is. To use a different version in one app, give it the same trigger and limit it to that app with per-app snippets. They go by app, not website, so every tab in your browser counts as one app.
Share the redlines version so reps describe legal changes consistently. Admins can update it when your standard terms change.
See Retext for TeamsQuestions
How do I politely follow up on an unsigned contract?
Ask where it is in their process and who needs to sign, offer to help with legal questions, and connect the signing date to their start date rather than your deadline.
How long does contract review usually take?
It varies a lot by company size. Small companies may sign in a day; larger ones can take a few weeks in legal and procurement. Ask early what their process looks like.
Related templates
Pricing proposal email
;sl-proposalSales
Hi [First name], As promised, here's the proposal for [Company]. Total: [Price] per [Billing period], for [Seats or scop…
Post-call recap
;sl-recapSales
Hi [First name], Quick recap of today's call so we're on the same page. Decided: - [Decision] Still open: - [Open questi…
Sales follow-up (no reply)
;sl-nudgeSales
Hi [First name], Checking in on [Next step]. Is it still on the cards for this month, or has something else jumped the q…
Type ;sl-contract, get the whole reply
Retext expands your snippets in every Mac app and fills in names, dates and order numbers for you.
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