What it is for

A welcome sequence is the short run of emails someone gets right after they sign up for your newsletter, download a guide, or request something from your company. It has one job: turn a signup into a reader who opens the second email, and the third. Most B2B companies send one automated thank-you and then go quiet for weeks. This template fills that gap with four emails over about ten days.

The four emails cover six jobs. Deliver what you promised. Say what comes next. Give one useful thing before you ask for anything. Show a reason to trust you. Name the hesitation the reader probably has. Then make one clear, small ask. Use only the emails your subscribers need, and stop the sequence the moment someone replies or books a call.

When to use it

Someone joins your newsletter from your website, a LinkedIn post, or a signup page.
Someone downloads a lead magnet such as a guide, a checklist, or a template.
Someone signs up for a free tool, a calculator, or a resource library.
You have one automated thank-you email and nothing after it.
You want new subscribers to know who you are before the first regular newsletter lands.

The template

Square brackets mark what you fill in. Timings are starting points.

Email 1

Subject: Your [resource name] is inside

Send: Day 0, within 5 minutes of signup

Hi [first name], here is the [resource name] you asked for: [direct link]. No extra steps, no form, the link opens it straight away.

A quick note on what happens next. You will get [number] short emails from me over the next [number] days, each one about [the topic they signed up for]. After that, you will hear from us [cadence, e.g. every other Tuesday] with [what the regular newsletter covers].

If any of that is not what you wanted, the unsubscribe link is at the bottom and it works on the first click.

[Your name], [role] at [company]

Deliver the promise first and set expectations in the same email. Do not sell anything here.

Email 2

Subject: One thing most [role or team] get wrong about [topic]

Send: Day 2

Hi [first name], you signed up because you are working on [the problem the resource addresses]. Here is one thing we see most [role or team] get wrong: [the mistake, in one plain sentence].

Here is what to do instead. [Two or three sentences with a specific, practical fix the reader can act on today without your product or service.]

That is the whole email. If it was useful, reply and tell me what you are working on. I read every reply.

[Your name]

Give before you ask. One sharp, useful idea tied to why they signed up, and nothing about your company.

Email 3

Subject: Why [company] exists, and the question we hear most

Send: Day 5

Hi [first name], a short note on who is behind these emails. [Company] helps [type of company] with [the one outcome they care about]. We started because [one honest sentence about the origin, no slogans].

Here is a concrete example of what that looks like: [one specific example of your work, with real detail, used with permission. If you cannot share one, describe exactly how you approach the problem instead].

The question we hear most from people like you is: [the real objection, e.g. "Will this take months to set up?" or "We already tried this and it did not work."]. The honest answer: [two or three sentences that answer it directly, including the limits].

[Your name]

Credibility and the objection sit in one email. Specific beats impressive.

Email 4

Subject: A 15-minute call, if it is useful

Send: Day 10

Hi [first name], this is the last email in the welcome series. From here you will get [the regular newsletter] [cadence].

If [the problem] is something you want to solve this quarter, I am happy to talk it through. A 15-minute call, no slides, no pitch deck. You tell me where you are stuck and I tell you what I would do: [booking link].

If the timing is wrong, no problem. Keep reading, and reply any time a question comes up.

[Your name]

One ask, kept small. Do not add a second call to action.

How to adapt it

If someone requested a demo or a call, skip this sequence. They already expect a next step, so hand them to sales right away instead of making them wait ten days.
If your sales cycle is long, spread the four emails over three weeks instead of ten days and add one more email that answers a second objection.
If you have no case study you can share, replace the example in Email 3 with a clear description of your method. Never invent a result.
If the signup was for a tool rather than a guide, Email 2 should show one way to get more out of the tool.
If someone replies or books a call at any point, stop the sequence. Nothing is worse than a "book a call" email arriving after the call is booked.
If someone only downloaded a guide and did not opt into the newsletter, say so in Email 4 and ask before adding them to the regular schedule.

The thinking behind this template: What should a B2B welcome sequence include?.

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This is one of Sawa's illustrative frameworks, not a copy of client work. It claims no result. Last updated 2026-10-08.