Sales success hinges on what happens after the call ends. You've just wrapped up a promising conversation with a prospect, and now you're staring at a blank email, trying to figure out how to reference what you discussed without sounding like a robot reading from a script.
"Per our conversation" is the phrase most salespeople reach for in this moment. It's professional, it's clear, and it gets the job done. But is it the best choice for building the kind of relationships that actually close deals?
This guide breaks down everything you need to know about using "per our conversation" in sales communication, including when it works, when it falls flat, and which alternatives will help you stand out in crowded inboxes.
What does “per our conversation” mean?
"Per our conversation" is a formal phrase used to reference a previous discussion, typically in written follow-up communication. The word "per" functions as a preposition meaning "according to" or "in accordance with," making the full phrase translate to "according to what we discussed."
In sales contexts, this phrase serves as a bridge between a verbal conversation and written documentation. It signals to recipients that the email content directly relates to something you've already talked about, helping them mentally reconnect with the discussion before reading the details.
The phrase is grammatically correct and widely accepted in professional communication. You'll also encounter variations like "as per our conversation," which carries the same meaning despite the slightly redundant construction.
When to use “per our conversation” in email?
The phrase works best in specific follow-up scenarios where formality and clarity matter more than warmth and personality.
Delivering Promised Materials
When you've committed to sending resources during a call, case studies, pricing breakdowns, product documentation, or customer references, "per our conversation" creates a clear connection between the promise and the delivery. A prospect who receives an email starting with "Per our conversation, I'm sending over the three case studies we discussed" immediately understands the context without needing to search their memory.
This is particularly valuable in complex B2B sales cycles where multiple touchpoints and conversations can blur together. The phrase acts as a timestamp and reference point, anchoring your follow-up to a specific interaction.
Confirming Agreed-Upon Next Steps
After calls where you've established mutual commitments,a demo date, an introduction to another stakeholder, and a contract review timeline, using "per our conversation" reinforces accountability on both sides. It documents what was agreed upon without sounding accusatory or demanding.
For example, following a discovery call where a VP of Sales agreed to loop in their CRM administrator, you might write: "Per our conversation, I'll hold Thursday at 2pm for the demo with you and your HubSpot admin. Please let me know if that still works on your end."
Creating a Paper Trail
In enterprise sales with long buying cycles and multiple decision-makers, "per our conversation" helps build documentation that can be referenced later. When a deal involves legal review, procurement processes, or executive sign-off, having clear written records of verbal agreements becomes essential.
The phrase “per our conversation” is commonly used in a follow up email after a phone or Zoom conversation. You might be following up after a sales call, customer check in, or job interview. It is a good way to begin an email. It signals to the recipient that you want to bring up something that was discussed previously. This gives the recipient an opportunity to think back to the conversation and ensures that you both remember the same thing. It also sets the stage for you to reference something specific from the conversation.
When "Per Our Conversation" Works Against You
Despite its utility, this phrase carries baggage that can undermine relationship-building in certain situations.
The Formality Problem
"Per our conversation" reads like corporate-speak because it is corporate-speak. Nobody talks this way in actual conversation. You'd never say to a colleague, "Per our conversation at lunch, I'm going to take the afternoon off." The disconnect between how we speak and how we write creates emotional distance at precisely the moment when you want to strengthen connection.
For early-stage prospects who are still evaluating whether they like and trust you, overly formal language can feel cold and transactional. The phrase prioritizes documentation over relationship, which may send the wrong signal about your approach to partnership.
The Passive-Aggressive Risk
When you're following up on commitments the prospect made, information they promised to send, meetings they agreed to schedule, stakeholders they committed to involve, "per our conversation" can carry an undertone of "you said you'd do this, and you haven't." Even when that's not your intent, recipients may read it as a gentle accusation.
This risk intensifies with repeated use. The first "per our conversation" in an email thread reads as professional. The third one in as many weeks starts to feel like pressure.
The Memorability Gap
In a world where decision-makers receive dozens of vendor emails daily, generic phrases blend into the background noise. "Per our conversation" is so common that it's essentially invisible; it neither helps nor hurts, but it certainly doesn't differentiate you from every other salesperson in their inbox.
Standing out requires language that feels human, specific, and memorable. A phrase everyone uses by definition cannot accomplish that goal.
What is another way to say “per our conversation?”
11 Alternatives to "Per Our Conversation" That Build Stronger Connections
The best replacement phrase depends on your specific situation, your relationship with the prospect, and what you're trying to accomplish with the follow-up.
For Delivering on Your Commitments
"As promised" strikes an ideal balance between professionalism and warmth. It positions you as someone who keeps their word while feeling conversational rather than corporate. "As promised, here's the ROI calculator we walked through" sounds like something you'd actually say out loud.
"As you requested" subtly shifts the dynamic by emphasizing that you're responding to their needs rather than pushing your agenda. This works particularly well when following up with materials the prospect specifically asked for, reinforcing that you listen and respond to what matters to them.
For Referencing Discussion Points
"When we spoke last" and "last time we talked" feel natural because they mirror actual speech patterns. These phrases reference the previous conversation without the stiff formality of "per our conversation." They work especially well in longer sales cycles where you want to maintain conversational continuity across multiple touchpoints.
"Building on our discussion" frames your follow-up as a continuation rather than a conclusion. It signals that you're thinking about their challenges and have more to contribute beyond what you covered in the meeting. This phrase works well when you're sharing additional insights or resources you've identified since your conversation.
For Requesting Action
"Did you have a chance to..." acknowledges the reality that your prospect is busy and that your request is one of many competing for their attention. This phrase shows respect for their time while still moving toward the outcome you need. It's particularly effective for following up on commitments they made without sounding pushy.
"I recall you mentioning you wanted to..." reconnects your ask to their own stated goals and interests. By referencing what they said they wanted, you're positioning your request as helping them get what they've already expressed interest in, rather than simply asking them to do something for your benefit.
"Do you still want to..." is surprisingly powerful because it gives the prospect an easy out while simultaneously re-engaging their motivation. It prompts them to reconnect with why they expressed interest in the first place, which often reactivates momentum on stalled deals.
For More Assertive Follow-Ups
"As we agreed" carries more weight than "per our conversation" because it explicitly references a mutual commitment rather than just a discussion. Use this when you need to hold prospects accountable to specific promises they made, but recognize that it may come across as pointed.
"In line with what we discussed" maintains formality while feeling slightly less stiff than "per our conversation." It's a good option when you need to reference prior discussions in more formal contexts—proposals, contracts, or communications that may be forwarded to other stakeholders.
For Building Rapport
"As I mentioned when we talked" works well when you're reiterating a point you made and want to reinforce that you've been consistent in your recommendations. It's collaborative rather than confrontational, positioning you and the prospect as continuing an ongoing dialogue.
How Video Follow-Ups Transform Post-Conversation Communication
Text-based phrases, whether "per our conversation" or any alternative, share a fundamental limitation: they're trying to recreate the warmth and nuance of verbal communication using a medium that strips out tone, facial expression, and personality.
This is why forward-thinking sales teams are increasingly replacing or supplementing text follow-ups with video messages. Instead of writing "per our conversation, here are the key points we covered," you can record a 60-second video that recaps the discussion in your own voice, with your own expressions, maintaining the personal connection you built on the call.
The results speak for themselves. Sales teams using personalized video in their follow-up sequences consistently see response rates two to three times higher than text-only emails. When a prospect sees your face and hears your voice referencing specific points from your conversation, it feels like a continuation of the dialogue rather than a form letter.
Platforms like Sendspark make this approach scalable by letting you record one video and automatically personalize it for multiple recipients; saying each prospect's name, displaying their company's website as your background, and creating the impression of a fully custom message without requiring individual recordings.
Consider the difference between these two follow-up approaches:
A text email reading: "Per our conversation, I'm sending over the case studies we discussed. I've included examples from three companies similar to yours that saw 40%+ increases in reply rates."
Versus a video message where the prospect sees you in front of their company's website, hears you say their name, and watches you personally walk through why you selected those specific case studies based on what you learned about their situation.
The information is identical. The impact is dramatically different.
Crafting Effective Follow-Up Emails: Complete Examples
Understanding phrases in isolation only takes you so far. Here's how these alternatives work in complete email contexts.
Example: Delivering Promised Resources
Subject: The case studies from our call
Hi Sarah,
Thanks again for the conversation yesterday, I enjoyed learning about how your team is approaching the expansion into enterprise accounts.
As promised, I'm attaching the three case studies we discussed. I specifically pulled these because each company faced the challenge you mentioned around personalizing outreach at scale without burning out your SDRs:
Qwilr saw their reply rates increase 200-300% after implementing video prospecting, which directly addresses your concern about standing out in crowded inboxes.
I'd love to hear your thoughts after you've had a chance to review. Would a 15-minute call next week make sense to discuss how these approaches might translate to your team's workflow?
Best, [Name]
Example: Following Up on Their Commitment
Subject: Quick check-in
Hi Marcus,
I hope your week is going well.
When we spoke last Thursday, you mentioned you'd have a chance to share the product brief with your CTO before our next conversation. I wanted to check in and see if that conversation happened and whether any questions came up that I can help address.
No rush at all, I know competing priorities have a way of shifting timelines. If it would help, I'm happy to put together a short video walking through the technical architecture in a way that might make that internal conversation easier to facilitate.
Let me know what would be most helpful.
[Name]
Example: Restarting a Stalled Conversation
Subject: Still thinking about this
Hi Jennifer,
It's been a few weeks since our demo, and I wanted to reach back out.
Do you still want to explore how video prospecting could help your team hit the Q2 pipeline targets you mentioned? I know you were particularly interested in how the HubSpot integration works for automating video sends based on lead scoring.
If priorities have shifted, no worries at all, I'd rather know where things stand than keep following up on something that's moved to the back burner.
If video prospecting is still on your radar, I recorded a quick 2-minute walkthrough specifically showing the HubSpot workflow you asked about. [Watch here]
Either way, I appreciate you letting me know.
[Name]
Video Follow-Up Best Practices for Post-Call Communication
If you're ready to move beyond text-only follow-ups, these principles will help you maximize impact.
Keep It Short and Specific
Post-call videos should run 60-90 seconds maximum. Your goal is to maintain connection and advance the conversation, not to deliver a comprehensive presentation. Reference two or three specific points from your discussion to demonstrate that this is truly personalized, then clearly state your call to action.
Record Once, Personalize at Scale
The biggest objection to video prospecting has always been time. Recording individual videos for every follow-up isn't sustainable for high-volume sales teams. This is where AI-powered personalization changes the equation.
With tools like Sendspark, you can record a single video and automatically generate personalized versions that include each recipient's name spoken in your cloned voice and their company website displayed as your background. The prospect experiences what feels like a custom recording while you maintain the efficiency of a templated approach.
Combine Video with Strategic Text
Video doesn't replace email text, it enhances it. Your written message should provide context and include the key information prospects need if they can't watch immediately, while the video delivers the emotional impact and personal connection that text can't match.
A strong structure includes a brief text introduction, your embedded video, and a clear written call to action below the video for those who prefer to skim.
Track and Iterate
Modern video platforms provide analytics showing who watched, for how long, and whether they clicked your call to action. Use this data to prioritize follow-up based on engagement signals and to refine your approach over time.
Moving Beyond Phrases to Genuine Connection
The phrase you choose to reference a past conversation matters less than the overall quality of your follow-up communication. "Per our conversation" isn't wrong, it's just one tool in a much larger toolkit.
What truly differentiates top-performing salespeople is their ability to make prospects feel heard, valued, and understood across every touchpoint. Sometimes that means choosing warmer language. Sometimes it means picking up the phone instead of sending another email. And increasingly, it means using video to maintain the human connection that made your original conversation successful.
The best follow-up doesn't just reference what you discussed—it demonstrates that you were truly listening and are genuinely invested in helping solve their problems.
Ready to Transform Your Sales Follow-Ups?
Stop choosing between personalization and scale. Sendspark lets you record once and personalize at scale, with AI voice cloning that says each prospect's name and dynamic backgrounds that display their company website.
Sales teams using Sendspark see 2-3x higher response rates on their follow-up emails. Start your free trial and see the difference video makes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is "per our conversation" too formal for sales emails?
It depends on your relationship and industry. For initial follow-ups with new prospects in traditional industries like finance or legal, the formality may be appropriate. For ongoing conversations with prospects you've built rapport with, or in more casual industries like tech startups, warmer alternatives typically perform better.
Can I use "as per our conversation" instead?
Yes, though it's slightly redundant since "as" and "per" mean essentially the same thing in this context. Both versions are grammatically acceptable and widely used in professional communication. Choose whichever sounds more natural to you.
How soon after a call should I send a follow-up email?
Ideally within 2-4 hours while the conversation is fresh in everyone's mind. Same-day follow-up demonstrates professionalism and keeps momentum going. If your call ended late in the day, first thing the next morning is acceptable.
What's the best way to follow up when a prospect hasn't responded?
Vary your approach across follow-up attempts. If your first message was text-only, try video for your second touch. Reference specific points from your conversation to demonstrate this isn't a generic sequence. And always provide value—an additional resource, insight, or perspective—rather than simply asking "did you get my last email?"
How many times should I reference a previous conversation in one email thread?
Once per email is typically sufficient. Multiple references to "our conversation" in a single message can feel like you're building a legal case rather than continuing a dialogue. Make your connection to the prior discussion, then focus on moving forward.
