Most deals are won in the follow-up, and most follow-up emails are wasted on “just checking in”. That line gives the other person nothing to reply to. A good follow-up email always carries a reason.
Give them a reason to reply
- New information: a relevant case study, a result, an answer to their earlier worry.
- A genuine deadline: pricing, availability, a start date.
- Something useful: a resource they would value even if they say no.
Make the next step tiny
Ask for one small, easy yes, not a commitment. “Want me to send a one-page plan?” gets a reply. “Are you ready to proceed?” often gets silence.
Have a cadence, and an exit
Space your follow-ups out and give each one a fresh angle. After a few with no reply, send a short break-up note. It is polite, and it often gets the reply that everything before it did not.
Example break-up note
“I do not want to crowd your inbox, so I will leave it here. If the timing is not right, no problem at all. If it changes, just reply and we will pick it straight back up.”
Common mistakes
- Checking in with nothing to add.
- Following up too often, or too soon.
- Giving up after one try. Most replies come on the second or third.