5 Email Scripts to Crank Out the Perfect

Follow Up Email to an Unresponsive Client

by John Hughes / Updated: June 25, 2020 / Growth & Marketing Tips
If you’re a freelancer, contractor, or small business owner, working with clients can be one of the
most challenging parts of your job. This is especially true when those clients become
mysteriously unresponsive. When this happens, you’ll need to be vigilant in sending a follow up
email. And this is where some handy email scripts come into play.
When written with a little thought and foresight, the right follow up email can produce quick
results.

If you’re not sure how to do this, don’t worry! Seeing a few examples and understanding how
(and why) they work is usually all you’ll need to start using this tactic effectively in your
business.

In this post, we’re going to introduce six common situations involving unresponsive clients.

For each, we’ll provide a sample follow up email, and explain why it’s likely to produce results.

6 #email #scripts to crank out the perfect #followup email to an unresponsive client
Click To Tweet

Why it pays to design a carefully-worded follow up email

When it comes to creating email scripts, it’s well worth your time to design them carefully. A
hastily-sent email can do more harm than good, so you’ll want to be strategic.

This involves a number of considerations. You’ll want to think about the action you’d like the
recipient to take, and how you can gently (yet firmly) encourage them in that direction. In
addition, it’s vital to pay attention to every single word you use. Tone and intent matter just as
much here as content – especially when you’re dealing with an unresponsive or difficult client.

Writing solid email scripts that return results takes practice. However, to get you started, we’re
going to present a number of examples you can use and learn from.

We’ve worked with a lot of challenging and hard-to-contact clients over the years, and what
follows are the types of emails we’ve found work best.

Six email scripts you can use to follow up with unresponsive

clients
Let’s now take a look at the six scripts themselves! By using (and perhaps slightly tweaking)
these emails yourself, you can greatly increase your chance of making successful connections.

They’re in no order of importance or relevance, so you’re free to dip into whichever one takes
your fancy first!

1. Follow up after a proposal submission

Few things are more frustrating then sending off a detailed proposal for a new project, and
hearing nothing back. You’re ready and waiting to get started, and each day’s delay means one
more day you’ll have to wait for payment once the project wraps up.
The good news is that a lack of response to a proposal rarely means the client is unhappy with it
or unwilling to move forward. On the contrary, they’ll usually let you know of this straightaway.
Instead, you’ll often find they’ve been too busy to give it much thought, or even to fully read
your email.

In the words of Mercedes Cardona at OMH Communications:

Everybody gets far more email than they can read every day, and we’re all weeding out spam
aggressively. Sometimes, a useful lead gets thrown out by mistake – it happens.

Even so, you’ll certainly want to follow up with this client. You need to stay at the forefront of
their minds, and remind them to take time out of their schedule to give your proposal the
attention it deserves. Usually, a gentle nudge is all it will take:

Hi [Client name],

I was wondering if you've had a chance yet to look over our most recent
proposal. [Brief, one-sentence summary of the proposal itself].

We're eager to hear your thoughts, and to get started on this project! Please
let me know if you have any questions regarding the specifics of the proposal
(as outlined in my previous email).

This message opens with a polite acknowledgment of how busy the client is, and that you
understand they may not have been able to give your proposal a thorough look yet. Then, it
briefly reminds them of the proposal’s focus, so they don’t have to go back to the previous email
in order to orient themselves.

The second paragraph is the crucial element here. It’s a good idea to let the client know you’re
excited about the project (even if you’re also feeling frustrated). This enthusiasm can be the push
they need. Plus, by soliciting questions, you’re telling them they don’t need to immediately
approve or reject your proposal, but are free to voice any queries or concerns they may have
about it first.

Of course, you’ll want to close the follow up email with your favorite sign-off phrase and your
name. In addition, you should avoid terminology such as “there’s no rush” in this sort of
message. While you want to remain polite and thoughtful, you also want to encourage the client
to take action as soon as possible (your bank account is depending on it!).

2. Reminder that you’re waiting on a response

This may be the most common situation you find yourself in when dealing with unresponsive
clients. You’re in the middle of some kind of project, and you can’t proceed further until the
client answers a key question or provides a particular resource. Yet you’re met with radio
silence.

Following up promptly in this situation is in the best interests of both you and your client. After
all, both of you want the project to carry on smoothly and avoid wasting time. As with the
previous scenario, it’s highly likely that the client did see your email, but forgot about it or has it
marked to deal with later.

This follow up email can be sent anywhere from a few days to a week after the prior
communication, depending on the project’s urgency:

Hi [Client name],

I wanted to follow up, and see if you've had a chance to review my previous
email. As I mentioned, [briefly restate the question or remind them of what
you need].

Once we have your answer, we'll be able to proceed straightaway to the next
stage of the project. Let me know if I can provide any further clarification
on what we need!

The first paragraph is structured in a similar way to our last example, which is deliberate. Here
too, it’s important to acknowledge how busy the client is, and to avoid any air of impatience or
frustration.

Plus, reminding them briefly of your query lets them know exactly what you’re looking for. At
the same time, you don’t want to get too detailed here, as the client can simply go back to the
previous email to read over your full request.

The next sentence is designed to let the client know (politely) the importance of this particular
message. In other words, they may not have realized the lack of response has led to a roadblock
on your end.

Then, the offer to provide clarification wraps up this brief follow up email, while making it clear
you’re ready and waiting to discuss anything unclear in your original message (thus delaying
their response).

3. Solicitation for new work

Staying in close communication with your clients is always important. However, it’s never more
essential than right after a project wraps up. It’s all too easy for a client to forget about you and
move on to the next thing at this point – which is the last thing you’ll want.

Therefore, if you’ve finished a project for a particular client and haven’t heard anything from
them for a little while, you’ll want to send along a request for new work. The best approach to
this email can vary a bit depending on the specific circumstances, but here’s an example of an
effective message:

Hi [Client name],

As you know, we recently wrapped up [project name/description of project]. We

hope you're happy with the results!
We're eager to move forward with the next project – here's all we'll require
from you:

- [Brief list, in bullet point form, of necessary questions and/or requests

for information or resources.]

Once we have this infraction, we can move forward to the next phase. Of
course, please let me know if there are any questions I can answer as well.

This follow up email relies somewhat on the assumption that both you and your client are aware
of your usual process, and have worked on multiple projects in the past. It may need a little
personalization to reflect the type of projects you’re working on, but it provides a solid
framework nonetheless.

The first paragraph serves two purposes (besides simply being an introduction to the email). It
reminds the client of the recently-completed project, and of their (hopefully) positive reaction to
its quality. Remembering what a good job you did previously should whet their appetite for more
of the same.

Expressing your own eagerness to get started is always a good touch. However, the real star of
the show here is the bullet point list of questions/requests. Listing out what you need from the
client (instead of writing it all out in paragraph form) makes your requirements crystal-clear. It
also increases the chances of getting a response to each specific inquiry.

Wrap it all up with a nudge forward and a request for any questions the client might have, and
you have a simple but effective follow up email on your hands.

4. Touching base after a while of inactivity

The previous follow up email was about staying in touch with your client and trying to land
consecutive projects one after the other. This email template is about reconnecting with a client
after a longer period of time.

At this stage, we shouldn’t assume that the client remembers exactly who we are or what sort of
projects we completed together in the past. While some familiarity is there, you first need to
rekindle it, so to speak.

This email template can help with that:

Hi [Client name],

I made a note in my calendar to contact you right about now. Just to remind
you, the last project we did together was [PROJECT].

I wanted to touch base and check if there are some opportunities to work
together again. Has anything changed regarding your [BUSINESS GOAL]?

Considering what we did together in the past, I think we can follow in similar
footsteps by working on [IDEA1, IDEA2, IDEA3].
If you'd like some more details of how this might work exactly, just let me
know and I'll send a more in-depth proposal and break things down step by
step.

This follow up email script achieves a couple of things:

 It’s friendly in nature and reconnects with the person in a natural way – it doesn’t seem
forced.
 It reminds the client what you worked on in the past and also suggests that you did more
than one project together (if that’s the case).
 It suggests a couple of ready-made ideas for projects you could work on next.

That last point is particularly important. People are busy. If you can come to your clients and
suggest exact ideas you could execute for them, it increases your chances of landing the deal.
The fact that you already have an established relationship helps with that, since you no longer
have to prove that you’re capable of delivering.

5. Request for an overdue payment

This one is a little tricky. Talking about money can be stressful, especially if you’re a creative
who’d rather have nothing to do with the financial element of the business. This is even more
pertinent when it comes to following up with a difficult client who’s overdue on their payment.

First and foremost, you’ll want to go into this communication as polite as possible. Don’t
insinuate that the client is negligent, or start making threats. Instead, proceed with the
assumption that the client has simply forgotten to pay. Even if there’s another reason for their
delinquency, this approach can essentially guilt them into pulling out their wallet:

Hi [Client name],

I wanted to touch base, and remind you about the payment due on [date on
invoice]. As of yet, we've not received your payment. Could you let us know
when we can expect to receive it please?

It’s best to keep this type of follow up email short and sweet. You don’t want the key message to
get overlooked. Plus, there’s no reason to throw in a bunch of qualifiers. Simply reminding them
that payment is due – politely – often does the trick. However, you do want to give them all of
the pertinent information, such as an invoice number, and the email it was sent to originally. The
idea is to make payment as easy as possible.

You can essentially repeat this email as many times as you feel necessary. However, if you still
don’t receive a response, you may eventually need to get more forceful. Here’s a follow up email
you might send if they fail to respond to a few messages like the one above:

Hi [Client name],
We have still not received your payment for [project name/description]. We'll
be expecting the full invoice amount – [amount of payment] – by [new due
date], or we'll potentially have to refer this matter to a collection agency.

This is a firm and straightforward message, which is appropriate for a client who is both failing
to pay and to respond. Giving them a reminder of the payment amount and a new due date may
finally spur them into action.

If not, you might have to cut your losses with this particular client and consider this a learning
experience. Of course, you can actually hire a collection agency to follow up for you – but the
hassle and fees involved make this a less desirable option unless the bill owed is very large.

6. The final email

The previous follow up emails are designed to get a response whenever possible. However,
sometimes a client simply goes quiet despite your best efforts.

If you’ve sent several messages to a client and they just aren’t responding (and they don’t owe
you any money), it’s time to send one last follow up email. It might look something like this:

Hi [Client name],

It's been some time since we've heard from you. At this point, we have to
assume your priorities have changed, or you're taking your business in a
different direction.

Please feel free to reach out in the future if we can be of any further
assistance!

This message accomplishes a few things. It’s polite and understanding for one, showing that you
bear the client no ill will for their lack of response. Even if you don’t hear from them now, you’ll
want to keep the relationship on as positive a note as possible.

What’s more, making it clear you’re moving on this way plays on the client’s fear of missing out
(FOMO). They should recognize that if they want to continue benefiting from your services,
they’ll need to act quickly.

Finally, you’ve made it clear you’re open to any future communications. It’s not uncommon to
suddenly hear back from an old client months or years down the line, when priorities and
personnel have changed. Wrapping your email up this way gives you the best possible shot of
getting a response.

Go to top

Conclusion
Unfortunately, there’s no way (yet!) to reach through your computer screen and make your client
respond to a crucial message. However, sending a carefully-crafted follow up email can produce
the results you’re looking for, while keeping your relationship on a positive note.

In this article, we’ve introduced you to six email scripts you can use to chase up unresponsive
clients:

1. Follow-up after a proposal submission.

2. Reminder that you’re waiting on a response.
3. Solicitation for new work.
4. Touching base after a longer period of time.
5. Request for an overdue payment.
6. The final email.

6 #email #scripts to crank out the perfect #followup email to an unresponsive client
Click To Tweet

Have you ever had success getting an unresponsive client to talk? Tell us what you did in the
comments section below!

Don’t forget to join our crash course on speeding up your WordPress site. With some simple
fixes, you can reduce your loading time by even 50-80%: