Writing A Polite Email Follow Up for Freelancers
People who hire freelancers are busy, hence hiring a freelancer. Busy people sometimes do not have the time to address emails quickly, so it might be OK to not have a response as quickly as you might want it.
Every remote freelancer knows it’s difficult to figure out how to engage a client who isn’t responding, especially when all means of communication are only done electronically. Since each account, person, and business is different, as a freelancer, you must take the time to customise your follow-up email to unresponsive clients before emailing them.
Following up with someone after a meeting, sending an invoice, or sending an email and not hearing back? We’ve got some tips on how to increase your chances of obtaining a response in your follow-up email.
Tip #1: Be Clear on the Subject Line
The subject line of your email is probably the most critical few words in the whole message. It’s the first thing the receiver sees, acts as your pitch, and determines whether or not they’ll bother to read the email. If relevant, refer to the previous email, utilise the name of your target clients, and provide more information to get their attention and to make them interested enough to open the email.
Tip #2: Clarify Your Request
Take out the big point, the deliverable, and the deadline, and link the recipient to the initial email for more. The trick is to give them enough details so that they can meet your desired needs. By briefly restating your inquiry, you ensure that the client gets your objectives. At the same time, you don’t want to provide too much depth since the client can easily go back to the email thread and go through your entire request.
Tip #3. Add a Call to Action
Include a call to action from every follow-up email to highlight what you need your client to be doing, such as a short email return, so you can move forward. If feasible, include a precise date and time so that the call to action is apparent.
E-mail only works if both parties are actively engaged in the dialogue. Without a reply, email is useless. If you send a follow-up email, there’s a communication problem. If utilised appropriately, email may convince your client to collaborate with you, ask for a referral, or be rewarded for your services.
