How to write a follow-up email that gets a reply

Most emails that go unanswered weren't ignored. They were buried. A good follow-up is short, easy to reply to, and makes the next step obvious. Here's how to write one, when to send it, and eight templates you can copy.

The rules of a good follow-up

• Wait long enough. Three working days for most things. One day if it's urgent and you said so.
• Reply in the same thread, so they have the context without searching.
• Keep it to two or three lines. A follow-up longer than the original won't get read either.
• Make replying easy. Ask a yes or no question, or offer two options.
• Never guilt-trip. "Just checking you saw this" is fine. "As I said in my last three emails" is not.
• Stop after two or three. If there's still no reply, call, or let it go.

8 follow-up email templates

1. The gentle nudge

Hi Sam, just bringing this back to the top of your inbox. Any thoughts on the proposal? Happy to jump on a quick call if easier.

2. After a meeting

Hi Priya, thanks again for Tuesday. As promised, here's the summary and next steps. Could you confirm you're happy with the Friday deadline?

3. An unpaid invoice

Hi Alex, a quick reminder that invoice 1042 for £1,200 was due on 12 September. I've attached it again for convenience. Could you let me know when payment is scheduled?

4. A job application

Hi Jordan, I applied for the Product Designer role last week and wanted to say I'm still very interested. Is there anything else I can send to help with your decision?

5. A sales follow-up

Hi Chris, I know things get busy. Would it be worth a 15-minute call next week to see if this fits, or should I close the loop for now?

6. Asking for a decision

Hi Morgan, to keep things moving: shall we go with option A or option B? Either works on our side.

7. The last follow-up

Hi Taylor, I've not heard back, so I'll assume the timing isn't right and won't chase further. If anything changes, just reply to this email.

8. After no reply to an introduction

Hi Jamie, following up on Lee's introduction. Would you be open to a short call in the next couple of weeks?

Never forget to follow up again

The hard part of following up isn't writing the email. It's remembering to. Most people keep a mental list, and most mental lists leak.

Dusk tracks it for you. When you send a reply, the thread moves to Waiting, labelled "Waiting on Sam". If nobody replies within three days (you can change this), it comes back to Needs reply with a Follow up tag. Press R, then ⌘J and type "follow up politely", and Dusk writes it in your own style. It all runs on your Mac, for $49 once.

Questions

How long should I wait before sending a follow-up email?

Usually three working days. One day if the matter is urgent and you said so in the first email.

How many times should I follow up?

Two or three times at most. After that, try another channel or let it go.

Should a follow-up be a new email or a reply?

A reply in the same thread, so the recipient has the context in front of them.

How do I follow up without sounding pushy?

Keep it short, assume they're busy rather than ignoring you, and make it easy to reply with a yes, no or choice of two options.