FOLLOWING UP
Following up without being a pest
You sent a good email and heard nothing. That’s normal. It rarely means “no”. It usually means they read it between two other things and forgot.
A follow-up is often where the conversation actually starts. Here’s how to do it without becoming the person they dread hearing from.
Wait a few working days
Give it three to five working days. Sooner feels pushy. Much later and they won’t remember the first one.
Add something, don’t just nudge
“Just checking you saw my email” gives them nothing new. Bring one useful thing instead: a price, a photo of recent work, a customer like them, an answer to a question they might have.
Try another route once
If email got no answer, a short phone call or a message through their contact page is fair. Some people simply don’t live in their inbox.
Know when to stop
Two or three attempts over a few weeks is enough. End on a friendly note that leaves the door open: “I’ll leave it there, but you know where I am if it becomes useful.” Then actually leave it there.
Write it down
The hard part of following up is remembering to. Keep a simple record of who you contacted, when, and what’s next. A notebook works. So does the free CRM that comes with bexford, which keeps every prospect, note and next step in one place.
And if someone asks you not to contact them again, don’t. Make a note so you never do by accident.