It has come to my attention that there’s a whole generation barely even using email. There’s probably a debate that consists of them calling me old and me (arguing that and) saying that they’re missing out. But regardless of your age, if you think you’re missing out on opportunities, it might simply be because (gasp) you did send one email and then gave up, moved on, when you didn’t hear anything back.
The simple fact is, if it’s important enough to you, a second email should be sent when sufficient time has gone by (in other words, not the next day) and that simple follow-up could make the difference in actually getting a response.
A disclaimer here first before I continue. That follow-up that now gets you a response could very well be the other party writing you back to say No. But at least you got a reply and know where you stand. It might not be the answer you want, but sometimes it’s better than not hearing anything at all.
Resuming with optimism, though, I encourage you to circle back around to someone you contacted but didn’t hear back from for these reasons:
• They might not have seen your first email
• They might have seen but not really read or given much attention to your initial message
• The recipient is likely getting an overwhelming number of emails – perhaps with the same ask that you’re making – so you need to stand out somehow (a good subject line will help here)
• Your intended contact person might not be the one at that email address (i.e., if you’re just writing to an info@ address)
• They might have thought you were just blasting out to a whole list of addresses and aren’t really holding out hope to hear from them, specifically
I can speak to this both as the email sender and as the recipient.
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As the sender, there are messages I’ll send out on behalf of my clients, maybe looking to get them booked to perform somewhere or scheduled for an interview or some other opportunity. Indeed, I have seen replies come back to me, period, (on the second try) including some that say, “Thanks Bruce, and I apologize for missing your initial message.”
As the recipient, the same has happened to me. Someone will write to me, for example, wanting to pitch me about a guest for my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast, and I just don’t see it for whatever reason. When they come back around – especially if it’s a sender whose name I recognize, likely because we’ve done business together before – I will write back (even if I’m declining what someone is putting before me) with, “I appreciate you re-sending this. I actually don’t recall having seen it the first time.”
As always, the tone of your email needs to be polite and professional so that your follow-up doesn’t end up backfiring on you. (In other words, you really don’t want to say, “I never heard back from you on this.”) If there’s any doubt, have someone else read it first. Don’t read it to them out loud because your voice inflection could influence their interpretation.
While yes, all of this means extra work in the form of writing more emails, remember that you’re doing it because it could all mean more work in the form of bookings, interviews, and whatever other opportunities you’re pursuing.
Already doing this? Share your “second email worked” story with me. Tweet to me about your win via @NHT_tweets. Alternatively, describe it in a post on Facebook or LinkedIn. Or, stick with email and write to me that way instead. And if you need help with this or something else, schedule a private, one-on-one consultation with me so we can get you moving forward.