Following up with a silent prospect without being pushy
A prospect who doesn't reply hasn't necessarily said no. Often they just forgot. Here's how to follow up twice, cleanly, then move on.
Silence isn't a refusal. Most of the time, your message arrived at the wrong moment and slid under a pile of others. A follow-up isn't pressure: it's a polite reminder.
The two follow-up rule
- Follow-up 1, three to five days later: short, no reproach, with new information or a simple question.
- Follow-up 2, a week later: a closing message that makes "no" easy.
After that, stop. Two well-made follow-ups get an answer far more often than one, and far more politely than five.
Example of a first follow-up
Hi Marc, bumping my message in case it got lost.
Is the question of unanswered quotes still on your plate?
Example of a closing message
Hi Marc, I don't want to clutter your inbox: I'll assume it's not the right time and won't follow up again.
If it becomes a priority, you know where to find me.
This message often gets a reply precisely because it asks for nothing.
What never to do
- Guilt-trip: "I haven't heard back from you…"
- Follow up the next day
- Send exactly the same message again
- Follow up on three different channels the same day
The number to track
The number of firm answers, yes or no, to your follow-ups. A clear no beats a lingering maybe: it frees your time for a prospect who will say yes.
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