Learning how to follow up without being annoying to your clients is not that difficult. Creating a successful career is part of following up. It is important to stay organized and on top of all follow-up activities in order to maintain your career trajectory.
You may need to remind someone that getting paid is important. It’s important to maintain healthy relationships with those around you, and remember to follow up on important topics.
Growing your business, keeping your clients, and making sure you get compensated for your time are all dependent on following up. Be sure to check in with your clients to make sure they are happy with the work you have done.
I have come to appreciate the follow-up strategy in my life. You want something badly enough to put in the time and effort to follow up.
How To Follow Up Without Being Annoying
Many people think following up with customers is annoying. It is important to remember that following up should always be done with respect and understanding for the customer.
As someone trying to grow their business, this is the last thing you want to do. Taking on too much work can lead to burnout and poor quality results, as it can be detrimental to your success. As with anything, moderation and timing are essential. If you do too much, the results may not be in line with your goals.
5 Steps to Following Up With Clients Without Being Annoying:
Step 1: Silence the Self-Sabotage
The key to achieving goals is your attitude. The key to achieving goals and living a happy life is your attitude. Let’s say you send an email to a new editor with a great idea. You can work together to create something great if they agree to the idea. Then… crickets. Radio silence. The voices in your head say that it’s you.
Quit it! I have been guilty of letting my imagination run wild when I don’t hear back from someone. I try to stay in the present by focusing on the positives. I think I’m a terrible writer. I’m determined to improve my skills. They don’t like me!”
Even if those things were true, it’s There is no reason to stop trying. Don’t give up on your goals, push yourself and never give up! More than likely, you are making up stories of your own. The stories are a product of your imagination.
Step 2: Send a Short Reminder
If I don’t hear back from someone I don’t know very well, I will give them a week to respond before I send a polite follow-up. I think they are not interested in continuing the conversation if there is still no response after the follow-up.
My message usually is something like:
Hi [client],
Hope all is well! I sent you a topic a week ago and wanted to see if you were interested in pursuing it further. I want to hear your thoughts on the topic and discuss how we can move forward. I’d be happy to chat about it more in detail.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Best,
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I keep it short and to the point. Editors of larger publications don’t respond to me because they are busy, even though my ideas were bad.
We are all busy. If we take the time to look for solutions, we can find ways to juggle our responsibilities. Sometimes we need a reminder to respond to an email that was buried among the rest. A gentle reminder can help us stay on track to achieve our goals.
When I send a simple follow-up, I get a response from someone I don’t know very well.
Sending a simple reminder shows that you are committed to the request and that you want something bad enough. It’s important to follow up on your request in a timely manner.
In my own experience with following up, I have been able to:
- Secure more gigs
- Forge relationships with people
- Make it clear I’m Interested
- Ensure I am on top of payment (this is so important — no one will come and find you to pay you — you need to follow up about payment as a freelancer)
Step 3: Stay on Top of What You Want
Many people give up if there is no response. If you don’t try to reach out again, the money could be left on the table. Don’t let the opportunity to make a difference pass you by, take the initiative and make your move now. If you show them you are interested in working with them, they will be more than happy to work with you. They may be inspired to work with you if you ask questions and listen.
This is likely to be the opposite.
It feels like herding cats when you are a business owner. Tracking down payments is one of the things you are doing. New prospects and opportunities for growth will be identified by you.
It’s a lot to handle!
Staying on top of what you want and following up with people can make a world of difference in your income and relationship building. Staying organized and taking action will ensure that your goals are met in a timely manner.
I followed up with someone on an opportunity that didn’t work out. The experience taught me valuable lessons and helped me prepare for future opportunities. I said thank you and moved on. I knew I could rely on them in the future because I was grateful for their help. The same person had a different opportunity for me later that year. I was thankful for their continued support and willingness to give me new opportunities.
Why? Because I’m persistent.
Step 4: Know the Best Time to Follow Up
How do you know when it is time to follow up? It’s important that the other person isn’t overburdened with too many follow-ups. Being patient is key, but you also don’t want too much time to lapse between your requests, in the event they forget about you, or the project has expired. Keeping your requests top-of-mind is important to ensure you get the response you need in a timely manner.
Here are some quick tips to know exactly when to follow up:
1. Create a Spreadsheet
All my clients, pay rates, due dates, and invoice procedures are listed in a spreadsheet that I have. To ensure that invoices are paid on time, I use a spreadsheet to keep track of my client’s progress. I use this to keep track of payment, timing, and administrative duties. It makes it easier for me to stay on top of my responsibilities. You can use the Millennial Money client list template to create your own spreadsheet.
2. Craft a Custom Follow Up
I don’t know about you, but I have an irrational fear that my important emails are lost in the internet. I’m constantly checking my inbox for any sign of a reply, but so far I haven’t heard anything. I use a tool called Sidekick which lets me know if people have opened my email. There is a feature that allows me to see when someone clicks on the links in my emails.
Knowing this helps me understand that the intended party has received the item. I am satisfied that I did everything I could to make sure that the item was delivered on time. You can use this information to craft your follow-up. It’s important to follow up in a timely manner in order to get the best results.
For example, if your client has not opened an email, you can wait a few days and send a short email saying:
I want to confirm that you have this. I hope you get the message. Let me know if you need anything else!”
— or if they have opened the email you can say:
“I wanted to follow up about [topic] — [insert specific action or request].”
3. Understand Communication Styles and Roles
Some people don’t live on the internet like I do, and aren’t as responsive to emails. I recommend getting in touch with those people through other forms of communication, such as a phone call or video chat. That’s totally fine! Some people are very fast, while others are slower, and so on. When needed, there is no shame in asking for help.
Understand your client’s communication style. You have to be willing to change your style to fit their needs. I have a client that sometimes falls off the face of the planet and requires several follow-ups, they have even admitted this! I try to stay patient as they are worth the effort.
I follow up only if I really need something. They may have their own busy lives and don’t have time to answer all my questions right away.
It might be time to cut your losses if it becomes too much of a habit and you can’t get your work done. If it’s really worth it, take a step back and evaluate how much time you’re spending on this activity. Take the amount of time between contact into account. If communication is not maintained, it is important to consider the amount of time between contact and whether the relationship should continue. This should be calculated based on how important the project is and how well you know that person.
4. Send Unique and Specific Reminders
A one-sentence vague email or a ten-paragraph follow-up won’t work for editors or clients. It’s important to find balance and craft emails that are concise, yet thorough enough to communicate. It should be short and sweet, but also specific. To ensure your message is heard, include a call to action.
Mention dates and topics that are related to what you are following. I want to make sure that the project is still on track for completion by June 30th, and to discuss any issues that may have arisen since our last meeting. You increase the likelihood of getting a quick response by doing this. This shows the recipient that you value their time. You can end your email with a question to get a response. Ensuring that your message is seen and understood will be helped by this.
5. Do Work on the Front End
If you know you need a response, mark it as such. If you need a response in a timely manner, you can call or text the recipient. Please use your discretion if you want to put “Urgent” or “Important” in the subject line of the email. Your email will get the attention it needs in a timely manner if you mention the urgent nature of your request in the subject line.
It is possible to say explicitly, “please confirm you have received this,” which can help with the back and forth and limit email tags. You can be certain that the recipient has received your message if you use this method.
Step 5: Don’t Forget the Details
It is important to include all of the details in order to turn a no into a yes. When the time comes, be sure to practice your pitch so you can be persuasive. It’s important to follow up with a simple reminder email within 2 weeks of reaching out. It is important that you provide value in your outreach and not just send generic messages.
You don’t have to forget anything if you download the freePitch Perfect Checklist. A few extra tips are included in this checklist. When planning your next event, be sure to use the checklist as a reference. You can start seeing results by filling out the form.
By using these steps and applying these tips to my freelance writing business, I made sure I got paid in a timely fashion, gained new clients, and stayed on top of assignments. I’m proud of the progress I’ve made in my business this year.
When you need an opportunity or a contract to pay off, you will have already invested the time and energy, and can now reap the rewards.
If you do it the right way, the art of the follow-up is not annoying. By staying organized and paying attention to the other person’s time, you can ensure your follow-up is helpful and productive. Remember, you could be leaving money on the table by assuming silence means “no.”
Following up, instead of giving up, can turn something you thought was a lost cause into an awesome opportunity.
