How to Follow Up With Someone Who’s Not Getting Back to You

• Moderately positive emails have a higher response rate than boring, neutral ones.
• A neutral tone can be considered rude or demanding while a cheery, appreciative tone with subtle amount of flattery helps getting the job done.
• Keeping the language short and simple, with the word limit being 75 to 100 words yields the highest response rate of 51 percent.
• It also helps to be persistent in your follow ups, as asking for what one needs reduces anxiety and helps with one’s self-esteem.

Being clear without being rude is an art, and one cannot beat around the bush in an email with an ambiguous response. Asking a question creates the next step in the process, and is crucial.

That being said, one also needs to give the recipient an ‘out’ option, demonstrating how you understand their position and presenting yourself as humble and humane. This will make them feel less cornered, increasing the chance of their replying back. Example: Please let me know if you are too busy to provide the requested feedback or if you need more time.