Handbook / Finding clients

How to follow up with a client without being pushy

Many opportunities are lost not because the client said no, but because nobody followed up. People get busy, emails get buried, and decisions drift. A clear, polite follow-up routine wins work that would otherwise disappear. This guide covers when to follow up, what to say and when to stop.

The situations

You will follow up in several common situations:

• after a proposal or quote you have sent
• after a meeting or discovery call
• after a project to ask for feedback, referrals or the next piece of work
• with past clients you have not heard from in a while
• with prospects who showed interest but did not proceed

Each calls for a slightly different message, but the principles are the same.

Agree the next step first

The easiest follow-ups are ones the client expects. At the end of every conversation, agree what happens next and when: "I will send the proposal on Tuesday; could we speak Friday to go through questions?" Then your follow-up is simply keeping an appointment.

A simple timing pattern

For proposals with no reply:

1. A few days after the date they said they would decide, or about a week after sending.
2. About a week later, with something useful added.
3. A week or two after that, a final short note.

Adjust to the client's pace. Larger organisations often take longer.

What to write

Keep messages short, specific and easy to answer.

First follow-up: "Hi Maria, I wanted to make sure the proposal for the menu redesign reached you. Would it help to talk through the two options for ten minutes this week?"

Second follow-up: "Hi Maria, one thought since we spoke: printing the new menus before the spring season would mean approving the design by March 10. Is that still the goal?"

Final note: "Hi Maria, I have not heard back, so I will assume the timing is not right and close this for now. If anything changes, I would be glad to pick it up."

The final note often prompts a reply. If not, stop.

Add value

When you can, include something useful: a relevant idea, an answer to a question they raised, or a reminder of a deadline that matters to them. It turns a reminder into help.

Following up with past clients

Past clients are often your best source of new work. A check-in every few months, with a short note about how their project is performing or a relevant idea, keeps you in mind. After a successful project, it is also a natural time to ask for referrals.

Track your opportunities

A simple list prevents opportunities slipping:

• client name
• what you proposed and its value
• date of last contact
• next follow-up date
• status

A spreadsheet works. Review it weekly.

Email rules

US commercial email law distinguishes messages by purpose. The CAN-SPAM Act's definitions say a "commercial electronic mail message" does not include a transactional or relationship message, such as messages about a transaction the recipient has agreed to. Promotional messages are commercial and must follow requirements set out in 15 U.S.C. 7704, including:

• header information that is not false or misleading
• subject lines that are not deceptive
• a functioning way for recipients to opt out, honoured promptly
• identification as an advertisement where required, and a valid physical postal address

Follow-ups about a proposal a client requested are usually relationship messages, but outreach to new prospects is generally commercial. The guide on cold email covers commercial outreach in detail. Whatever the category, honour anyone who asks you to stop.

Tone

Stay friendly and confident. Avoid apologising for following up, and avoid pressure. You are offering help with something they told you mattered.

A follow-up log

A simple log removes the guesswork. For each open opportunity, record:

• name and company
• what you last sent and when
• the agreed next step
• the date of your next follow-up
• the outcome

A spreadsheet or a free customer relationship tool is enough. Review it at the same time each week, send the follow-ups that are due, and close out anything that has gone cold after your final message. The log also shows patterns: how long decisions usually take, which kinds of prospects respond, and how many follow-ups typically come before a yes. Those numbers help you plan your pipeline realistically instead of relying on memory, and they stop good opportunities slipping away simply because you were busy delivering other work.

Agree the next step, follow up briefly two or three times on a schedule, add value when you can, track opportunities, and know when to stop.