What to say instead of "just following up"
Send a message that gives the person a reason to reply. Three work: a new piece of information, a specific question they can answer in one word, or a polite close that lets them off the hook. All three are written out below, ready to copy. "Just following up" fails because it puts the work back on the reader and gives them nothing new to react to.
Why "just following up" gets ignored
Read it from their side. They already know you are following up. The message adds nothing they did not have yesterday, and it asks them to remember where they got to, decide something, and write a reply. That is three jobs for them and none for you. Most people put it back down and mean to answer later.
The fix is not a clever subject line. It is doing one of the three jobs for them before you ask anything.
The three messages that get replies
"Hi Sarah, one thing I should have said with the quote: we have a slot free the week of the 8th, and after that it is early October. No rush, just did not want you to find out when it had gone."
Works because there is a fact in it they did not have. You are not asking them to decide, you are telling them something useful.
"Hi Sarah, quick one so I can plan the diary: are you still thinking about doing the work this side of Christmas, yes or no? Either is fine."
Works because "yes" or "no" is a two second reply. The moment they type anything, you are back in a conversation.
"Hi Sarah, I will stop chasing after this one. If it is not the right time, that is genuinely fine, just say the word and I will close the file. If you do still want it, I am here."
Works because it removes the awkwardness. Owners are always surprised how many people reply to this one with "sorry, yes, please carry on".
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Send me the free BlueprintA four-touch sequence, start to finish
- Day 0: send the quote or the answer, and say in the same message when you will check back
- Day 2: message one, the new piece of information
- Day 5: message two, the one-word question
- Day 12: message three, the polite close
- Then stop, and put a note in the diary for three months if it is the sort of job that comes round again
Does this sound like your follow-up?
- You send one chase, hear nothing, and quietly give up
- You have written "just following up" more than once this month
- You chase when it is quiet and forget when you are busy
- You feel rude chasing, so you leave it longer, then it feels too late to chase at all
All four go away when the wording is decided in advance and the messages go out on a set schedule instead of when you remember.
Two words to cut everywhere
"Just" makes you sound apologetic for contacting someone about work they asked you for. "Circling back" is the same message wearing a hat. Say what you actually want: "Are you still after this?" reads as confident, not pushy. Short and direct is the polite version.
Making the chase happen when you are busy
Having the words is the easy half. The hard half is that day two and day five land while you are on a job with your phone in the van. Most owners fix that once: the messages are written in their own words, they go out on the schedule above, and the sequence stops dead the moment the customer replies. If you want to know what your unchased quotes are actually worth, the lead response calculator works it out with your figures.
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Common questions
How long should I wait before the first follow-up?
Two working days after you sent the quote or the answer. Sooner feels twitchy, and much later means they have already had three other people reply. If you told them in the original message that you would check back on a certain day, keep to it, because doing what you said you would do is half the impression you are trying to make.
Is it better to text or email a follow-up?
Text for anything under a few thousand pounds and for trades, salons, clinics and mobile services, because it gets read within minutes. Email for larger jobs and anything they need to forward to a partner or a finance person. If you sent the quote by email, sending the day two nudge by text is often what breaks the silence.
How many times can I chase before it is annoying?
Three messages over about two weeks, then stop. What annoys people is not the number, it is the same message repeated with nothing new in it. Three different messages that each give them something feel like good service. Three copies of "just following up" feel like pestering.
What do I say if they never reply at all?
Nothing more after the polite close. Silence is an answer, and continuing past it costs you the chance of them coming back later. Close the file, keep their details, and if the work is seasonal, put a diary note to ask again in three months with a genuine reason to get in touch.
Should I mention the price again in a follow-up?
No. Repeating the number invites them to argue with it, and it suggests you think price was the problem. Usually the problem is that they got busy. Ask about timing instead. If they do come back and say it was the price, you can offer a smaller scope rather than the same job for less.