How do I follow up with a client who has gone quiet?

You sent the proposal. They said it looked good. Then nothing for two weeks. Most people either send nothing, because chasing feels pushy, or send "just checking in", which gives the other person no reason to answer.

A better follow-up does one of three things: adds something useful, makes the next step smaller, or makes it easy to say no. Four short messages in that order give the other person a fair chance to answer, even if the answer is no.

What you need

• The history: the emails, the call notes and the proposal summary. Paste what you have.
• The one thing you want to happen next, such as a yes or no on the proposal, or a date for a call.
• Anything new and true you can offer: a relevant example you have, an answer to a question they asked, a date that matters to their project.

The ladder

1. A useful nudge. Refer to something specific in the thread and add a small useful thing.
2. A useful addition. A different angle: an answer to a likely worry, or a shorter version of the next step.
3. A plain check-in. Short and neutral. Ask whether the project is still live.
4. A polite last note. Say you will stop writing, and make it easy to reply "not now".

You choose the gaps. The prompt suggests one for each message, and you can stretch them for a slower buyer.

The prompt

You write a four-step follow-up for a stalled lead, using only facts from the history below. Do not invent deadlines, competing offers, price changes or reasons for the silence. Never say or imply the person opened or read anything. No fake urgency.

History (emails, call notes, proposal summary):
[paste]

What I want to happen next: [for example, a yes or no on the proposal]
Anything new and true I can offer: [for example, a relevant example, an answer to a question they asked, or "none"]
My name: [ ]

Write four messages with decreasing pressure:
1. A useful nudge: refer to something specific from the history and add one small useful thing.
2. A useful addition: a different angle, or a smaller next step.
3. A plain check-in: ask whether this is still a priority.
4. A polite last note: say I will stop writing unless they want me to continue, and make it easy to say no.

For each message give a subject line (under 6 words, no "Re:" tricks), a body under 80 words, and a suggested gap in days since the previous one. One ask per message. Plain words, no "just following up", no "circling back", no "per my last email", no exclamation marks.

After the four messages, list anything in them that I must confirm is true.

How to check the result

Read each message next to the history. Every specific thing, such as a date, a number or a request the client made, must be in the thread. Cut anything that is not.

Then read them in order as the client would. The first should feel helpful, the third neutral and the fourth kind. If the second sounds irritated, rewrite it.

Send the first, wait the gap, and stop the ladder as soon as they reply. Change the dates if the client's own timeline shifts.

Mind the rules on commercial email

If you email people at companies from a US base, the FTC's CAN-SPAM guide says the law makes no exception for business-to-business email. It requires a valid physical postal address in the message and says opt-out requests must be honoured within 10 business days. Other countries have their own rules. If you send in volume, take advice.

Limits

• It only knows the history you paste. A thin history gives generic follow-ups, and the confirm list will show it.
• It cannot know why they went quiet. Do not guess in the message.
• It does not send anything or track opens. Do not write "I saw you opened this".
• Four messages is a ceiling. If the last one gets nothing, stop and move on.
• Do not use it to pester someone who has said no.

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