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How To Cope with Unanswered Emails

Written by: Maria Ysabel Go
January 5, 2017 • 5-minute read

How To Cope with Unanswered EmailsFiguring out how to deal with an unresponsive client is a problem almost all employees, regardless of status, encounter throughout any business process. Whether you are waiting for an urgent response or dependent on an important campaign approval, the waiting game for client responses tend to be, more often than not, endless.

The interesting thing is that despite how surprisingly common this problem is, most account managers or PR professionals struggle to deal with it. This causes account managers to ask themselves, “How long do you have to wait for a response? How do you move forward if you don’t hear from them?” The list of questions can go on and on. So, how do you remedy this type of situation? Allow us to share some of the most important insights on how you can follow up an email after hearing no response from a client.

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Not everything is about you

Your clients are busy people. Whether they have a small-scale business or a huge business empire, they also have clients and partners they need to attend to. Yes, it can be quite a pain if, despite your best efforts, they remain unable to deliver a timely response to your emails. However, you must still be considerate enough to understand the client’s situation — and trust that, regardless of how long it has been since you sent your email, they will get back to you as soon as they can. Keep in mind that client relationship management is vital to any business transaction.

Make a call

Let’s face it: not all managers are good with email. They read messages on mobile and think, “I’ll deal with this later.” By the time they get to the office, they would have already received a dozen other emails. If you’re not getting the follow up email from client but urgently need an answer, call them.

Consider what the client wants to achieve

Some companies prefer to generate activity to show perceived value rather than strictly focusing on the main objectives. If your client’s busy and you send them an email with content that isn’t important to them, you can expect that their immediate response will be to ignore it. Plus, doing so may also irritate them and cause them to wonder what they’re paying you for.

Set a specific appointment with the client

Everybody’s rushing, zipping and jumping from one activity to another. Sometimes, getting your client’s attention can be quite challenging. Respect your client's time by being efficient. Schedule regular meetings or conference calls wherein you can have their undivided attention and where you can go through outstanding materials with them. It’s a more productive way of communicating with them rather than chasing after them through emails.

Time is of the essence when it comes to business, but not all your clients can adhere to this virtue. And sometimes, emails aren’t enough to get your client to engage in a conversation with you. Working your way around your client’s time through other efficient means in order to get what you need from them and catch up with your deadlines is a surefire way to guarantee that your business relationship with them won’t falter — and that both of you can hold up your end of the bargain.

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Pull out all the stops

Your final option lies in your determination to push the receiver to respond. On that note, try as much as possible to get in touch with your contact. Reply to your original email (again), include a message like “We would like to gently follow up on your feedback…” and make sure to loop in your boss, the client involved and whoever else you think will spur him or her to respond.

No matter what industry you are in, correspondence is almost always a necessity, and unfortunately, not all will reply as promptly as needed. But, with these insights, you should be able to get the effective communication you need in a timely, non-intrusive manner.

What has worked well for you in terms of following up on client’s emails? Sound off in the comments below!

Need help with your emails and other digital marketing efforts? Get on a free, no-obligation call with us to learn how we can support you.

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Maria Ysabel Go
WRITTEN BY:
Maria Ysabel Go
Sab is a Social Media Specialist at StraightArrow Corporation. An artist and designer at heart, Sab enjoys browsing for the latest in the graphic and fashion design world. On weekends, she likes geeking out about Star Wars and Harry Potter. She also likes to keep track of 50s, 80s, and 90s movies.

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