runnrr
When a client hasn't replied, send a short follow-up in the same email thread a few working days later. Say exactly what you're waiting for, why it matters now and one small thing they can do to answer. If that gets nothing, send a second follow-up about a week later and a final one that says what you'll do next, such as pausing the work. Track every client you're waiting on in one list. Stop following up the moment they reply.
Below are three templates, versions for four common situations, a waiting-on-client list you can copy and the stop rules.
The three-step follow-up
Step | When | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| A few working days after your first email | Repeats the ask in one or two lines and makes it easy to answer |
| About a week after the first email | Names what's held up and offers a smaller step or a call |
| About two weeks after the first email | Says what you'll do next (pause, hold, close) and leaves the door open |
That spacing follows a common pattern, for example the one in this ManyRequests guide. Tighten it when there's a real deadline.
Template 1: nudge
Subject: (reply in the same thread)
Hi [Name],
Following up on my note from [day] about [thing]. Could you [one specific action] by [date]? A one-line reply is fine.
[Your name]
Template 2: specific
Hi [Name],
I'm still waiting on [thing] before I can [next step]. If it helps, [smaller option: send what you have so far / pick one of the two options / a 10-minute call on Thursday].
Could you let me know by [date]?
[Your name]
Template 3: close the loop
Hi [Name],
I haven't heard back about [thing], so I'll [pause / put on hold / close] [the work] on [date]. When you're ready, reply to this email and I'll pick it straight back up.
[Your name]
Four situations, with real wording
Most client silence in a small firm comes down to one of four blockers. Name the blocker in the follow-up. "Following up on my last email" makes the client open the old email to find out what you want.
Waiting on a document (accounting firm)
Hi Sam,
We still need your March bank statement for the business account ending 4417 to finish your monthly books. You can upload it to the same folder as last month: [link].
Could you send it by Friday?
Waiting on an approval (interior design studio)
Hi Priya,
The fabric for the living room sofa needs your OK before we can place the order. The two options are in my email from Tuesday. If you'd rather, reply A or B and I'll do the rest.
Could you let me know by Wednesday?
Waiting on a decision (lettings agency)
Hi Mark,
The plumber's quote for the leak at Flat 3 is still waiting for your decision. The tenant has asked for an update. Shall I go ahead with the quote I sent on Monday?
Waiting on a signature (law firm)
Hi Dana,
We haven't received your signed engagement letter yet, so we can't open your file. You can sign it here: [link]. If you have questions about any of it, reply and I'll set up a short call.
Keep a waiting-on-client list
You can't follow up on time if you rely on remembering who owes you what. Keep one list for the whole team, with one row per thing you're waiting on.
Client | Waiting for | Asked on | Next follow-up | Step (1, 2, 3) | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The exact item or answer | Waiting / Replied / Paused / Done |
Each row needs a next follow-up date. Review the list at the same time every day or every week, depending on how fast your work moves.
If your team lives in email, the tools you already have can hold this list. In Gmail you can create a task from an email with a due date. In Outlook, flagged emails show up in Microsoft To Do. Both work for one person. For a team, a shared list works better, because someone else can see the row when the owner is away.
Stop when the client replies
The worst follow-up is the one that arrives after the client already answered. These rules prevent it:
- Before sending any follow-up, search your inbox for anything from that client since your last email. Check other channels too, such as calls, texts or a colleague's inbox.
- When the client replies, mark the row Replied the same day. If the reply answers everything, close the row. If it only answers part of it, start a new row for what's still open.
- If they reply with a date ("I'll send it Monday"), change the next follow-up to the day after and reset to step 1.
- After step 3, stop. If the work matters, pick up the phone.
If you use scheduled follow-ups, match replies to the correct thread, client and outstanding request before cancelling them. Send ambiguous matches to the owner for review. Test an unrelated reply from the same client domain too: it must not stop the wrong reminder.
After a meeting, follow up with what was agreed
Silence often starts after a call where nobody wrote down who's doing what. Send a short recap the same day: what was decided, what you're doing, what you need from the client and by when. If the client then goes quiet, your follow-up can point to something they agreed to: "On Tuesday's call we agreed you'd send the floor plan by Friday."
Use the meeting action item handoff guide to keep owners and commitments with the recap.
Where automation helps
Writing the email takes a minute. Most of the time goes on tracking: noticing who hasn't replied, checking whether they answered somewhere else, sending the right step on the right day and stopping when they reply. That part can be automated, with a person still reading each follow-up before it goes if you want that. Runnrr assesses the connections and approval steps for workflows like this around the inbox and tools a firm already uses. If you'd like help setting up one workflow like this, you can read about Runnrr’s workflow setup.
Frequently asked questions
How do I follow up with a client who hasn't replied?
Reply in the same email thread a few working days later. Name exactly what you're waiting for, why it matters and one easy action they can take. Send a second, more specific follow-up about a week after the first email and a final close-the-loop email about two weeks after it.
How long should I wait before following up with a client?
A few working days for a normal request. Sooner if there's a real deadline. Many firms then follow up again at about one week and two weeks.
How many follow-up emails should I send a client?
Three is a sensible limit for most client work: a nudge, a specific follow-up and a close-the-loop email. After that, call.
What should a close-the-loop email say?
That you haven't heard back and what you'll do next and when (pause, hold or close the work). End by saying they can reply any time to pick it back up.
How do I keep track of clients I'm waiting on?
Keep one shared list with a row for each item you're waiting on: client, what you're waiting for, when you asked, the next follow-up date, the step, the owner and the status. Review it on a fixed schedule.
