The Power of the Follow-Up

Don’t underestimate the power of the follow-up.

I sent out a proposal to a potential client after a great introductory meeting. He seemed like he was excited and on board. That is, until (cue dramatic music) — I sent him a quote. Then it was crickets. Was my price too high? I almost defaulted to assuming the worst, but instead, I sent a short and sweet follow-up email about 3 or 4 days later:

Hello [ client’s name],

Following up to see if you have any questions I could answer.

Have a great day!
Shannel

And what do you know, a few days later I received a response from the client expressing his desire to move forward; he was simply busy wrapping up another big project.

Following up is an important life skill, but also very relevant to design and the opportunities you are attempting to gain.

A non-response to a job application, freelance opportunity, networking introduction, etc. isn’t always a “no”. It could be a delayed response because:

- they forgot
- they are unsure and need clarity
- they are delayed/distracted but intend to respond
- they were waiting to hear from you
- something else