- Sending an email and then not getting a response
is as frustrating as playing half a game of catch.
I mean, you've thrown the ball
but they haven't thrown it back,
and now you feel self-conscious just standing there
and starting to feel like, I don't know,
maybe they don't like you.
Before you start taking a non-response personally,
I want you to check three things.
One, did they know a response was needed?
Did you make it clear in the first or last sentence
of the email?
"Please respond to me by this date."
Which brings me to number two.
Did they know by when a response was needed?
"Please respond to me by X date."
And then it's always good to give them the because, right?
"Please respond to me by X date
because I need to XYZ by Friday."
Third, did you give them an easy, obvious way to respond?
So did you tell them, please respond to this email,
or please click here to RSVP,
or please say yes to this calendar invite,
whatever it is you want them to do.
Did you really make it super obvious
what it was you wanted them to do?
If not, fix those elements and send again
and maybe make the subject line,
"Your response requested by Tuesday."
Now, if you have done all those things
and you still haven't heard back again,
please don't take it personally.
Just resend your original email with this sentence on top:
"Hi, so-and-so.
I just wanted to bubble this up
in case it had slipped through the cyber cracks.
Yours, Sam."
Now, even if you don't use those exact words,
you want to make sure that your message is cheerful
and non-blaming and that it gives them a plausible out
like slipped through the cyber cracks.
If the person still doesn't respond, keep trying.
Also maybe try another medium like a phone call,
a text or a personal message.
Either way, keep going until you get a response.
Never give up.