How to Follow Up After You Get No Response? (12 Templates)

If you are waiting for someone to reply to your email, chances are that reply may never come.

It may be because they are busy or may not have seen your email at all.

Instead of waiting, what you should be doing when you have not got a response is send a follow-up email.

In this blog, I will show you how to follow up when you have not received a response.

You will also find ready-to-use templates for different situations, whether you are following up after a job application, an interview, a sales email, or a task reminder.

Keep reading!

Why You Should Follow Up After No Response

If you think your recipient is intentionally avoiding you, remember that is rarely the case. 

Most of the time, it is because:

• Your recipient may be busy with other priorities
• Your email may have gotten buried among other emails before they could see it
• They may need more time or information to respond

These reasons are why sending a follow-up email can bring your message back to their attention and prompt them to reply.

How to Follow-Up When You Do Not Get a Response

Here is the 4-step process I suggest you follow to send the perfect follow-up email:

1. Wait and Give Them Time to Respond
2. Reply in the Same Thread
3. Tailor Follow-Up Content Based on Your Situation
4. Keep Your Follow-Up Tone Professional and Polite

1. Wait and Give Them Time to Respond

Make sure to always give your recipients enough time to respond to your emails.

Here are my recommendations for when you should take a follow-up based on the scenario:

• Outreach Follow-Up Emails: Wait for 2-3 days.
• Job Application/Inquiry: Give a week’s time before sending a follow-up.
• Initial Networking Email: I suggest waiting for 2-3 days.
• Emails with a Quote or Proposal: Remind the recipient after 4-5 days.
• Emails Within Your Organization: Wait for 1-2 days before following up.
• Emails that Specify a Deadline: Wait till the deadline has elapsed.

If you are impatient and blast them with follow-ups, they will think you are being very disrespectful.

2. Reply in the Same Thread

Next, send your follow-up as a reply in the same thread as your first email.

It will make things easy for the recipient: they can scroll up to see the context, take action, or respond quickly. 

3. Tailor Follow-Up Content Based on Your Situation

You should write your follow-up email based on the situation and your relationship with the recipient.

What you include in your message will depend on your purpose.

Let me quickly walk you through what you should include in your copy depending on why you are sending a follow-up:

• Sales emails: Add a new benefit, testimonial, or case study to reignite the prospect’s interest (but do not use more than a couple of lines for this).
• For Job Applications: Write a short, polite follow-up that expresses your continued and avid interest in the opening.
• For Networking: A casual and friendly reminder that recaps your offer and outlines a clear next step.
• For Colleagues or Internal Team: A small nudge in a professional tone that refreshes the reader’s memory about a task/deadline/meeting.

4. Keep Your Follow-Up Tone Professional and Polite

A follow-up that maintains a professional and empathetic tone shows that you respect the reader.

Here is the approach I personally take when writing follow-ups: 

• Personalize the Greeting: Address your recipient by their first name to build a connection and draw their interest.
• Show Empathy: Use the first like to acknowledge that the recipient might be busy or could have simply missed your email – without sounding annoyed. 
• State the Purpose of Follow-Up: Clearly state why you are sending them a follow-up, and what you want the recipient to do.
• Include Helpful Links: I also suggest adding a link to RSVPs, docs, websites, etc., to help the recipient instantly act on your request.
• Polite Closing: Offer your assistance to the recipient with a simple statement like, “Please let me know in case you have any questions/concerns – I am just an email away!”

And close off with a signature so they know how and where to reach you!

12 Follow-Up Email Templates You Can Use When You Do Not Get a Response

1. General Follow-Up (No Response)
2. Job Application Follow-Up
3. Post-Interview Follow-Up
4. Sales Follow-Up
5. Networking Follow-Up
6. Follow-Up After Sending a Quote or Proposal
7. Client/Partner Follow-Up
8. Follow-Up After an Event or Meeting
9. Follow-Up After a Cold Call
10. Follow-Up After a Demo or Presentation
11. Follow-Up After Sending an Invoice
12. Follow-Up After a Guest Post Submission

1. General Follow-Up (No Response)

2. Job Application Follow-Up

3. Post-Interview Follow-Up

4. Sales Follow-Up

5. Networking Follow-Up

6. Follow-Up After Sending a Quote or Proposal

7. Client/Partner Follow-Up

8. Follow-Up After an Event or Meeting

9. Follow-Up After a Cold Call

10. Follow-Up After a Demo or Presentation

11. Follow-Up After Sending an Invoice

12. Follow-Up After a Guest Post Submission

What You Should Avoid When Following Up

Till now, we have discussed when and how to send follow-ups.

In this section, I will highlight common mistakes to watch out for and avoid in your follow-ups:

• Lengthy Follow-ups: The more you write, the higher the chance that the recipient will just lose interest or get distracted without getting to the request you are making in your follow-up.
• Too Many Follow-Ups: A thread with a bunch of follow-ups can be painful for your recipient just to look at! 
• Sounding Demanding: One way to lose your recipient is by coming across as accusatory or rude. Avoid this at all costs (go with a gentle reminder instead).
• Following Up Too Soon: When you follow up too soon (say, within 1-2 business days), it can make you seem pushy or desperate, and hurt your chances of actually getting a response.
• Not Knowing When to Give Up: There is a point after which following up is actually counterproductive. As soon as you have sent 3-4 follow-ups without getting a response, you should start thinking about sending a break-up email.

If you want to know more about how to write better follow-ups, check out my Master Follow-Up Guide.

Send Timely Follow-Ups to Keep the Conversation Going

In this blog, I have shared with you the best way to send follow-ups + the best templates to help you get a response. 

Here is a quick recap that will help you write your own follow-ups: 

• Wait for 2-5 business days before following up.
• Reply in the same thread – keep the copy below 100 words.
• Personalize the copy – this could be the first time the recipient is opening the thread.
• Outline a clear next step, and add links to help the reader act on your request.
• Proofread the email for grammatical errors + spammy words.

Now, it is time for you to draft and schedule your follow-up and get more replies. 

Or, you can just pick one of the templates I have shared with you and schedule it with confidence!

Good luck!

Follow-Up After No Response FAQs

1. How Do I Send a Follow-Up Email After No Response?

If you have waited for 4-5 days without receiving a response to your email: 

• Write a small follow-up in 100 words or fewer.
• Clearly highlight the next step (include a link to help them take it).
• Run it through a gram & spam check.
• Schedule it for a weekday, preferably Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday. 

2. How Often Should I Follow Up After No Response?

I suggest following up 3-4 times if you do not receive a response. At least 2 follow-ups will massively increase your chances of getting a reply.

But if the recipient has not responded even after 4 follow-ups, you run the risk of being marked as a spammer!

3. When Is the Best Time to Send a Follow-Up Email?

From what we have seen, Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday afternoons are the best times to send follow-up emails.

That is because most professionals will have already dealt with the Monday rush while the weekend is still a little far away.

4. How Do I Follow Up Without Sounding Desperate?

Here is how I suggest you draft your follow-up to avoid sounding desperate:

• Only send your follow-up after 3-4 business days after your first email.
• Keep the copy short – under 100 words.
• Acknowledge that the reader might be busy.

Another thing to remember is not to follow up too frequently – send too many emails, and you are very likely to come across as desperate. 

5. What Should I Do if I Do Not Get a Response After Several Follow-Ups?

If you do not get a response even after several follow-ups, I suggest sending a break-up email, a “final push” email whose aim is to tell the recipient that they might be missing out on something, while adding that this will be your attempt at starting a conversation.