Finally writing that follow-up email
Oh, hi friends!!
Does anyone like following up?
No.
The answer is no. Never! You don’t want to come off pushy, or like a nag. It’s hard to know what to say.
But then if you don't follow up, it just hangs over your head…forever. An open loop.
I’m convinced the follow-up is the most important email you can write.
Following up has gotten me assignments, gigs, new connections. Peace of mind, too.
You need to nudge! And it doesn’t have to be horrible!
You can be short and sweet, direct but clear. My biggest advice, if you already know what to say, is to just send it. Today, if possible. You’ll feel better.
And if you want nitty-gritty details, I broke down exactly what to say in my latest piece for Forge, whether you’re following up on a cold email, after you get e-intro-ed, if you need to establish a deadline, you’re “just checking in,” or when you need to get some closure. I literally wrote the emails for you.
(And if you’re still stuck and don’t know what to say, hit reply and I’ll give you a pep talk!)
Not knowing when the dawn will come
I open every door;
Or has it feathers like a bird,
Or billows like a shore?
— Emily Dickinson (via @designcrush)
The Best Thing on Twitter Right Now?
If you’re spending more time in Skype or Zoom these days, you might get a kick out of the Room Rater Twitter account @ratemyskyperoom. Basically, they screenshot live feeds and rate the rooms! Seeing other people’s set-ups can give you ideas to tweak your own. I just looked at a hundred of these…
PS — If you'd like some low-pressure accountability in the morning, please join me and my brother Eric for the 10:11 Club — every weekday at 10:11am ET, we're starting our day together and working toward one goal until noon. Join us anytime with #1011club on Instagram or hit reply and share what you'll be working on!
Do you like these daily emails? Please share with a friend!
Thanks, as always, for reading.
Love, Kara