Tips for Getting Clients and Suppliers to Reply Your Emails Promptly
You’re dashing toward a finish line that’s only a few weeks away. With your team charging ahead at full speed, getting ready to meet that all-important event show date, only one thing can stand in your way between a brilliantly executed event and a show that’s stopped dead in its tracks. A lack of response from your client or suppliers. If this is a problem you commonly face, read on. We’ve got some helpful tips on getting your clients and suppliers to reply your emails fast, so you can keep your momentum going!
Be clear and specific about what you need
One of the most common reasons why people put off reading an email, is simply because they’re intimidated by the length of the email, or when they see a wall of text in their inbox. Make the point of your email very clear by placing it in your subject line. (Don’t simply click on “Reply” and use one email thread to talk about everything.) Then, concisely state what you need in the body of your email. Include a “Thank you” if you’d like, but leave other chit chat and niceties out.
Use bullet points
If you need a few things done, don’t type them out in a long paragraph (or even a few paragraphs). Simply list out what you need in numbered points, so it’s easily seen and read in a glance. For example,
Hi Sandy,
These are the outstanding items that we’ll your confirmation on by tomorrow afternoon:
1. Confirmation of the opening act
2. Confirmation on the keynote speaker’s fee
3. The hotel ballroom floorplan Thank you. Regards,Joe
Attach deadlines
It’s proven that people often do what’s urgent, not what’s important. So, don’t assume that just because your tasks/emails are important, that they’ll be done or responded to.
The good news is, it’s simple to persuade your clients and suppliers to take action and reply to your emails. All you need to do is make your important tasks urgent – and you can easily do this by attaching deadlines to your tasks and emails.
An added bonus to including deadlines in your emails, is that in the event of disputes, you’ll have proof that you had given your client/suppliers ample time to act on tasks – but were held up when they ignored your deadlines (and reminders to meet those deadlines).
Follow up urgent emails with calls or messages
While emails may be ignored or shifted to a “respond later” folder, phone calls and text messages are often given more attention.
If you’ve got an important task that needs to be looked into with urgency, follow up your email with call or text message (depending on the recipient’s preference) to let them know that you need action to be taken as soon as possible. Be careful not to spam your clients and suppliers with calls and text messages to accompany every email you send them though, or they’ll soon be avoiding your calls and messages as well!
Only follow up with calls and texts for urgent/important requests, and you’ll see your response rate for these requests go up dramatically.
Now test these tips out, then see the results
Give these 4 golden rules a try, and see the difference they’ll make. You may be surprised at how quickly responses start coming in! (Just don’t let them in on our little secret. Shhh...)
