follow up email
TRANSCRIPT
Reinforcing a connection with a recent acquaintance, asking for client testimonials, and communicating important information to current clients are all essential parts of freelancing that
can be facilitated effectively via email.
Sometimes, you’ve just got to take a vacation. Less glamorously, sometimes you’ve just got to drive your
grandma’s dog to a specialist veterinarian three hours away, or serve jury duty. The point here is that the freelance life is
not exempt from time off the job, and it’s important to be able to communicate that to current and prospective clients. This
is where the automated “out-of-office response” comes in.
“Involved in a Pina Colada situation right now. I will return this message
once it’s been rectified.”
There are two basic bits of information that should be included in your automated response:
• How long you’ll be away from your email, and when you’ll return;
• If there is someone who can be contacted in case of emergency.
If your work allows for some creative wiggle room, try and have some fun with it! Potential clients looking for a creative mind will appreciate an out-of-the-ordinary auto-response, and will remember you more vividly because of it.
The key to a successful follow up email is to focus on the recipient, not yourself.
Personalize it. The last thing a potential client or collaborator wants to trudge through is a boring template-style email.
Craft a deliberate email signature. You need to make it easy for the recipient to find your contact information, website, and portfolio. If you feel like a quote is appropriate, make sure it’s meaningful and relevant to your brand.
Don’t get too eager. If you’ve already sent one follow up email with no response, reevaluate the client.
You’re cool. I’m cool. Let’s work together.”
I haven’t personally met you, but I’m guessing you do good work that clients appreciate. One way to bring in
more of those happy clients is to use that appreciation to promote your business. One way to do that is by
displaying client testimonials on your website and other marketing materials.
The first rule of asking for testimonials? Don’t feel weird about asking for testimonials.
“You like me? You really like me!”
Before you ask for a quote, however, there are a few things to look for:
Have they expressed their satisfaction? Look for a client who has already complimented you on their experience. You want to be sure the person you’re asking will have something positive to say. Every freelancer has a “least favorite” out of their list of previous work; that client is probably not the person to talk to.
Have they complimented you via social media? An easy way to score a testimonial is to find one that your client has already created. If they mentioned you in an appreciative tweet or specifically complimented you in an email, ask them if you can quote them for a client testimonial.
Dear Client,
I hope this message finds you doing well!
Working with you on the Eggplant Lasagna Project was a wonderful opportunity, and I greatly appreciate your business and insights.
Would you be willing to provide me with a testimonial about your experience that I can publish on my website? I realize that you’re quite busy, so (if you’re interested), I’d be more than happy to send over some questions or sample quotes to help you get started.
Thank you so much for your time!
Sincerely,Freelancer
When you’re doing the actual asking, there are a few key elements to include:
• A compliment• Recognition of the client’s busy schedule• How the testimonial will be used• An offer of assistance Sample
A few more tips:• Don’t be afraid to email older clients. In addition to snagging
a testimonial, you could actually land some new work!
• Create a database of all of your clients and their contact info. This will make it much easier for you to send out requests in the future.
• Edit before you send. Creative entrepreneur Kathleen Shannon does a great job of emphasizing the importance of this: “Re-read your email before you hit send. This one is tough, I know. Sometimes you’re in a rush but you can avoid lots of confusion and really say what you mean if you quickly proof your email.”
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