Guides / Follow-up
Gentle reminder email for no response
A gentle reminder is the second email, sent once, about a week after a note that deserved a reply. It does not recap the pitch. It asks whether the silence is a busy week or a no, and it gives them Yes, No, and Later so the reply is a click.
When to send it
Wait about a week, unless they named a day. The next morning is a nudge, not a reminder. Send one. If this one also gets nothing, the next email is the last one, not a third copy of the same note.
Use it for a client who went quiet, a candidate who stalled, or an invoice that has been silent once. It is the wrong email if you have already been polite twice.
What to stop writing
Do not paste the original email underneath. Do not open with just checking in, circling back, or bumping this to the top of your inbox. Those lines ask them to remember the thread for you.
A reminder names the situation in one sentence, then asks the question. The examples below are that email. Swap the day, the scope, or the invoice number. Leave the question alone unless the decision is different.
The one-click version: Yes, No, Later
Yes means you do the next step you already offered. No means you stop. Later means you wait until the time they picked, and you do not write again before then to see if later got shorter.
They click one. They do not install anything. The answer comes back on the thread, so Later is an instruction instead of a silence you have to interpret.
A payment, the first time
If an invoice has been quiet once, this tone is right. Ask if it was sent, if it is coming this week, or if something is wrong with the amount. Fix the problem if they name one. Do not attach the PDF a second time in case they missed it.
If you have already sent two polite notes, stop being gentle. Ask where the payment is, with a button for the problem. That is a different email.
Examples you can copy
Subject. Still worth a reply?
Hi — I wrote last week and did not hear back. I cannot tell a busy week from a no.
I will not paste the original note underneath. I only need to know what to do with the thread.
Still worth a reply?
- Yes
- No
- Later
Subject. Still want the revised scope?
Hi — I sent the revised scope on Monday and the thread stopped there.
If you are in it, I will start. If the timing moved, I would rather hear that than keep the week blocked.
Are we still doing this?
- Yes, start
- Not now
- No
Subject. Did the invoice land?
Hi — invoice 1842 went out last week, and I have not seen a reply. This is a check, not a chase.
If something is wrong with the amount or the PO, say that. I would rather fix it than send the same PDF again.
Where is this invoice?
- Sent
- This week
- There's a problem
In Gmail these are buttons. The recipient clicks one. The answer comes back on the thread. They do not install anything.
FAQ
What is a gentle reminder email after no response?
A short second note. It does not restate the pitch. It asks whether the thread is still alive, and it includes a way to say no or later without writing a paragraph.
How long should I wait before sending a reminder?
About a week, unless they named a day. Send it once. If they click nothing, the next email is the final follow-up, not another reminder with a new adverb.
What should the buttons on a reminder say?
Yes, No, and Later. Yes means you take the next step you already offered. No means you stop. Later means you wait, and you do not check in again before the time they gave you.
Can I use a gentle reminder for an unpaid invoice?
Once. Ask if it was sent, if it is coming this week, or if something is wrong. After two quiet notes, ask where the payment is instead of sending a softer version of the same email.
Free for 50 sends a month, with no Easy Reply footer. The other person does not install anything.