Contract follow-up email
Account executives and founders
Send this when the contract has been out long enough to be stuck, and you cannot tell review from avoidance. You do not need a legal essay. You need to know who has the document.
Subject. Is the contract still moving?
Hi — the contract went out last week. I have not heard whether someone is reading it or whether it stopped.
I do not need the redlines in this reply. I need to know if it is moving, and whether it is still with you.
Is the contract still moving?
- Ready to sign
- With legal
- It's stalled
In Gmail these are buttons. The recipient clicks one. The answer comes back to the thread. They do not install anything.
Before you send. If you know the name of their counsel, you can mention it. Do not copy counsel on this unless the buyer asked you to.
Why this gets more replies
“Any update on the contract?” invites a status paragraph nobody wants to write, so you get nothing. Ready, with legal, and stalled are different jobs for you. With legal means you wait. Stalled means you ask what unblocked it. Ready means you send the signing path and stop nudging.
FAQ
What do I send when it is with legal?
Nothing, until the date they implied has passed. Then ask the buyer, not the lawyer, whether it is still there.
What if they say it is stalled?
Ask one question: is the stall the terms, the timing, or the priority? Do not send a new contract to find out.
Free for 50 sends a month. The other person does not install anything.