“Just following up on my last email” is what people write when they don’t know what else to say. The problem isn’t that it’s rude — it’s that it’s empty. It tells the recipient that you want a reply without giving them any reason to provide one. Here are five openers that actually work, and why each one is better.
Why the phrase fails
The phrase “just following up” has three problems.
First, the word “just” minimizes the message. It’s a hedge — a way of saying “this isn’t really important, but…” If your follow-up isn’t important, the reader will agree and ignore it.
Second, it tells the reader what you’re doing (following up) rather than why they should care. A good opener answers the reader’s implicit question: why should I spend time on this right now?
Third, it puts all the work on them. You haven’t made it easy to reply by giving a specific question to answer or a clear action to take.
The fix isn’t complicated. Replace the generic opener with something that has content.
Five openers that work
1. Reference a specific deadline or window
“I wanted to reach out before the weekend since I’ll be allocating time next week for new projects.”
This creates a natural reason to respond now. It’s not manufactured pressure — it’s honest about your schedule. Use it when it’s actually true.
2. Add a piece of new information
“I put together a quick scope breakdown that might make the decision easier — attaching it here.”
You’ve now given them something they didn’t have before. That earns attention. The follow-up is no longer just a reminder; it’s a delivery.
3. Ask a specific question
“One thing I forgot to ask in my proposal: do you have an existing brand guide I should work within, or would you want that to be part of what I develop?”
A specific question is easy to answer. It reopens the conversation without requiring the client to make any big decisions. Replies to specific questions often lead to replies about everything else too.
4. Reference their situation
“I saw you launched the new website — congrats. I had a thought about the next phase that might fit well with where you’re headed.”
This shows you’re paying attention to their world, not just waiting for them to respond. The message is about them, not about your need for a reply.
5. Give them an out
“If the timing isn’t right for this project, no problem — just let me know and I’ll stop pinging you. Happy to revisit whenever it makes sense.”
Giving someone permission to say no is often what prompts them to say yes.
It removes the social friction of a non-response and makes replying feel low-stakes.
Structure of a strong follow-up
Beyond the opener, a good follow-up has three parts:
The hook — the opener described above. One sentence that earns the next.
The context — a brief reminder of where things stand. One or two sentences. Not a recap of the entire history, just enough to orient them: “I sent over the proposal for the rebrand project last Tuesday.”
The ask — one clear next step. Not “let me know what you think” (too vague) but “does Thursday at 2pm work for a 20-minute call?” or “would adjusting the timeline help?”
The whole email should fit in 4–6 sentences. Shorter is better. If it takes longer than 15 seconds to read, you’ve written too much.
How tracking helps you pick the right opener
If you sent your proposal through a tool like Waco3, you know whether they opened it, when, and how many times. That information shapes which opener to use.
If they opened it three times and haven’t replied, they’re interested but hesitant. Use opener 3 or 5 — ask a question or give them an easy out.
If they never opened it, use opener 2 — give them a new reason to engage, or just check that they received it.
Subject lines for follow-ups
The opener matters, but the subject line matters first. If the subject line doesn’t earn a click, the opener doesn’t get read.
For follow-ups to an existing thread, reply to the original email. The subject line is already there, and it keeps context.
For a fresh follow-up when the thread has gone cold, try:
- “Quick question about [project name]”
- “[Their company name] + [your name] — following up”
- “One thing I wanted to ask before deciding on next week’s schedule”
Avoid “Following up” as a subject line for the same reason you’d avoid it as an opener — it has no content.
The one rule
Every follow-up should give the recipient something — a question to answer, an action to take, information they didn’t have, or permission to close the loop. If your message only serves to remind them you’re waiting, delete it and rewrite it until it serves them first.
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