Getting in touch with busy people can be tricky. Here’s a sample email you can use to keep the lines of communication open after a short meeting.
The question
How often to follow up on an informational interview?
I recently reached out to the head of a company that puts on a major music festival in the US, it was a cold email and I simply asked if this person would be open to meet to discuss the industry and share some insight on getting into the business. When I first got in touch this individual responded within a few minutes saying they’d be happy to, and to contact them in a few weeks when they were back in town.
A few weeks later I contacted them and I’ve heard nothing back. Is it rude for me to follow up and try again, as they initially agreed ? How do I go about this?
My answer
Yes, keep following up every week or two. It sounds like this is a busy person, which means they may miss some emails, or their email inbox is so full that they only respond to the latest or most urgent emails.
If you live in the area and it’s not particularly time-sensitive, just keep reaching out every couple of weeks, replying to their last email with a very short email asking if there’s a good time for them to meet with you.
Keep your email short, make sure to reply to their last email so they can see that they engaged you before and that you’re just following up. And make sure your email makes it very clear what you’re asking for. It may take several attempts, but they will likely respond eventually. If they respond again and seem to be avoiding the meeting or outright decline to meet, you may have to just drop it. But it doesn’t sound like you’re there yet.
Here’s a sample you could use:
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Hi [person’s name]
I’m just following up to see if there’s a good time that you’re able to met to discuss the [fill in industry] industry when you’re in town.
I’m sure you’re very busy, so I’m happy to come to you. I won’t need any more than 20 minutes of your time.
Are you able to meet for a quick chat about [industry] some time soon?
Thanks for your time!
[Your name]
[Your email address]
[Your phone number]
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I’ve written a book on business email that may be helpful to you. You can learn more here MasteringBusinessEmail.com or just search for “Mastering Business Email” on Amazon. Good luck!