How many follow-ups to send, and when
Send two follow-ups: one on day 3 and one on day 7 after your first email, then stop. Stop at once if the person replies, unsubscribes or asks not to be contacted, and never email that address again after an opt-out. Each follow-up should sit in the same thread, be shorter than the first email and add one new thing, not just a nudge.
Why follow up at all
Busy people miss good email. They read it on a phone between meetings, mean to answer, and forget. A short, polite follow-up is a second chance for a message they may have wanted. Past two follow-ups, though, extra emails mostly add annoyance and spam complaints, and complaints hurt every future email from your mailbox.
The timing
| Day | What it does | |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | First email | Opener tied to them, one reason, one ask |
| 3 | Follow-up 1 | Adds one new, useful thing: a short answer, an example, a result |
| 7 | Follow-up 2 | Closes the loop politely and makes it easy to say no |
| After day 7 | Stop | No more email in this sequence |
Count days from the first email. If a follow-up would land on a weekend or public holiday in the recipient's country, move it to the next working day, at the same local morning time you used for the first email. See the best time to send.
When to stop early
| What happens | What to do |
|---|---|
| Any human reply, even "not now" | Stop the sequence and answer by hand |
| Unsubscribe or "please stop" | Stop and add them to your do-not-email list for good |
| Hard bounce | Stop and remove the address |
| Out of office reply | Pause; resume after their return date if it is given |
| "Talk to my colleague" | Stop, thank them, and write to the colleague, saying who sent you |
What to write
Hi Sarah,
One thing I should have added: the receipts piece works with the approval flow you already have, so nothing changes for approvers.
Worth 15 minutes next week?
Tom
Hi Sarah,
I will leave it here. If closing faster becomes a priority later, just reply to this email and I will pick it up.
Tom
What not to do
- "Just bumping this to the top of your inbox": it adds nothing.
- Guilt or fake urgency: "I guess you are not interested" or an invented deadline.
- A new subject line pretending to be a reply. A fake "Re:" is deceptive.
- A new thread for every follow-up. Keep the context in one thread.
- Emailing several people at the same company at once with the same text.
After the sequence
Silence is an answer for now, not forever. If something genuinely new happens, such as a relevant launch on your side or a new role on theirs, a fresh email a few months later with that new reason is fair. Never contact someone again after they opted out.
How Reach handles follow-ups
In Reach, Courier sends follow-ups on day 3 and day 7 and stops the moment someone replies. Unsubscribes and the do-not-email list are handled for you, and you approve the emails before they go. Start with a strong first message: how to write a first cold email.
Checklist
- Plan two follow-ups: day 3 and day 7.
- Keep them in the same thread as the first email.
- Make each one shorter than the first email.
- Add one new, useful thing to follow-up 1.
- Close the loop politely in follow-up 2.
- Stop on any reply, opt-out or hard bounce.
- Pause on out of office until they return.
- Move follow-ups off weekends and holidays.
- Keep opted-out addresses suppressed forever.
Frequently asked questions
How many follow-ups should I send after a cold email?
Two. One on day 3 and one on day 7 after the first email, then stop. More than that adds annoyance and spam complaints faster than replies.
How long should I wait before following up?
Three days after the first email for the first follow-up, and seven days after the first email for the second. Move either to the next working day if it falls on a weekend or holiday.
Should a follow-up be a new email or a reply in the same thread?
A reply in the same thread, so the recipient sees the original context. Do not fake a reply with "Re:" on a new message.
What should I do if someone replies "not now"?
Stop the sequence, thank them, and ask if you may check back at a time they choose. Note the date and only follow up then.
Does an out of office reply count as a reply?
No. Pause the sequence and resume after the return date in the auto reply, if there is one.