There is something really irritating about some not replying as expected. It harks back to when I was just beyond the pimply youth age. There’s the phone call that doesn’t come, despite protestations of a lovely evening and a promise to call you. Not much I ever did seemed to be an answer then and I was of little help to my children when they experienced the same problems.

However, what about those who have responded to a marketing email? They have even made a time for a call to you, but it doesn’t come. Do you try to go about your business and, using something similar to the trick I opted for, getting someone to apologise if I’m out, saying I’ve just take the dog to the vet’?

Unlike the situation where a subscriber has failed to respond to any email marketing campaign for some time, you have a reason to contact them. The fact that you had every reason to expect a response gives you a certain authority. The person might almost be expecting something just such an email. So go for it.

What you should put in the contact email will vary a great deal of course depending on the nature of the deal, what their call was about, etc, but there are some things that are universal.

This is now the time, and some, including me, feel the only time, when a ‘Hi, just wondering how you are’ sort of email is permissible. It should not be the norm, but it has the benefit of being simple, straightforward and its intent clear. Mention why you are checking in. ‘I was expecting your phone call of Friday,’ sort of thing. Care needs to be exercised with the wording. ‘You said you’d phone on Friday’ is accusatory, and whilst you might feel the situation calls for it, keep it light. 

If there’s work that you’ve completed on their behalf expecting some developments then say that you have some idea you’ve been working through or some such bland statement. If they’ve started a product trial, then ask them what they think of your wonderful product.