The e-mail waiting game: When customers take a dive

The phenomenon of digital mail

You know what it's like: you send an email with the heading "URGENT: Need logo approval for the relaunch on Friday" and wait.

And you wait.

The project deadline moves into the next quarter, you could grow a beard in the meantime, and you wonder whether the client might have joined a monastery.

After two weeks, you get the redemptive answer: "Sorry for the late response. I was under a lot of stress."

I see. Stressed out. I see. Two weeks of stress, but time for 47 LinkedIn posts about work-life balance.

The different types of customers when emailing back and forth

The time traveler: Generally doesn't reply until the problem has resolved itself. Sends you feedback on the Christmas campaign on December 15.

The minimalist: Answers "OK" after a week. You ask yourself: OK to what? To cancel the project? To the price increase? To world peace?

The novelist: Needs two weeks to write you a page-long novel that contains everything. Just not the answer to your question.

The procrastination pro: At least he answers, I'll give him that. "Can't deal with it right now, I'll get back to you next week." That's honest and predictable. Three weeks later, I get the same message.

My new email philosophy

I used to be more patient. Much more patient. Today, I know that business relationships only work when you're on an equal footing. Even when it comes to communication.

Two working days response time for ongoing projects? That's not an exaggeration. That's the minimum for a functioning business relationship. If your dentist doesn't respond to your emergency call for two weeks, you change dentists too.

My strategies

The deadline: "I need the information by Thursday, otherwise the relaunch will be postponed by a week." Suddenly they find time between lunch and closing time.

The break: "Should we pause the project for four weeks until you have capacity again?" Interesting how quickly "totally stressed" suddenly becomes "oh, I've already got two minutes".

The reversal strategy: "No problem, take your time. I'll move you to the back of my schedule." Works particularly well with customers who are used to exclusivity.

Conclusion

Many customers have other priorities. If it takes your customer two weeks to write "Yes, that's fine", it's not because their inbox is overflowing. Your project is just not important enough for them. That's the uncomfortable truth.

You can expect your customers to respond within two working days. That's not petty, that's professional. If you're too busy for a quick response, you're too busy for a successful project.

And if you're thinking: "But Wolfgang, you don't always reply straight away either." That's true. But I usually stick to my own two working days. And if I'm on vacation, there's an autoresponder. That's how professional communication works.

PS: If you're one of those customers who always reply quickly: You are the true heroes of everyday project work. There's a special place for you in freelancer heaven. Right next to the coffee machine.