5 highly effective Subject Lines when you get no response from your Prospects

It’s not a great feeling when your first — or first few — emails don’t get a response.

But it’s not the end of the world.

In fact, the old sales maxim of “it takes seven touches to close a sale” isn’t just a myth.

According to a study by RAIN Group, it takes about eight touches to book an appointment with a new lead.

A study published in the Harvard Business Review echoed this, finding that your chance of making contact doesn’t peak (90%) until the sixth attempt.

Still, it doesn’t feel good when you’ve released several emails and don’t have a single response.

If you’re about to retire a contact to your “no response” list, there are a few types of emails you can send that might finally generate that reply you’ve been looking for before you completely give up on the contact.

When to use it:

It’s important not to give up on anyone too early. You never know when they might finally be compelled to respond. That may have more to do with their timing than with your email.

Still, you can’t keep stringing things along if you don’t see any activity.

If you believe a contact isn’t going anywhere and you’re about to send it into your dead pile, why not send one last “Hail Mary” pass?

These can work well because they can often elicit a response, even if the person isn’t interested. At least that way, you know when someone isn’t a good prospect for you.

Keep in mind that these subject lines should be reserved for situations where you see diminishing returns to your follow-ups.

That means if 95% of contacts respond by the sixth touch, you should reserve these “no response” emails for the seventh or eighth email.

Subject line examples:

• “Mark, did I come on too strong?”
• “You okay, Jen?”
• “It’s not you, it’s me” (This can work because it relieves pressure from the prospect, which may encourage them to reply — finally.)
• “Thanks for your time, Mark” (This works for a similar reason: it clearly suggests this is your last attempt to reach out and can relieve pressure on a contact who isn’t interested, and at least they may let you know. Or, it can compel someone who is interested, but too busy to follow up, to shoot you a response with a quick explanation.)

Great ways to use scarcity as a last attempt when you’re getting no response:

• “Ready to cross you off my list — one last try?”
• “Reaching out one last time (Can you let me know either way?)”
• “Closing the pilot program Monday, reaching out once more”

Be judiciously persistent.

Research shows that asking for what we need reduces anxiety and improves your self-esteem, sense of agency, and the quality of your relationships – not to mention, it may help you to get your request fulfilled. In short, following up is worth the effort.

But there’s a fine line between being persistent and being annoying. You need to demonstrate both assertiveness and good judgment about when to follow up and when it’s time to cut your losses and move on. As a general rule, a week after your initial email is a good time to reach out again as a first follow-up. However, depending on the nature of your request, prior conversations, and/or relevant deadlines, it may be appropriate to follow up sooner.

Unless it’s time sensitive, each successive follow-up should be spaced a bit further apart, adding another week’s time in between, until you’ve followed up three times. There could be an additional fourth “hail Mary” attempt, depending on the situation. One client of mine had interviewed for a senior role and the recruiter said she was impressed and wanted him to meet with the CEO. After three follow-up emails, my client had still heard nothing. It had been six weeks from his last follow-up email. He had nothing to lose, so he decided to email the recruiter one last time and got a response within minutes.

Following up with others who aren’t getting back to you is an inevitable and necessary part of business and accomplishing your goals. Use the strategies above to increase the effectiveness of your follow up and help you get the response you need.