7 Tricks for Startup Tech Companies to Get Responses from Busy People

In the modern age, it seems like everyone is busy, but you can get responses from busy people by following these seven tricks.

It doesn’t matter if you’re waiting on an email from a client, an investor, or a teammate—if you email a busy person, you can expect a long wait. As an entrepreneur, you probably have plenty of emails in your queue to deal with as well. A holdup on any front can delay your progress for days, if not weeks, but with a few simple tricks you can use to improve response rates from busy people.

Try using these tactics when emailing people you know are busy:

Truncate your subject lines and body copy. As a good rule of thumb, if you’ve written something as a draft, you can probably cut it down. Whittle down your message to the most important parts, and leave all the fluff out. People are more responsive to concise messages.
Be upfront with your requests. If you’re making an ask of someone, make sure it’s in the first line or two of the email. Spare some of the conventional runaround and save your targets time by being as direct as possible.
Break your email into sections. Sometimes, it’s not possible to be concise with your email. In those cases, it makes more sense to break up your email into sections so it’s easier for your target audience to digest.
Separate the people you’re emailing. If you’re writing to multiple people at once, separate the body of your email into sections based on the people you are addressing. Give a section to each person or group of people, so responsibilities are easily weeded out.
Harness your subject line. You have a handful of words to capture someone’s attention, so make sure they really count.
Time your emails properly. Don’t send emails on Friday afternoons. Instead, send emails early in the morning or mid-afternoon during the week.
Send and resend. If someone doesn’t respond in a week or so – resend the email!

Responsiveness will always be a problem when you’re dealing with busy people, but if you follow these practical steps, you can improve response speeds and get back to your vision.

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About the Author

Jose Vasquez is a serial entrepreneur and tech specialist dedicated to helping startup tech companies grow and succeed. As the founder of Build. Brand. Blast., Jose has worked with dozens of enterprises to find direction, gain momentum, and achieve results.