How to follow up on a proposal or a quiet client
Clients go quiet for ordinary reasons. When to follow up, what to say so it helps rather than nags, and when to let it go.
You sent a good proposal, or you were halfway through a conversation, and then nothing. Most of the time the client is not ignoring you: they are busy, still comparing freelancers, or waiting on someone else. A well-timed follow-up brings you back to mind without sounding needy.
First, know what you can follow up on
- A proposal with no reply. On Upwork you usually cannot message a client until they reply to your proposal or start a conversation. In that case your proposal is the message, so make it count.
- A conversation that stopped. Once a chat is open, a follow-up is fair game.
Timing
- Give it a couple of working days before the first follow-up.
- If there is still no answer, one more a few days later is reasonable.
- After two follow-ups, stop chasing and put your energy into new jobs.
What to say
A good follow-up adds something. "Just checking in" asks the client to do work; a useful follow-up gives them a reason to reply. For example:
Hi Sarah, I had another look at your brief. For the checkout flow, I would start with the payment step, since that is usually where the bugs hide. Happy to share a short plan for it. Would a quick chat this week help?
- Refer to something specific from their job or your last messages.
- Offer one small, concrete next step: a plan, a question answered, a time to talk.
- Keep it short, two to four sentences.
- Stay on Upwork. Do not ask to move the conversation, calls or payment elsewhere.
The last follow-up
If you decide to stop, close politely and leave the door open: "I will leave it here for now. If the project comes back, I would be glad to help." Clients sometimes return weeks later, and a gracious last message makes that easy.
Further watching
These videos cover follow-ups and why proposals go unanswered. We have not reviewed their advice: