New Business Email Inquiry Expectations

When acquiring new business, email inquiries are your opportunity to impress. Potential new customers or partners contact you for information and will judge your business based on your response.

Nothing less than a prompt, professional response will do.

Unfortunately, many businesses still underestimate the power of a quick and informative email response as a competitive marketing tool—one that you can use to your advantage.

Email Response Guidelines

How soon should you respond to a new customer’s business inquiry? As fast as you can with as much detail as possible. Better yet, faster!
How soon should you expect a reply to a new business email inquiry that you sent to a potential new partner? Promptly and within 24 hours. A company that does not respond promptly to email inquiries does not “get” technology. When deciding who you work with, you will want to consider email response time.
Should you send another email after the first response, and when should you follow up? If you need an answer from that particular company/individual, follow up the next day, asking if/when you can expect a response. All in the guise of making their life easier.

Quick and Easy Customer Service

If everything else is equal, customer service is the deciding factor. Who wouldn’t want to work with someone who responds quickly and professionally with the desired information? Why do business with a company whose email response time leaves you hanging and wanting?

The choice is obvious. So why leave that door open to doubt and concern when all you have to do is respond quickly and courteously?

Early Bird Gets the Worm

Yeah, I know, cliche. But true.

How you handle your email activity reflects organizational skills and the ability to set priorities. Not responding promptly with detail lets the other side know they may not be a priority.

Swift and professional responses are appreciated and give you a competitive edge over your perceived competitors. Know that your potential customers are probably not only emailing you but also several companies. And they’ll always gravitate to those who reply first.

Business is Competition

You look less efficient when you do not respond quickly, and your competition outperforms you. Your customers or potential partners are pressed for time just as you are. Who doesn’t want to do business with those who make it easy?

Responding like “Johnny on the Spot” removes that concern! Alright, enough cliches — but you get the idea, right?

That said, sometimes people are incredibly busy, have computer problems, or possibly your emails got misidentified as spam. For example, if you do something spammy.

In my experience…

If the company I am contacting has already given me the impression of being a leader in their field, I have even higher expectations of a prompt response. However, other factors, including my needs, the availability of alternatives, and whether I need that response in a specific time frame, will also impact my opinion.

Don’t count on potential customers being patient. Many want the information they need now, not when it is convenient for you to respond.

If I am already doing business with a company and their email support is anemic, I start seriously considering my options, mainly when I have to pick up the phone and get more aggravated by their lack of phone support; that puts me down the road of wondering if this company is one I want to continue to do business with.

Probably not. I’ve stopped counting the companies I’ve moved away from over the last three decades due to a lack of email support. Fast, courteous, and detailed responses are the holy grail in business email communications.

Quick Response Time Tips

Are you pressed for time? Create response templates with a link to your FAQ.
Schedule time in your day specifically for email activities.
Have an email policy for staff that includes response requirements.

Never underestimate the potential benefits of prompt email responses to your bottom line. Regardless of which side of the communication you are on.

Do what you must to ensure you respond promptly with courtesy and the necessary details to all your business email communications. That includes having policies in place so that everyone with customer contact via email is on the same page and responds “Pronto Tonto”! (Sorry…)