Paste your follow-up, or just describe it. Get back a short, warm, direct message that sounds like you on your best day. One ask, one date, no apology.
Here's what's going on. We tend to expect that asking directly will land worse than it does. In studies of requests for help, people underestimated how often others said yes, and why: saying no to someone's face is hard, so most people agree.
A clear ask with a date takes the guessing out of it for them. That's why your message gets one ask, one date, and no apology in front of it.
Source: Flynn and Lake, 2008, underestimating how often people say yes (studied requests for small favors and help)
After your first draft, you'll see the habit that tends to show up here, plus one small shift to try.
Keep it short. Remind them what it's about in one line, make one clear ask, and give a date if you have one. Skip the apology and the "just checking in." Paste your draft above and the tool writes it for you.
Say what you're following up on and what you need: "Following up on the proposal I sent on Oct 12. Could you let me know by Friday whether you'd like to move forward?" A clear ask is warmer than a vague check-in because it tells them exactly how to help.
It depends on the situation, so there's no one right answer. A few business days is common for a normal email, and sooner if you gave a deadline that has passed. If you're unsure, ask yourself what you'd want a colleague to do.
Within a day if you can: thank them for their time, list the decisions and next steps with who owns each and by when, and ask them to confirm or correct. Pick "After a meeting or call" and add what was decided. The tool only uses what you give it.
Thank them, say where things stand in one sentence, and ask for the timeline or what they need from you. Pick "Waiting on a decision or payment." One short message is enough, and it shows you're interested without pressure.
State the invoice number, amount, and due date, then ask when payment will go out. Keep the tone plain and kind. You don't need to apologize for being paid. The tool keeps your numbers exactly as you wrote them.
A short, clear follow-up usually helps the other person, because emails get buried. What feels annoying is a long apology or a vague message they have to decode. Your care for the relationship shows in being clear.
No. It keeps a thank-you and your warmth, and removes what buries your ask. Try Warmer if you want more warmth. It won't add pressure, deadlines, or consequences you didn't write.
Yes. It's free with your email, including Warmer and More direct. Enter your email once and all four free-with-email tools unlock on this device for about a year.
So Tiffany knows who the tools are helping and can tell you about new ones. No spam: nothing is sent automatically when you sign up, and you can unsubscribe from any Feed Your Brain email anytime. Your email is kept separate from what you paste.
No. Your text is sent to the AI to write the draft and isn't saved by us.
No. It's a writing tool informed by brain and behavior research and built by a brain-based coach. If you're struggling, please reach out to someone you trust.
