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Inquiries and follow-up

Win back inquiries you missed

A polite follow-up for people who waited too long for a reply.

Best for
Owners and anyone who answers inquiries
Est. time saved
1–2 hours
Works with
ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini

When to use it

  • An inquiry slipped through and nobody replied for days.
  • You want to follow up without sounding pushy.

When not to

  • If they've asked you not to contact them, or you don't have permission to message them.

What to have ready

  • Their original inquiry
  • When it came in, and anything already sent
  • How they're happy to be contacted
  • What you offer and how people book
  • How many follow-ups you're comfortable sending

The prompt

Fill in the [BRACKETS], then paste it into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.

› the prompt
You're helping me follow up an inquiry we didn't answer in time. Write drafts for me to check. Don't send anything.

About my business:
- What we offer: [WHAT YOU OFFER]
- Where we work: [AREA YOU COVER]
- What happens next: [HOW PEOPLE BOOK OR ASK FOR A CALLBACK]
- How we sound: [E.G. FRIENDLY AND PLAIN]

The inquiry:
- What they asked: [PASTE THE INQUIRY]
- When it came in: [E.G. 3 WORKING DAYS AGO]
- What we've sent so far: [E.G. NOTHING]
- How they're happy to be contacted: [E.G. EMAIL ONLY]
- Most follow-ups I'll send: [E.G. 3]

Please:
1. Write a first message that says sorry for the slow reply in one sentence, then picks up what they asked for.
2. Write the shorter follow-ups, up to my limit, with when to send each one.
3. Say when to stop: if they reply, book, say no thanks, or the follow-ups run out.
4. List anything I need to check first, such as whether we cover their area.

Rules:
- Use only the facts I've given you. Don't invent a reason for the delay, a discount, a deadline or a free slot.
- Don't push or create false urgency.
- Only use the contact method they're happy with.
- Mark every message DRAFT. I'll read each one and send it myself.

Example input

A made-up example of what the brackets might say.

What we offer: grounds maintenance for offices. Where we work: Harbourside business park. Next step: book a site visit at [your booking link]. How we sound: direct and polite. The inquiry: "We need someone for seasonal grounds maintenance from spring." When it came in: 3 working days ago. Sent so far: nothing. Contact: email only. Most follow-ups: 3.

Tips

  • Send the first message the day you spot the missed inquiry. A short, honest sorry works better than a long one.
  • Once you've caught up, use "Check how fast you reply" to find out why it slipped.

Reply to a new inquiry

A quick, friendly first reply to a new inquiry, using only the facts you give it.

Open prompt: Reply to a new inquiryEst. time saved: 20–30 minutes per reply

Want prompts built around your business?

Our AI Tool Audit finds the jobs worth handing to AI, and writes ready-to-use prompts for your top three.