It’s easy to write and send an email but never easy waiting for a response. In today’s day and age, many of us expect our sales prospects, clients and even co-workers to respond within the day – sometimes even instantaneously. But let’s face it, this is hardly ever the case.

Most messages don’t get a follow-up due to external factors we cannot control. Let’s take a look at some of the interesting and less obvious reasons why you are getting ignored, and why you probably shouldn’t be taking it too personally.

There are just too many emails to deal with

Like many others, you’re probably receiving a little over a hundred emails in a day. How many of the following emails have you received so far, and how many of them do you open to read in detail?

• Upcoming and ongoing promotional emails
• Event sign-up emails
• Policy change emails
• Newsletters
• Survey form emails
• Transactional emails

We send and receive so many emails on a daily basis that easiest way to cut through the clutter is by ignoring some of them. We take mental shortcuts and choose to open those with interesting or urgent-sounding subject titles. And even when we have all the time in the world to reply to each email, we often choose to do otherwise and busy ourselves with other things.

Isn’t it funny how we behave this way but hold others to a higher standard? Your email recipients are also likely to behave like you do – ignore the emails that don’t seem to concern them at that point in time.

What you can do: Spend more time crafting an email subject title that compels even the busiest of people to read. The subject title is the first thing your recipient sees, followed by a preview of the email body. Get to the point and be clear about your message. The longer and more ambiguous your email is, the less engaged your recipient will be.

Some emails don’t sound like they warrant a reply

Not all emails sound like they require an acknowledgement email to the sender. An example of one such email would be an invitation to attend a compulsory meeting. If it is mandatory for all recipients to attend, surely there isn’t a need for a response?

Unless your email explicitly states that you require some form of response, the other party isn’t going to bother replying to your message. So what should you do to avoid uncertainty and confusion before hitting that “send” button?

What you can do: If you are sending a “for your information” or “FYI” email and would like to receive some form of acknowledgement, indicate that clearly at the end of your message. Not everyone sees the necessity in replying to such emails, but they will accede to your request if you are upfront about it to them. If they ignore it or miss it out, it’ll help to send a follow-up email to clarify if they’ve received your notice.

Some people just want to appear busy and important

Make no mistake about it, sometimes people don’t respond to emails on purpose. By not replying instantaneously, you’re likely to think that they’re too busy to entertain you. In fact, some people deliberately do this so often that they forget to give you a response despite having every intention to reply to you at a later date!

What you can do: If you’re dealing with people who care about “looking busy”, there’s frankly nothing you can do to change them. What you can change, however, is the frequency of sending subsequent follow-up emails. Send another email to let them know that you’ll appreciate a response at their convenience. If they still fail to reply, it definitely doesn’t hurt to try reaching out to them by calling them or through a text message.

Your tone and choice of words just aren’t engaging enough

If you’re not careful, your poor choice of words and inappropriate use of tone could be the reason why your emails are getting ignored. Unlike text messages where it is acceptable to sound casual, emails tend to be written more formally. Using a more playful tone of voice may not sit well with some people and may choose to ignore your messages out of annoyance.

What you can do: Before you start typing anything, ask yourself if you’re using an appropriate tone and wording for the email’s intended audience. You can also involve a friend or co-worker to help you look through and vet the content. You can also hire copywriters and proofreaders to do a more professional job for you. Whatever method you choose, keep in mind that the way you write and carry yourself in text can greatly affect what others think of you. Thinking about what you want to write can go a long way in helping you get the respect and responses you need.

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