When a client goes silent, never send "just checking in."

When a client goes silent, never send "just checking in." Here's what to send instead. Because think about what the whole checking in actually says. It says I have nothing new. You owe me attention. Remember me. It hands them guilt and homework in the same exact text. And that's exactly why it gets ignored. People avoid you because they forgot. They avoid you because answering feels like work. So make it cost nothing. Option one: give them an out with a deadline. Hey man, if it's timing's wrong on this, no problem at all. I'll close the file Friday unless I hear from you. And watch how fast closed files reopen. Now, a silence has a price, responding is actually pretty easy. Option two, if you want it a little warmer, send some value with no ask attached. Hey, and I saw this and thought of your situation. With a link, an idea, anything. No question at the end. To just prove that you think about their problem when they're not paying you. That's the most disarming move in business. When you're chasing, it reads as need. And need never wins.