The job is quoted, the proof is sent, the customer wanted it urgently, and now there is nothing. Meanwhile it occupies a slot in your schedule and a slot in your head.
The answer is a sequence you run every time, so it does not depend on how you feel about the customer.
The sequence
| When | Channel | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Email or SMS | Short reminder, approve link |
| Day 3 | Email or SMS | Date consequence stated plainly |
| Day 5 | Phone | Is anything blocking it? |
| Day 10 | Hold notice: slot released, price valid until a stated date |
Each message shorter than the one before. Long chases read as anxious and are easier to ignore.
The wording that works
Day 3, the one that does the work:
"Still holding your Friday 14th delivery, but I need the proof approved by tomorrow to keep it. After that the next slot is the 21st. Approve here."
That is a fact and a consequence, with no reproach and no apology. The date is the lever, not persistence.
Day 5, on the phone. Ask a question rather than repeating the request:
"Just checking whether you're waiting on someone else to sign it off, or whether the design needs a change?"
Half the time you learn the real blocker: they need a committee, a budget approval, or a logo they do not have. All three are solvable, and none of them get mentioned in reply to an email.
Day 10, the hold notice:
"I've released your slot so it doesn't hold up other jobs. Nothing is lost, the proof and quote are saved. The quoted price holds until the 30th; after that I'd need to recheck garment costs. Just reply when you're ready and I'll rebook you."
Firm, unresentful, easy to restart. This message brings a surprising number of jobs back to life, because it is the first one that stops asking.
Change the channel, not the volume
Four emails from the same address are one email. Email, then SMS, then a call, then email again. If your original contact is a gatekeeper, ask for whoever actually signs off.
Make it not depend on you
The first two chases should be automatic. Anything that relies on someone remembering will be skipped in the exact week it matters most, because that is the week you are busy.
Then look at the cause
Persistent ghosting is usually a symptom of a proof that is hard to approve rather than a customer who does not care. If it is happening a lot, fix the request before you fix the follow-up: see cutting artwork approval time.
Printer's Friend chases approvals and quotes automatically on a schedule, shows everything waiting on a customer in one list, and keeps the proof and quote intact when a slot is released so restarting is a single click. See the customer portal and quoting.