In the past few years Shauna and Sylvie have gotten all sorts of questions and naturally ran into some challenging situations with clients. Communication with clients is sometimes difficult, takes time and is often hard work. We know how hard it sometimes can be to craft a simple, polite yet firm response to some clients. That’s why we set down and brainstormed about common client occurences.
To help make the most of your time, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite templates for making e-mail communication much easier and less time consuming for our students and alumnus. Simply copy and tweak the template you are liking … and send it off. It’s as easy as that.
PS: If you have a client issue that needs an e-mail template, please e-mail us at . We constantly update this list and are happy to include your case. Also, by using this templates you acknowledge that we cannot guarantee any particular outcome or result based on the text provided. Following any recommendation provided is at your own risk.
E-mail Templates
1.You need ask your network to help you find new clients.
2.You need a referral to a potential new client.
3.You have been asked to refer someone to someone else.
4.You need to ask for a written testimonial
5.You need to ask for a Linkedin recommendation
6.You need to write a Linkedin recommendation for someone else
7.You need to write a thank you note for an existing client.
8.You want your client to recommend you to others
9.You need to follow up with a client who didn’t respond to your e-mail
10.You need to turn down a client’s request
11.You need to respond to a client who wants to meet you “immediately”
12.You need to respond to a client who wants to reschedule an appointment
13.You need to respond to a client who complains about your service
14.You need to say no to someone who tries to “pick your brain”
15.You need to say no to a returning client you don’t want to work with anymore
16.You need to explain a client that he/she is trying to do your job
17.You need to respond to a client who has been rude to you
18.You need to say no to a committee or group you don’t want to join
19.You don’t know or understand what the sender is asking for
20.You need to say no to someone who wants to negotiate your price
21.Your client changed his/her mind about specific services after hiring you
22.Your client is making a task too difficult or overcomplicates it.
23.You have problems with someone in your corporate client’s team (or network) and you have to reach out to the manager
24.You made a mistake and need to tell your client
25.You need to tell your client that you won’t be able to deliver in time
26.You need to tell your client that you need extra time
27.You need to tell your client that his/her payment is overdue
28.You need to tell your client that his/her payment is really, really, really overdue
29.You need to respond to a client who isn’t able to pay you yet
30.You need to tell your clients that you’ve raised your rates
31.You need to respond to someone who complained about your increase of rates
32.You want to reach out to a client you haven’t heard from for a while
33.You need to invite an applicant (employee or intern] for a job interview
34.You are offering a job to an applicant (employee or intern)
35.You need to turn down an applicant (employee or intern)
1.You need ask your network to help you find new clients.
Hello [contact name],
I hope you are well. As you know, I have started my business [company name and website link] in [month and year]. I offer [service description] to [client description].
I am constantly looking for new clients, ideally in the [branch, industry, profession, area].
If you know of any opportunities or leads that you might be able to share with me, please send them my way. Below, I have included a list of my [past experience or testimonials], my [mission or vision statement], and my list of [services and prices]. I have also attached [my profile or LinkedIn profile] for your reference, and feel free to pass it along.
Thanks in advance for your help! I hope you all are doing well and hope to catch up with you individually soon.
Best regards,
[Your name]
2.You need a referral to a potential new client.
Hello [contact name],
I hope you are well. I’ve recently started/expanded my business [company name and website link] and discovered a potential clientwho would be a great fit: [clients name with link to profile or website].
I noticed that you’re connect to [target name], who is a [job title] at [company name], and was hoping that you could introduce us. If you feel comfortable doing so, your referral would mean a lot to me.
I’ve included a few lines on me below, as well as my [profile or LinkedIn Profile], to provide context. Please let me know if there’s anything else I can provide that might be helpful.
Thank you so much in advance for your help. It really means a lot to me.
Best regards,
[Your name]
3.You have been asked to refer someone to someone else.
Hello [contact name],
I was asked by [referral name], a [former colleague, fellow image consultant] for an introduction to you. I know you’re busy, but thought it could be a useful connection because [reason why].
I wanted to ask you first. Please, let me know if it’s okay to share your contact details.
Thank you very much in advance.
Best regards,
[Your name]
4.You need to ask for a written testimonial
Hello [contact name],
Thank you very much for you business. Happy clients are vital to the success of my business as are repeat business and referrals. I would appreciate it if you could spare just a few moments to write a testimonial on my service including what you liked most about us.
To help you with this request, the following questions may prompt some thoughts for you:
- What would you say is unique about me and the way of doing business?
- In what ways did I make it easy for you to do business with me?
- Would you recommend me to others, or should the opportunity arise, would you use my services again?
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about my request.I sincerely appreciate your help and look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you very much in advance.
Best regards,
[Your name]
5.You need to ask for a Linkedin recommendation
Hello [contact name],
I hope you are well. I was wondering if you could write a short recommendation for me to put on my Linkedin profile.
It would be great if you could include examples of benefits and results you received as a result of working with me.
To make this easy for you, I’m adding some ideas. Feel free to edit them or create your own:
[list of things you’d like to see included in the recommendation]
Thank you very much in advance.
Best regards,
[Your name]
6.You need to write a Linkedin recommendation for someone else
I had the pleasure of working with [name] for [duration] at [company or project or location]. I was particularly impressed by [name]’s ability to handle [description of the task or skill]—and effortlessly. That skill often takes years to develop among professionals, but it seemed to come perfectly naturally to [name].As a [current job title], [name] earns my highest recommendation.
7.You need to write a thank you note for an existing client.
Hello [contact name],
Thank you so much for meeting with me today. It was such a pleasure to learn more about you and your goals. I’m very excited about the opportunity to working with you and helping you reach [individual description of clients goal].
I look forward to hearing from you again about the next steps in your personal image improvement, and please do not hesitate to contact me if I can provide additional information.
Best regards,
[Your name]
8.You want your client to recommend you to others
Hello [contact name],
I’m so glad you enjoyed working with me, and I really appreciate the kind words [at our last meeting or in your last e-mail]. With your permission, I’d love to quote you in the “testimonials” section of my website.
And while we’re on the subject of good work, I wanted to mention that I’m currently booking clients for [month], and I have room for about [number] more people on my schedule.
I love working with people who care about their image and are excited to improve it - people like you! If there is somebody in your orbit who might benefit from the work that I do, feel free to send them my way. I promise to take good care of them.
Feel free to share your experience with them, also my contact details, or point them to my website.
My services are listed here: [website]
My client testimonial page is here: [website]
Thank you very much in advance. I really appreciate your help.
Best regards,
[Your name]
9.You need to follow up with a client who didn’t respond to your e-mail
Hello [contact name],
I hope you are well. I know how busy you probably are, but I recently send you an e-mail/responded to your e-mail on [date] regarding [topic or context], and wanted to check in on your decision timeline. I am excited about the opportunity to work with [you or company name] and help you [service description based individual goal].
Please let me know if it would be helpful for me to provide any additional information, or if you have any further questions.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Best regards,
[Your name]
10.You need to turn down a client’s request
Hello [contact name],
Thank you so much for your request to [description of the request]. I appreciate you taking the time to consider me as your potential partner and service provider for this task.
While this task seems like a great opportunity, I have decided to not work on it because [description of the reason].
It’s been a pleasure getting to know you, and I hope that we cross paths in the future. Again, thank you for your consideration, and I wish you all the best.
Best regards,
[Your name]
11.You need to respond to a client who wants to meet you “immediately”
Hello [contact name],
Thank you very much for reaching out to me. I’m actually already booked right now,
- but I’m happy to squeeze you in this once.
- but I’m sorry to let you know that my next opening is on [date].
Please, let me know how you’d like to proceed. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
[Your name]
12.You need to respond to a client who wants to reschedule an appointment
Hello [contact name],
Thank you very much for reaching out to me. I’m sorry to hear you won’t be available on [date].
I’m usually not able to reschedule appointments because of the way I book them, but you have been truly nice to work with so far, so I’m happy to offer you a new appointment on [date] or [date].
Please, be aware that this is a exception, and that I usually charge extra for rescheduling.
I’m looking forward to meeting you soon.
Best regards,
[Your name]
13.You need to respond to a client who complains about your service
Hello [contact name],
Thank you so much for reaching out to me. I’m sorry to hear you haven’t enjoyed working with me. I’m surprised because I’ve never heard any complaints of this kind before. I feel like I’ve done my best to serve you. Therefore, please can you clarify more of what you have been looking for instead.
Perhaps a [skype or personal conversation] will help us to discuss your issues. Please, let me know when you would be available.
Best regards,
[Your name]
14.You need to say no to someone who tries to “pick your brain”
Hello [contact name],
Thank you so much for reaching out to me. As you can imagine, I get many requests for advice on [topic].
-I’ve compiled all of my best tips into a blog post [link]
-I’ve an FAQ section on my website which might be helpful for you [link]
-I’ve found this interesting article on the internet for you [link]
-I host a meeting / training / session on [date] where I answer lots of questions about this topic [link]
I hope this helps. Best of luck to you.
Best regards,
[Your name]
15.You need to say no to a returning client you don’t want to work with anymore
Hello [contact name],
Thank you very much for reaching out to me. I’m honored to hear you are again considering to work with me. I know we worked on [description of service] and I’m happy we did. However, I’m currently overbooked with clients and can’t take any additional appointments in the near future.
For that reason I recommend [list of other consultants in the area]. They are well-known as well and I hope one of them will be able to help you asap.
Thank you very much for your understanding. I wish you all the best.
Best regards,
[Your name]
16.You need to explain a client that he/she is trying to do your job
Hello [contact name]
Thank you very much for reaching out to me. I appreciate your feedback and input, but please let me keep the driver seat on this. You hired me because of my expertise, and I do hope that you trust me.
I know no one knows you [your company] better than you do, but sometimes we are blinded by being so close. It’s my job as your image consultant to go through all your ideas, come up with new ones and direct you in the right direction. Please, trust me on this, because otherwise
- [consequence]
- [consequence]
- [consequence]
Thank you very much for your understanding. I’m looking forward to hearing again from you.
Best regards,
[Your name]
17.You need to respond to a client who has been rude to you
Hello [contact name],
Thank you very much for reaching out to me. I appreciate your feedback and I understand your frustration. However, in a professional relationship, there is no need to [yell or curse] at me. I take this very seriously, because I’m doing my best to [description of your service]. But I do not appreciate this kind of communication. Thank you very much for your understanding.
I’m happy to work with you and I’m looking forward to meeting you again.
Best regards,
[Your name]
18.You need to say no to a committee or group you don’t want to join
Hello [contact name]
This is an honor—thank you so much for thinking of me! However, with my current schedule, I wouldn’t be able to take on such an important role and give it 100%. I would feel terrible letting the rest of [the organization] down.
I hope you understand, but my work schedule is packed and therefore I have to pass on this. I also hope you’ll find another colleague who can better support you. Thank you again for your consideration, and I wish you all the best.
Best regards,
[Your name]
19.You don’t know or understand what the sender is asking for
Hello [contact name],
Thank you so much for your e-mail. In the interest of getting back to you promptly with the right answers, could you help me understand exactly what you’d like me to assist with? Can you please give me a little bit more context on [the situation or the question], or send over [addition information or pictures]?
Once you send that over, I’ll be able to respond shortly.
Thank you very much in advance!
Best regards,
[Your name]
20.You need to say no to someone who wants to negotiate your price
Hello [contact name],
I hope you are well. Thank you very much for reaching out to me. I realize that this is a large investment, but I can assure you that I am delivering atop-notch service that you won’t receive with a low-cost alternative. I have [years] of experience and I’m certified by [education or school]. Included in my services is [description of what makes you stand out]. If you hire me you’re sure to see [potential result] and [potential result].
If you’re not ready to invest in your image yet, I understand. Please, keep me in mind for the future! As soon as you are ready to take your image to the next level, feel free to reach out to me. I’m looking forward to hearing again from you.
Best regards,
[Your name]
21.Your client changed his/her mind about specific services after hiring you
Hello [contact name],
Thank you very much for sending your e-mail including the new ideas and requirements you have. I’m definitely happy to adjust our current agreement to reflect these changes. I’ve outlined them for your convenience:
- [Change request 1]
- [Change request 2]
- [Change request 3}
Just to let you know, these [new or additional] requirements are not covered by our current agreement and actually require us to [draw up a new agreement or negotiate a new price]. Let me know if you agree with the changes described above, and how you’d like to proceed.