Overheard a freelancer at a coffee shop in Austin say they never send a 'thanks for the meeting' email because it's a waste of time.

Honestly, I was grabbing my coffee and this person was talking super loud about their client work. They said follow-up emails are just noise and make you look needy. Tbh, I think that's a terrible take. I've landed two of my biggest projects from a simple, quick email sent within an hour after a first call. It shows you're organized and actually care. My template is just three lines: acknowledge the talk, mention one specific thing you discussed, and state the next step clearly. Takes 60 seconds. What's your go-to post-meeting email, or do you think they have a point?

4 comments

4 Comments

wadejenkins2mo ago

Yeah that "makes you look needy" take is wild lol. I send a quick one line email right after and it's how I got my last retainer client. Just shows you were paying attention.

the_laura2mo ago

But it totally can come off as needy, depending on how you do it. That quick email feels like you're chasing them for a pat on the back. It puts them on the spot to reply right away. Why not just let the meeting breathe for a day? Send a proper follow up then with your notes. That shows you were paying attention without looking desperate for their approval right that second.

emma_jones2mo ago

Worked for me too, got my biggest client that way.

jamesc7913d ago

Laura's got a point about timing but I think the "needy" thing gets tossed around too much. In my experience, a quick email right after is fine if it's just a simple line like "great meeting, I'll send notes tomorrow." The problem is when you write a whole paragraph looking for validation, like "hope I covered everything okay" or "did I miss anything important." That feels like you're fishing for reassurance. Sarah's method with the full follow up the next day works well too, different strokes for different folks. Just keep the immediate message short and low pressure, save the deep stuff for later.