homework reminder message

Hello and welcome! In today’s fast-paced world, staying organized and keeping track of important information can be a challenge. This is especially true for students who have a lot on their plates, from attending classes to completing assignments and studying for exams. To help make things easier, a class reminder email can be an effective tool for staying on top of important class-related tasks and deadlines.

In this article, we will provide you with 9 email samples that you can use as templates to send a class reminder to your professors or classmates. These templates are designed to be versatile and can be adapted to fit a variety of different situations, from reminding your professor about an upcoming assignment to sending a gentle nudge to your classmates about an upcoming group project. By using these templates, you can stay organized, reduce stress, and ensure that you never miss an important deadline or task again.

Email 1: Class Reminder: Spanish 101

Dear Students,

This is to inform you that Spanish 101 will be held tomorrow at 10 am in Room 202. Please note that the class will be conducted by Professor Rodriguez. All students are required to attend the class.

Email 2: Notification of Class Schedule: Biology 201

It is hereby informed that Biology 201 will be held on Wednesday at 2 pm in Room 303. The class will be taught by Dr. Johnson. All students are expected to attend the class.

Best regards,

Email 3: Class Reminder: English 102

This is a reminder that English 102 will be held on Thursday at 11 am in Room 404. The class will be taught by Professor Smith. All students are requested to attend the class.

Email 4: Class Reminder for Homework Assignment

This is to remind you that the homework assignment for this week is due on Wednesday, April 12th, 2023. The assignment covers the material taught during the previous week.

It is expected that all assignments are submitted on time. Late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Email 5: Class Reminder for Attendance

This is to remind you that attendance is mandatory for all classes. Please note that students who are absent for more than three consecutive classes without prior notice will be marked absent for the entire semester.

It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that attendance is taken at the beginning of every class. Failure to do so may result in an unexcused absence.

Email 6: Class Reminder for Group Project Submission

This is to remind you that the group project submission is due on Friday, April 21st, 2023. The project covers the material taught during the current semester.

It is requested that all group members cooperate and work together to ensure that the project is completed on time. Late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances.

Email 7: Class Reminder for Guest Lecture

This is to remind you that a guest lecture will be held on Wednesday, April 19th, 2023. The lecture will cover the material taught during the current semester.

It is requested that all students attend the lecture as it will provide valuable insights and enhance your learning experience.

Email 8: Class Reminder for Lab Assignment

This is to remind you that the lab assignment for this week is due on Friday, April 14th, 2023. The assignment covers the material taught during the previous week.

It is expected that all assignments are submitted on time. Failure to do so may result in a deduction of marks.

Email 9: Reminder for Class Presentation

This is to remind you that the class presentation is scheduled for Thursday, April 20th, 2023. Each student is expected to prepare and deliver a presentation on a topic related to the course material.

It is requested that all students arrive on time and be prepared with all necessary materials to ensure that the presentation goes smoothly. It is also important to keep in mind the allotted time for each presentation.

In conclusion, Class Reminder emails are an important tool for instructors to keep their students informed and engaged throughout the course. These emails serve as a way to remind students of upcoming assignments, deadlines, and important course announcements. By sending out Class Reminder emails, instructors can help students stay on track with their coursework and reduce the likelihood of missed assignments or misunderstandings about course expectations.

To be effective, Class Reminder emails should be well-written, concise, and include all necessary information. Instructors should also consider the frequency and timing of these emails, as too many or poorly timed reminders may have the opposite effect and cause students to disengage.

Overall, Class Reminder emails are a simple yet powerful way for instructors to support their students’ success and create a more positive and productive learning environment.

Also Read:  Streamline-your-conference-communications-14-email-templates

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Reach students and parents where they are. Free for teachers, always.

Remind (formerly Remind101) offers teachers a free, safe and simple way to instantly text students and parents. Teachers can send or schedule reminders, assignments, homework, assessments, or motivational messages directly to students' and parents' phones. Interactions are safe because phone numbers are kept private, and messages are sent with no open replies. Teachers, students and parents see mobile messages from all their classes in one place. For students and parents, Remind provides an easier way to stay informed outside of the classroom. They can now download the app and opt-in to receive messages faster with push notifications! Use Remind to send free text messages to save time, engage students and involve parents with your class. Try it today! And if you love it, share it with your colleagues or write a review! BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK: “Jessica D, a teacher in Louisiana, uses Remind daily to brief parents on whether their children did well in class and what their homework is for the night. She says the app has led more students to complete their homework and even credits it with improving scores on standardized tests. “The word I use is ‘transform,’ ” she says. “It transformed my classroom. And I think it made me a better teacher.” PARENTING: According to a study conducted by Harvard University, on average, teacher-family communication increased the odds a student completed their homework by 42% and decreased instances in which teachers had to redirect students' attention to the task at hand by 25%. Parent-teacher communication is clearly key to a student's success, and Remind can help. BUZZFEED: “...SMS allows the app to be used by parents without smartphones. Brett Kopf said that Remind’s features have proved especially popular in low-income districts, where parent engagement is a key issue for teachers, and parents’ sometimes erratic work schedules can make it difficult to get in touch by phone.” Note: Remind is only available in English. Stay tuned for more languages! CHANGES Version 1.6 packages Remind into its own app window. QUESTIONS? Follow us, Twitter.com/remindhq Friend us, Facebook.com/remindhq Feedback, [email protected]

4.3 out of 5 70 ratings Google doesn't verify reviews. Learn more about results and reviews.

Chelsea Grounds Apr 14, 2020

love ths app and how easy it is to communicate with my daughters teacher!!

Fr Mark Menegatti, OSA Sep 8, 2019

App never logs in successfully for the google account that I am already logged into.

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Really nice app! Very helpful with school projects/work and super easy way to communicate with teachers and my peers. Very easy to install and nothing pushing you to subscribe/pay for anything. Overall, ASTOUNDING app! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Homework and School Reminders

Class reminders.

Never forget a class again with push notifications to remind you where you need to be .     

LEARN MORE ABOUT CLASSES >

Customizable notifications

Give yourself as much notice as you need and choose how far in advance of your class you want to be reminded of .  

Homework reminders

Stay on track with upcoming assignments with daily homework reminders telling you what is on the to do list.   

LEARN MORE ABOUT TASKS >

Daily task check in

Receive a daily notification at a chosen time of day to boost your productivity and kick off your homework session.   

Get more done, on time and with less stress.

Stay ahead of deadlines, embrace effective study habits, and watch your accomplishments soar..

Shift your focus back to your goals, knowing that MyStudyLife has your back with timely reminders that make success the main event of your day

Our push notifications don’t just remind you of tasks – they provide that extra nudge of encouragement to conquer your workload. Each notification becomes a personal motivation boost, propelling you towards success.  

Our push notifications act as your personal study guide, gently steering your attention back to your tasks amidst the hustle of a busy day.   

Experience the power of success, one alert at a time, as our push notifications seamlessly integrate into your schedule management. Effortlessly stay organized and never miss a task again.  

Discover more on the MyStudyLife blog

See how MyStudyLife can help organize your life.

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My Homework Reminder 4+

Stay organized, clarity innovations, designed for ipad.

• 5.0 • 2 Ratings

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Description.

Stay organized and keep on track with this easy-to-use homework app. This helpful app lists your assignments, due dates and provides automatic reminders. With this app, students can no longer say "the dog ate my homework." Students love it because they stay on top of their work!

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The developer, Clarity Innovations , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

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10 Chrome Homework Extensions That Really Work for Students

Chrome helps you research your homework. But did you know about these extensions that help you plan and execute your school assignments as well?

If you mainly use Chrome to do research academic papers, projects, or assignments, why not use handy browser extensions to manage that homework for you?

These learning tools in your browser let you plan your tasks, help you research, and assist with your studies. And best of all, you don't have to worry about opening a separate application.

Lists for Assignments

Quick lists can help you stay on track. These cool tools let you add and mark off items as you go.

Synchro is a task tracker extension built for students. A clean, intuitive tool, it lets you add tasks, specify the deadlines, and choose the current status.

Synchro lists all the tasks under three columns- to-do, in progress, and completed. As you work on your tasks, you can drag and drop them into the relevant columns.

Once you're done, you can completely delete the task. Synchro also color codes the tasks, depending on the due dates, and sends task reminders. It integrates with Canvas LMS and automatically adds assignments from Canvas as tasks.

Download: Synchro (Free)

2. Tasks for Canvas

If you use Canvas LMS, then Tasks for Canvas is a must-have Chrome extension. The extension integrates with your Canvas account and adds a sidebar, showing all the tasks you need to do.

Since it is linked with the Canvas LMS, tasks will be automatically added and categorized according to the course. You can create custom tasks and mark them as complete. By default, it shows a weekly view, but you can adjust it to daily or monthly.

What's best about the\is extension is its beautiful layout. The extension adds colored rings for each course to show the progress.

Download: Tasks for Canvas (Free)

3. Homework Tracker

Sometimes simple is sensational. Maybe you just have a basic list of assignments or projects that you want to track. Homework Tracker is ideal for this. Click the toolbar button to add or view your items and see a count of uncompleted tasks with the icon badge.

Enter your class, assignment, and due date (if you have one) and click Add . Then, as you complete your work, hit the Done button. You can sort by due date, so the closest items are right at the top. Homework Tracker is basic yet effective.

Download: Homework Tracker (Free)

4. My Homework Reminder

My Homework Reminder is another good assignment list extension for Chrome. Click the toolbar button , add your assignment and due date, and hit Save .

You can sort by assignment or due date, mark the boxes for items you finish, and review your completed assignments easily. If you need to delete an item, just click the trash can and away it goes. Just like Homework Tracker, My Homework Reminder is simple but gets the job done.

Download: My Homework Reminder (Free)

Homework Helpers

Instead of random Googling, try these extensions to get the homework help you need quickly.

In case you don't know, Quizlet is a popular education website with learning tools and study guides. Thanks to the textbook solutions available on the site, you can easily find homework help. But this extension called Quizlit makes the process even easier.

The add-on lets you search Quizlet from any webpage, so you don't have to open the Quizlet site every time. Just click the Quizlit button , enter your question in the search bar, and press enter to see the relevant answers from Quizlet. Even better, you can select any question and choose Search for from the right-click context menu.

The extension shows multiple answers for each question and lets you copy the suggested answers with a single click. If you don't find the answers on Quizlet, you can try searching for them on the other tutoring sites for homework help .

Download: Quizlit (Free)

2. AIR MATH

If you need homework help specifically for mathematics, AIR MATH is a great extension. Just use the extension to take a screenshot of the question, and the tool solves the problem along with a step-by-step solution.

Although it does offer free credits, you'll likely need to purchase extra credits or upgrade to a paid subscription. If you're not keen to pay for this extension, there are other online tools for solving math problems . AIR MATH is also available as a mobile app.

Download: AIR MATH (Free, Paid)

Buttons for Searches

When you need to do a fast search, a basic button can be the answer. These Chrome extensions let you search with a click.

1. Google Scholar Button

Google offers a ton of search tools and some are specific to patents, images, and of course, education. The Google Scholar Button lets you search for a topic easily. Click the button in your toolbar, pop in your search term, and then get your results.

You will receive a short number of results within the search window and can select a title to go right to the page. Or to view all results, click the full-screen button at the bottom of the pop-up window and a new tab will open for you. This is one of the must-have online tools if you're doing academic research .

Download: Google Scholar Button (Free)

2. Course Hero

Course Hero is similar to Google Scholar in that you click the button to search for a topic and then head to the site for the results. What's a bit different is that you need to create an account to obtain the resource. But, you can create one for free in just a few minutes.

Then, you will have access to documents and flashcards relating to your topic. Plus, you can get help from educators. You can also bookmark sources, keep track of your recently viewed items, and download the mobile app to study on-the-go.

Download: Course Hero (Free, Paid)

Helpers for Focus

Don't get distracted by social media when you are doing homework. Use one of these awesome tools to help you focus and finish.

1. ReCall Study Time

Set up your study session, mark the pages you want to monitor, and get to work with ReCall Study Time. You can choose from two hours for those quick homework sessions or 24 hours for the all-nighters. Then, select the social media sites to block like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

If you feel yourself weaken and head to one of the monitored sights, you will instead be greeted with a nasty-gram like the one above. If you have trouble staying away from social media to get your homework done, check out ReCall Study Time.

Download: ReCall Study Time (Free)

2. Focus Mode

Focus Mode is another site-blocking tool to use while you are doing your homework. The extension monitors four sites by default, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. You can choose which to unblock and add a custom blocked site if there is an additional temptation not on that list.

When you start your study or research session, just hit the extension button in the toolbar and turn on the toggle button . Then, when you try to access one of the monitored pages, you will view a blurred screen with a message that focus mode is on.

When you finish, turn off the toggle button and check out your distraction attempts if you're curious. You can also take a five-minute break when you're tempted to check your feed.

Download: Focus Mode (Free)

Get Your Homework Done

We get it. Managing all the deadlines for assignments, projects, and quizzes can be challenging. But with the right tools and a bit of planning, you can get your homework done without sacrificing fun.

This is exactly what these Chrome extensions let you do—tracking your tasks, improving your productivity, and helping you complete your homework. If you find these homework add-ons helpful, you should try mobile apps for students.

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May 1, 2023

How to write a reminder email with 9 email samples and templates

This guide has all you need to send professional and polite reminder emails. Read our best tips and use the 9 email samples at the end.

Lawrie Jones

Table of contents

What's the face you make when someone forgets to do something? Maybe a 🥴 or a 🥱.

Anyway, we all hate it when someone forgets to do something.

To avoid it happening, you'll need to send a reminder email.

The trick with a reminder email is remaining positive and polite while not putting pressure on the person — because we all also hate being told to do something.

Best not try to be funny. A playful tone of voice doesn't always translate too well through email, so keep things simple!

How do you get it right? In this essential article, we explain you how to get things right in your reminder emails.

After explaining the reminder email format, we build up an example and provide 9 samples to help you master reminder messages for your personal and professional life.

Reminder email format

Before we get into the content, let's break down the reminder email format structure.

The purpose of a reminder email isn't about information; it's about action. So save detailed explanations and lots of information in your reminder emails. Instead, clearly state what you want them to do, why, and when.

In fact, long reminder emails and reminder messages can be confusing. So strip out all the unnecessary or irrelevant information and list what's required.

Here is a checklist of what you should include in every reminder email:

• Grab the reader's attention with a subject line
• Start with a professional greeting
• Explain the situation and what needs to be done
• Provide a way they can solve the problem (we love lists)

Explain what they should do

If you’re already experienced in sending emails, this should be nothing new. Let's start with the subject line:

1. Subject line

Your subject line has to grab attention. It must also capture all the information you want to convey. Here are some examples of suitable reminder email subject lines:

• Reminder: Outstanding invoice
• Urgent: Can you send me the documents ASAP
• Action needed: Respond immediately with your offer
• Where is order number (insert number)

2. Reminder email body

Before we get into the details, consider your tone of voice.

We know it can be frustrating if someone isn't responding. It's doubly disappointing when you have to send a reminder. Still, we're 100% sure that being polite and professional is the right approach.

This demonstrates that you’re serious about getting a result and assertive enough to send a reminder email (which is good) but not upset or angry (which is bad).

Email greeting

We don't have the time to delve too deeply into the nuances of email greetings or introductions , but read our guide on how to start a professional email if you want to learn more.

Stick to the basics and use one of the conventional greetings:

Explain the situation

Explain the problem and be specific. Don't apologize for sending a reminder (especially if your payment is late!). But do go into as much detail as is necessary.

It's appropriate to include references and dates – because failing to do so could delay a response (and hold up a payment or project).

Provide a solution

Unpaid invoices can take an emotional toll, but we try hard to be kind in this reminder email sample. This approach works if you're a small business communicating with a valued client or customer, as it demonstrates you’re serious without damaging your relationship.

3. How to end a reminder email

At the end, you’ll want to request a confirmation your email has been received. If you don’t get one, you’ll know it’s either being blocked or annoyed, and you must find another way to contact the person. Don’t forget to add your contact details…

Also, include a call to action and push for a response and resolution.

Tell the recipient exactly what you want them to do. For example, if you want them to pay you, tell them. If you're going to set a date, include it.

We recommend requesting a confirmation they've received the email. Even if there's a delay in processing a payment, for example, knowing they've received it gives you the confidence it'll get dealt with. It's important to resist making threats or becoming angry. There may be genuine reasons why they've not responded, so cut them some slack. But, of course, if they continue to ignore you, it's time to escalate things...

Include an email sign-off

End your email formally and politely. Although you're the one who's owed something, it's best to remain professional and respectful by using a suitable thank you in your reminder emails.

• Best regards,

If you need a reminder on how to end an email professionally , check out our guide.

9 reminder email examples

Here's the bit you've all been waiting for, the reminder email samples.

In this section, we illustrate how you can generate effective reminder emails that will get results.

It doesn't matter whether you want to request documents, demand you get paid, or ensure someone doesn't ditch your meeting — we've got the samples you need.

1. Gentle reminder email sample

It's always advisable to start with a gentle minder email. As we've explained above, there may be reasons why a message has been missed or an invoice still needs to be paid.

A gentle email reminder lets you push for an outcome politely but persuasively.

• List order number, order details, dates, etc.

2. Polite reminder email to boss sample

Sending an email reminder to your boss can be a sensitive subject, but the principles are still the same. Keep it professional, polite, and persuasive.

Use this polite reminder email to a boss when requesting leave or asking for confirmation . Make a few edits, and this sample could also be a reminder email to an HR manager, professor, or colleague.

3. Sample reminder email for submission of documents

Work in a busy office, and you'll know how easy it is to forget to send documents. Contracts, reports, and plans can all fail to appear on the date and time agreed.

Unfortunately, understanding it happens doesn't make it easier when it does, so we've created a sample for you.

This sample reminder to send documents acts as a professional nudge in the right direction for a colleague, client, or contractor.

4. Urgent reminder email sample

Expecting an email, package, or payment that has yet to arrive? It's time to send an urgent reminder.

When requesting something urgently, get to the point quickly and clarify what is needed (the call-to-action) and when (the deadline).

If you're under pressure, it's hard to remain polite, especially when expecting payment (trust us), but try to be the better person. Sometimes, the individual you're messaging may not have caused the problem, so keep it 100% business and 0% personal.

5. Reminder email to client sample

Sometimes, a project can be held up if a client, contractor, stakeholder, or someone else fails to play their part. A gentle reminder email to a client can get your project back on track.

6. Event reminder email sample

Event reminder emails are necessary to ensure your event is a success. You'll likely be sending out quite a few of these, so this reminder email sample is reassuringly short, sweet, and to the point.

7. Meeting reminder email sample

Meeting requests should always be personalized. You can be more specific about the importance of a meeting and the implications of not attending compared to the event email.

This example can also be turned into an appointment reminder email.

8. Overdue payment reminder email sample

Payment reminders are (sadly) all too common, with late payers a problem facing all businesses. The key here is to remove emotion and resist the temptation to get angry. State the facts, give them the outcomes and tell them what you need them to do. 

9. Reminder email to a recruiter sample

Don't shy away from sending follow ups and reminders after you've sent your job application . Don't quit, even if you don't get a response the first (second, third, fourth...) time.

The fact of the matter is that recruiters and bosses are busy and applications get lost in overly full inboxes. Thus you should also attach your resume to each reminder and follow up email.

Here's a reminder email template you can use to follow up on a recruiter :

Reminder email template

This completely customizable reminder email template can be shaped to work for any situation. To use it, work from the top down and fill in the gaps. If you don't need any sections, delete them. Easy!

• List out what you want

Still wondering about how to write a gentle reminder email?

With Flowrite , you can turn short bullet points into a ready-to-send reminder email with AI, like this:

A gentle reminder of what we have learned

Let's finish with a reminder and refresh of what we've learned. Reminder emails are a business essential, so learning how to create them is important. Thankfully, doing so is simple – if you follow our advice. So stick to the structure and state precisely what you want to happen and when.

Finally, even though it can be frustrating to be kept waiting, keep all correspondence polite and professional – and never let things get personal.

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How to Write a Reminder Email (With Samples)

Hannah Yang

If someone you’re working with hasn’t responded to you in a timely way, you might be wondering if it’s time to send them a polite reminder email.

It's hard to write these emails because you don’t want to come across as rude or pushy, but you shouldn’t be afraid of reminder messages.

Failing to communicate your expectations can leave you and the person you’re corresponding with in an awkward limbo.

This article will explain the etiquette for sending a reminder email and provide some templates you can tailor to fit your situation.

What Is a Reminder Email?

When should you send a friendly reminder email, how to write a gentle reminder email, reminder email samples, conclusion on friendly reminder emails.

A reminder email is a friendly email you send to someone to request that they act.

For example, if your client has missed a payment deadline, you might send them a reminder message to ask when you can expect their payment.

A reminder email has two purposes. It prompts a faster response in a courteous way and it re-establishes a line of communication, so you and the person you're emailing can stay on the same page.

There are many situations in which you might need to send a reminder email.

One common scenario is when you're dealing with a missed deadline.

If your coworker fails to finish a task by a specific date, you might find yourself unable to move forward with your own work. In that scenario, it makes sense to send a reminder to ensure that they complete their task soon.

Another scenario is when you're working with a client who hasn’t paid for your services on time.

After the payment deadline has passed, it’s better to send a reminder than to keep waiting. Most likely, your client has forgotten the deadline, and your message will prompt them to complete the payment.

If there's a more serious reason why they weren't able to meet the deadline, your email will give them an opportunity to explain the situation and discuss alternative options.

Similarly, you might be working with a vendor who hasn’t delivered the goods or services they’ve promised. In that case, it makes sense to send a reminder to make sure nothing has been forgotten or lost in the system.

You could also send your colleagues a reminder email about an upcoming meeting or event. That way, you can ask for RSVPs and make sure nobody forgets to put the event on their calendars.

A trickier scenario is if someone has promised to do you a favor and hasn't followed up on it. In these types of scenarios, it makes sense to send a reminder email to see if the favor is still on the table, but you should do so in a courteous and kind way.

Don’t forget that they’re going out of their way to do something for you.

In general, whenever you find yourself waiting for someone and you haven't checked in with them in a while, it might be a good idea to send them a reminder email.

How Long Should You Wait Before Sending a Reminder Email?

The ideal timing for sending a reminder will vary depending on the situation.

If you’re reminding someone about a deadline you’ve agreed upon, it's best practice to send a reminder email on the first business day after the deadline has passed.

The longer you wait, the more awkward the situation becomes, and the more likely it is that the action you’re waiting for will be delayed.

The situation is slightly different if the scenario is urgent.

You can follow up after a single business day, or even on the same day as your last communication, if the action you're waiting on is extremely time-sensitive.

On the other hand, if you’re in a scenario without a clear deadline, it’s best practice to wait a little longer before sending an email.

In most cases, it makes sense to wait at least a week after your most recent correspondence before sending a follow-up email.

So what exactly should you include in your reminder email? Here are six tips for writing a courteous, but effective, email.

Tip #1: Start with a Friendly Check-in

You can mitigate the risk of coming across as pushy or unprofessional by starting with a friendly check-in to establish a rapport with the other person.

Here are a few friendly openers:

• I hope everything’s been going well since the last time we spoke.
• Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me last week. It was a great conversation.
• Thank you for your great work on the project so far. I think we’re going to achieve a fantastic final product.

Tip #2: Avoid Using Blaming Language

Try not to say anything that implies the other person is at fault. Avoid language like “you missed the deadline” or “you’re late with your payment”, even if these things are true. Instead, try starting your sentences with “I” or “we”, rather than “you”, so it doesn't feel like you're blaming them for not responding sooner.

Here are some phrases you can use to state the problem without using accusatory language:

• I haven’t received payment from you yet.
• I’m reaching out because I’m unable to proceed with the project until I receive that document from you.
• I’m reaching out because I need your response soon.

Tip #3: Make a Specific and Actionable Request

The ultimate purpose of a reminder email is to prompt a follow-up action.

You should make it clear exactly what you hope the person will do after reading your email. It’s important to provide a specific call to action so you can move forward.

Here are some examples of specific requests:

• Let me know when I can expect to receive that document from you.
• Please send me your invoice by Friday so I can wrap up the payments by Monday.
• I'd appreciate it if you could respond by the end of the day.

Tip #4: Encourage Follow-up Communication

You should finish your email with a line that gives the recipient the benefit of the doubt and encourages them to voice any questions.

There might be a specific reason why they did not meet the deadline, so give them the opportunity to ask for more time and offer help if they need it.

Doing so will ultimately benefit you both, since it makes it more likely that you’ll receive what you need in a timely manner.

Here are some examples of ways to close off your reminder email:

• Thank you for making this a priority. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to expedite this process.
• Feel free to reach out if there’s anything I can do to help with the process.
• I look forward to hearing from you. Please let me know as soon as possible if you won’t be able to make the new deadline.

Tip #5: Use a Specific Subject Line

The subject line of your email should be clear, specific, and professional.

If you’re sending a reminder email about a missed deadline, you can use a phrase like “Action Required” or “Response Required.”

These phrases let the recipient know that your email is urgent and requires a follow-up and makes it more likely that they'll respond quickly.

Of course, if you’re emailing about a favor, you should use much gentler language. "Reminder," “Following Up,”, and “Checking In” are better subject lines for less urgent scenarios.

• Response Required: Payment Deadline
• Checking In On [Reason for Reminder Email]
• Reminder: [Event Name]

Tip #6: Use a Grammar Checker

After completing your email, you should check that there are no grammar or spelling errors. Why not use PWA as a quick and easy alternative to scanning through and doing it yourself?

Common email errors include:

• Incorrect punctuation
• Incorrect capitalization
• Spelling mistakes

Here are some reminder email samples you can use.

Friendly Reminder to Boss

Subject Line: Following Up on My Vacation Request

Dear [Boss’s First Name],

I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

We recently chatted about the possibility of me taking some time off next month so I can visit my family for the holidays. I was hoping to get that approved as soon as possible so I can book my flights.

Please let me know if you can approve that request. If there’s anything else you need from me in order to proceed, I'd be happy to provide more information.

Thanks so much!

[Your Name]

Gentle Reminder to Client

Subject Line: Response Required: Payment Reminder

Dear [Client’s First Name],

Thank you again for trusting me with your commission. I’m really looking forward to creating a product that fits all the requirements we discussed on our last call.

I’m reaching out because I haven’t received a deposit from you by the date we agreed upon and, unfortunately, I’m unable to proceed with the project until I’ve received it. Because I run a small business, I rely on my clients to pay in advance so I can cover the cost of materials.

Please let me know when you can send me your deposit. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I'd be happy to discuss alternative payment plans if needed.

Professional Reminder to Coworker

Subject Line: Action Required: [Reason for Reminder]

I hope your week is off to a good start!

I’m reaching out because I’m still waiting on [document name] from you, which I was expecting to receive last week.

Please let me know when I can expect to receive it. I do need it urgently, since the project due date is coming up soon, so it would be great if you could get back to me as soon as possible.

Feel free to stop by my desk if you have any questions. I really appreciate you making this a priority!

Kind regards,

Event Reminder Email

Subject Line: Reminder about [Event Name] on Friday

Thank you for all your hard work so far on this project.

Remember that we have the steering committee meeting with the client on Thursday morning, which is when we’ll present our progress to them and hear their input. Please come to the meeting with all your deliverables ready.

Thanks again for all the great work!

Interview Follow-Up Email

Subject Line: Follow-Up on Interview

Dear [Hiring Manager],

Thank you again for taking the time to interview me. I really enjoyed our conversation, and I learned a lot about the company.

You mentioned that you were hoping to select a candidate by last Friday, and as I haven’t heard anything yet, I’m writing to follow up to see if you have any updates.

Please let me know if there’s anything else you need from me throughout the hiring process.

Once again, thank you for your time and consideration!

Now you have all the tools you need to send a fantastic reminder email.

Remember that the goal is to improve communication between you and the recipient of your email. Keep things friendly and courteous and try not to blame them for missed deadlines or unresponsive behavior.

If you need to send a reminder email, good luck! We hope this article helped.

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Hannah Yang is a speculative fiction writer who writes about all things strange and surreal. Her work has appeared in Analog Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, The Dark, and elsewhere, and two of her stories have been finalists for the Locus Award. Her favorite hobbies include watercolor painting, playing guitar, and rock climbing. You can follow her work on hannahyang.com, or subscribe to her newsletter for publication updates.

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Top 7 Homework Planner Apps for Students

Whether you are attending classes, completing your assignments, studying for a quiz, project work, extra-curricular activities, or squeezing some time for friends and family. You’d agree that organizing and planning goes a long way. That’s why a homework organizer or a homework planner app can be a lifesaver to keep track of all your assignments, tests, submission deadlines, and exams. I did the research and shortlisted the perfect homework planner apps for Android and iOS. Let’s check those out.

Read:  Best Notes App for Windows to Increase Productivity

Homework Planner Apps for Students

1. student planner- homework agenda & notes.

The first app on the list is a simple homework and notes management app. It keeps track of homework, assignments, projects, and to-do lists. The layout is minimal, all the tasks are neatly organized with a colored bookmark for easy identification. You can mark a task complete and remove it from the pending list.

Courses can be added easily and color-coded as well. The calendar shows any upcoming deadlines so you can prioritize accordingly. The tasks have a progress bar that you can adjust as you make progress which enables you to get a quick summary without actually opening every task.

You can also break your assignments in small chunks as subtasks that would make finishing a task much easier and the progress bar will fill automatically. It also allows you to attach media files to your assignments or projects for easy access to the important information in one place.

• Progress bar
• Deadline Reminders
• Calendar View
• No option to sync data to the cloud

Student Planner is a great app for all the students, it has all the necessary features like Deadline reminders, subtasks, progress bar, color-coded tasks, and courses. It can significantly increase your productivity when used regularly. You can get this app for free in the Play Store.

Install Student Planner- Homework Agenda ( Android )

2. Student Planner

Student Planner is another fast and simple homework management app which is wrapped by a beautiful and intuitive material designed UI. What Student Planner adds to the table is the inclusion of a schedule or time table which you can use to either store your class schedule or it might even be a study schedule for your exams.

You first start by adding your subject and the schedule then you can add an assignment or set a reminder. The due assignments are arranged as separate cards and can be swiped away once done with.

•  Simple and easy to get started with
•  Fast and small in size
•  Beautiful Minimal UI
•  Option for Schedule
• No sync/backup
• Timetable implementation not perfect

I would recommend this app to anyone who is looking for a simple homework management app with timetable support and a minimal UI.

Install Student Planner ( Android )

Egenda is simple. Open the app, add all the classes or subjects to the app, and once that is set up, you have the option of adding a new Homework, Quiz, Project, or Test and choose the respective subject deadlines. The app also arranges the due work in cards that can be swiped away when done. But what I love the most about this app is that the fact it allows you to go subject-wise and view all your upcoming tests, projects, or pending assignments which is a huge convenience for planning your schedule ahead of time instead of the previous day.

Unfortunately, the app doesn’t have a timetable option, but in its latest update, it added a  Calendar View  where you can see your whole month at a glance with your assignments, tests, and projects.

•  Subject-wise sorting
•  Calendar View
• No timetable support

Egenda provides some great tools for Homework and Test planning and I am sure anyone would find them extremely convenient and useful. But keeping its single con in mind, go for this app if you are not too keen on having a schedule or timetable.

Install  Egenda  ( Android  |  iOS )

4. ChalkBoard

The next app on our list is ChalkBoard, which I found out to be a pretty smart homework planner app. Chalkboard strikes a perfect balance between simplicity and features.

Although the setup process is a little longer than the previous three apps, as you have to feed meticulous details about the classes, teacher, and schedule. It is worth the effort.

On the home screen, you are shown upcoming classes, events tab, and upcoming tests. ChalkBoard fetches the dates for every subject from the Timetable for your future classes. Little features like these make the app stand out from the rest and give an overall great experience. You can also view classes and assignments subject wise.

• Proper Timetable
• Ability to add teachers for subjects
• View tomorrow’s classes as well as assignments/tests/quizzes
• Smart features
• Little longer to set up
• No calendar view

If you are looking for a homework planner as well as a school planner, Chalkboard is the app as it strikes a great ground with almost all the features one might need while not being too bulky.

Install ChalkBoard ( Android )

5. School Planner

School Planner is a full-fledged planning application designed for students to manage their career as a student. Along with your homework and timetables, School Planner offers you to keep track of your grades and attendance, add contacts for teachers, add recorded lectures, and even multiple planners.

The app supports backing up of all your data via Google Drive, Calendar View along with a weekly report, attaching snapshots to your assignment reminders, student accounts from ClassViva, and a lot more. In spite of so many features, the app doesn’t feel slow at all and delivers a powerful performance with its beautiful design.

• Full-fledged student companion
• Feature-packed and free
• Supports sync and backup
• Widget Support
• Tedious setup procedure
• Big in size
• Complex, not so smooth learning curve

While it is not for someone who is looking for a fast and easy way into homework management, School Planner is a great student companion app and serious students will surely get the most out of hit.

Install School Planner ( Android )

6. My Study Life

My Study Life comes with its own web app and syncs with the Android app, essentially making your data accessible from any device as long as it has a browser.

It implements a goal-centric circular tracker that shows your progress. The Calendar view combines your timetable, deadlines, and shows all your classes and assignments, projects in a single place.

• Refreshingly new UI
• Access from anywhere through its web app
• Sync and Backup
• Lengthy setup process

If you study from your computer or laptop, My Study Life makes it easy to access your homework planner on your phone from your computer, while not compromising on features and being completely free. What more can you ask for?

Install My Study Life ( Android  |  iOS )

7. iStudiez Pro

Like School Planner, iStudiez Pro includes grading and subject wise organization of tasks. iStudiez Pro takes it further with the integration of Google Calendar that allows you to directly get all your holidays, exam schedule, routine from Google Calendar itself.

It also offers separate apps on all platforms including iOS, Mac, and Windows. All the apps sync seamlessly between themselves, so studying on your computer consulting your planner won’t be an issue.

• Google Calendar Integration
• Cross-Platform
• Cumulative Price

If Google Calendar integration and cross-platform support is a must for you, iStudiez Pro is definitely the app you want.

Install iStudiez Pro ( Android   |  iOS )

So this was our roundup of the best homework planner apps for Android. We genuinely think that there is an app for every need and we hope that you found a Homework Planner that suits your need whether you are a high school student or a college senior. So which one was your favorite or did we forget to add yours? Let us know in the comments below.

Also Read:  Take a Picture of Handwriting And Convert to Text – Android Apps

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Follow-Up and Reminder Emails

Follow-up and reminder emails to professors can seem intimidating to write ;  you need an answer to a question or request ,  but you don’t want to seem pushy or demanding. Well ,  just like you rs , professor s ’   inb oxes are full of  email ;   sometimes your  message  might slip through the crack s ,  or the professor read  it  and  meant to reply ,   but  something urgent came up –so   gentle reminders are perfectly acceptable and even helpful.  As a general rule  of thumb ,  wait at least 48 hours to send a follow-up to a professor, and if you email on a Friday afternoon or weekend ,  wait until at least Tuesday afternoon before reaching out  again .   

Subject: Follow-up about [Reason for Follow -up] 

  Good afternoon Professor* [Last name],  

  I hope all is well. I wanted to follow up on my email from [when you sent it]  about [what your concern or question is] .  I understand you have a busy schedule, but  I  wanted to see about [whatever you are following up on].   

  I greatly appreciate your time. Thank you again in advance for your help with [question].  I look forward to hearing from you soon!   

  Sincerely,   

[Your name]  

Subject: Reminder about [Reason for Reminder] 

  Good morning Professor* [Last name],  

  I hope all is well. I know you have lots of things going on, but I just wanted to remind you that [whatever you are reminding of] is due/needed by [date]. Thank you again for taking time to complete [request]. Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional information.   

  Thank you again!  

  Sincerely,  

*Use the title they use for themselves. If they haven’t specified, “Professor [Last Name]” is preferred.

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13 SMS Message Reminder Templates & Examples for 2022 (appointments, payment & more)

It’s easy to forget the little things you scheduled through the week in your planner, unless you set reminders for them. From healthcare to banking to recruitment — message reminders can be easily leveraged as a cost and time saving exercise, for both business owners and end users.

In this blog post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about SMS message reminders, right from how they work to how various industries can leverage them to drive growth.  Feel free to jump straight ahead to any of the following sections:

What are SMS message reminders?

SMS or text message reminders are automated reminders that are sent to a client or a customer  to remind them of an appointment, a payment, etc. They are used by businesses to ensure that their customers don’t forget their existing appointments or ones that they need to schedule in the near future. This also ensures that there are lesser number of missed slots — allowing the business to carry on its functions without being affected by loss of appointments.

For instance, a dental clinic: since all appointments are made by patients at least a week in advance, one of them missing it results in the slot going vacant. The dentist cannot ask another patient to that particular slot as it might be inconvenient for them. This results in losing some business for the day, or worse, reflecting poorly on the brand’s identity.

A fairly common challenge, it can be easily resolved using an automated reminder message system. A business can quickly send a reminder message to its customers about an upcoming appointment or scheduled events or even personalized messages based on prior interactions.

How do SMS reminders work?

SMS reminders offer a simple way to send personalised reminders to large groups of customers as and when necessary. Here’s how it works.

Step 1: Identify the reminders you would like to send. This could be for upcoming appointments, sales, due payments, etc.

Step 2: Write the message for each reminder you would like to send and the corresponding date/time you want to send it in.

Step 3: Identify the customer group you would like to send reminders to.

Step 4: Schedule the reminders. You can do this directly on Exotel’s dashboard, by uploading your database as a spreadsheet. You can also trigger SMSes based on user action, such as requesting an OTP or placing an order, by integrating your enterprise systems with the Exotel platform using our APIs. Make sure you schedule the updates at least 48 hours in advance.

Types of SMS message reminders

1. upcoming appointment reminders.

It is a busy world we live in— unless everything is on the planner, there’s a high chance that we will remember the next appointment. The appointment would have been booked a week or fortnight before, as per the convenience of the customer. A reminder message ensures that customers don’t forget what is important for them, creates brand loyalty, and at the same time, ensures that you don’t lose your time and money.

2. Event Reminders

A reminder SMS can be sent to promote upcoming events at your business. This could be a customer event that you’re hosting or simply the launch of new products or services that are useful to the customer. A quick message reminds them of the same, and creates the impression that you truly care about their changing needs.

3. Recurring Appointment Reminders

Just like a monthly subscription, you can actually set recurring appointments with your customers. Using appointment reminders, you can be rest assured that their appointments are less likely to be missed. The lesser they miss your appointments, the greater their loyalty towards your brand.

4. Scheduling Appointments

Did a customer just have a session with your business? Don’t just ask them to schedule their next appointment on their way out. Follow it up with SMS reminders to do the same. Thanks to widespread text messaging usage, your customers will thank you for giving them an easier way out.

5. Follow-up Reminders

You can also use SMS reminders to follow up with your customers after an appointment and ask for their feedback too. Doing so within 24 hours of their visit will ensure that you get first hand reviews from the customer to make your business better.

6. Payment Reminders

In the financial services industry, it is widely known that reminders improve collections. Most customers want to pay their dues on time but simply do not remember due dates. In such cases, a simple automated reminder will do the trick. Whether it’s an overdue bill payment, upcoming instalment/EMI, insurance renewal, or even tax payments, SMS reminders can play a significant role in ensuring customers pay on time.

7. Cart Abandonment Reminders

77% of people abandon their online shopping carts. This could be because of controllable reasons such as website issues or complex checkout processes; or customer-side issues like distractions, patchy connectivity etc. Either way, bringing them back to complete their shopping can dramatically improve sales. Automated SMS reminders can help with that. A personalised message reminding the customer of their abandoned cart can encourage them to return and complete the purchase. A message like “the items in your cart are going out of stock” can also add a sense of urgency.

8. Seasonal sale reminders

You might have planned and organised a large sale. But, if the customer doesn’t remember when it’s on, it could hardly be successful. SMS reminders are the simplest way to stay on your customers’ minds. Sending periodic reminders before the day of the sale will ensure they remember the upcoming event. A “sale is now on” reminder on the day of the sale would ensure they are informed on time, increasing your website traffic. Based on the data you have about the user, you can also personalise the message to give them information about the categories they are interested in.

10+ Message Reminder Templates & Examples

Text messages can actually serve as great addition to your marketing and sales campaigns. Apart from appointment scheduling and reminders, you can use them as a channel to continuously nurture your customers. Here are a few ways different industries use SMS reminder system:

Banks can help their customers reduce penalties and maximise financial returns with SMS reminders. Reminders about upcoming credit card payments, loan EMIs etc., can ensure customers pay their dues on time. Reminders about maturing fixed deposits, mutual fund investments etc., can improve saving habits.

“Dear John, your FD no. 84746 is maturing in 3 days. The maturity amount will be credited to your SB account. To change maturity instructions, SMS FD to 37465.”

2. Insurance 

It is in the best interest of both the customer and the insurance provider that the former pays their premiums on time. Customers run the risk of losing out on insurance benefits if their premiums aren’t paid. Insurance providers can prevent this by sending periodic reminders to customers. 

Reminders about premium dues and policy renewals will help customers stay insured. You can also set up periodic reminders with insurance agents for any upgrades or additional coverage they might need.

“Dear Sania, insurance for your car no TN01 AB2345 is expiring on 10/08/2021. To renew, call our toll-free number at 90000 12345.”

3. FinTech 

FinTech firms make financial inclusion possible for a wide range of audiences. However, customers who are new to fintech products might not always remember how to use its features. SMS reminders can help train them to make the most of their fintech services.

SMS reminders about payments due, upgrade opportunities, upcoming offers/sales etc., can help shape customer behaviour.

“Hi Razia, you’ve 25,000 unused points on your HDFC credit card. Redeem now to earn up to Rs. 5,000 in cash rewards. Click here to redeem points: bit.ly/redeem.”

4. E-commerce

Given the myriad options available in e-commerce, it is essential for businesses to maintain a personal and contextual relationship with their customers. SMS reminders can be an important way of enabling that.

SMS reminders for upcoming sales, abandoned carts, changes in pricing etc., can bring customers back to the platform. In addition, periodic reminders requesting feedback can make them feel more heard and involved in the shopping journey.

“Hi Joe! There are items on your shopping cart that are on discount. Checkout now to save upto 50% on your products!”

5. Logistics 

Since the pandemic, much of the shopping has moved online. From large furniture to everyday groceries, more and more customers are buying products on e-commerce platforms. To make them feel comfortable in their purchase and build credibility, it is important for businesses to present real-time status updates. SMS reminders can help with that.

Text messages can be used to remind customers of their upcoming deliveries or return pickups to ensure they will be present to receive/return their items. If they have chosen cash on delivery (COD), the reminder can also include the amount they need to keep ready. 

“Hey Meera, your package is out for delivery today. You’ve chosen cash on delivery. So, please keep Rs. 560 ready to hand to our delivery partner.”

6. Ed-Tech 

With physical classes shifting to virtual classes due to the pandemic, it is more important than ever for the education sector to keep the parents and students constantly updated. Edtech businesses can use SMS reminders to remind parents about upcoming homework, tests, school programmes, parent-teacher meetings etc. 

“Dear parent, your online parent-teacher is scheduled for 4pm today with Naren’s class teacher. Click here to join: bit.ly/ptm.”

7. Healthcare

It is very important for the healthcare industry to stay in touch with the patients. This is done to ensure their well being and offer timely treatments that improve patient care. A text message can be used to simply remind the patients to schedule their next appointment or apprise them of an upcoming one, or even alert them about self-examination.

8. automotive.

The only way an automotive brand can ensure a great driving experience for their customers is through timely service of their vehicles. From oil changes to tyre rotation, businesses can use SMS reminders to reduce missed appointments that need to be scheduled on a recurring basis. Or even use it as a medium to let customers know when their vehicle is ready after the service.

9. Education

Establishing a relationship between parents and teachers is very important for a student’s growth. To ensure high attendance rates during meetings and events, the educational institutions can use reminder message that let everyone plan their days in advance. They also let you communicate any last minute changes — be it declaring a holiday or rescheduling examinations.

Cut down on no-shows for your salon by sending customers message reminders for their scheduled appointments, or to even alert them about discounts. You can also send them SMS about the latest trends that they might be interested in.

Hotels can use a reminder message to send booking confirmation text to guests. This lets them allocate rooms based on confirmation and also as a method to hold reservations.

12. Travel agencies

It is practically impossible for travel agents to follow up customers through phone calls to remind them of their upcoming travel or the documents they might need for the same. Setting up an automated reminder message will ensure that the customer is prepared for the travel and has everything in place before the scheduled departure.

13. Airlines

Airlines can use text message reminders to let their customers know of check-in times, flight delays, flight cancellations, and more. This helps their customers plan their travel better and ensures a great experience in any given scenario.

Advantages of SMS message reminders

The advantages of using a reminder system varies for every business, according to their respective industry. But there are some common advantages of sending text reminders to customers.

1. Reduces no-shows

Every missed appointment is lost revenue. To plan your time and allocate resources better, ensure that your pipeline is full and moving along the defined user journey in a timely manner by leveraging a reminder system to communicate with your customers. Once the text reminder is sent out, you automatically see lesser people missing the event/ appointment.

2. Reduces defaulters

By sending SMS reminders to your customers for payments, you reduce the number of bad debts with your business. This helps customers remind them about their dues, and even saves them the extra charges that they might incur from delays. For instance, insurance companies send automated reminder messages about premium payments that a customer needs to make. A simple 160-character reminder via SMS ensures savings for both the customer and the company, while also building greater brand loyalty.

3. Better customer experience

Reminder message not only ensure sales for the business but also create greater customer experience. By making sure that the customer needs are met on time, and being available on the mobile phone, reminder message act as the much-needed bridge for communication between the business and the customer.

For instance, regular check-up reminders help doctors stay in touch with their patients. This ensures the right treatment on an ongoing basis, helping them stay in the best of their health.

4. Saves costs

Message reminders can be used to let customers track their order or status of any application. Since text messages are cheaper than emails and outbound calls, they help businesses save costs. For instance, logistics services can use a reminder message to convey the status of a shipment.

Why should businesses use SMS message reminders?

The growth of mobile phone usage has resulted in enabling businesses to stay in touch with their customers. A recent study has proven that the first thing that people do after waking up is check their phone. But with the growth of mobile, the one channel that is surpassing even Facebook in being the most frequently used data service, is a text message. Nearly 100% of text messages are opened within the first three minutes of being received, while almost two thirds of emails are never even opened! Yes, texting is actually 10x more efficient than even reaching your customers via phone calls. That is why SMS reminders are being increasingly used by businesses to stay in touch with their existing customers to ensure brand loyalty.

Manisha Mishra

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Gentle reminder email example: 12 samples you could try

Table of contents

Want to craft the perfect gentle reminder email? Look no further! This is your go-to guide, offering you smart strategies and examples to help you communicate effectively while maintaining a polite and professional demeanor. This resource stresses the importance of using a friendly tone, clarity of voice, and respect when communicating with clients. We'll show you 12 samples you can model that are applicable for a variety of scenarios (like late payments, for example) - your ticket to writing reminders that get prompt responses without compromising relationships.

It can be difficult to remember everything, especially when we are bogged down with work or personal commitments. That's why reminder emails are so important in both our personal and professional lives.

While most of us are used to sending reminders to ourselves, we may not be so accustomed to sending them to others. And that's where things can get a little tricky.

You don't want to come across as naggy or pushy, but you also don't want the person to forget what you're reminding them about.

It's a delicate balance, but it is possible to write a reminder email that is both polite and effective.

This guide will cover everything you need to know about reminder emails, including 12 gentle reminder email samples, polite reminder email etiquette, and how to write a reminder email that gets results. This is just a very small sample of our free templates - if you are looking for a comprehensive collection of email templates , word templates, pdf templates, google doc templates and much more, claim your 7-day free trial today!

Note: if you are a coach or consultant who needs task management, time tracking, tax, proposal, invoice, or contract templates , then try Bonsai. Bonsai is an all-in-one small business tool software that lets you streamline and manage your daily work to be more efficient. Your first week is on us .

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What is a Reminder Email?

A reminder email is a message that you send to someone when you want to remind them of something important.

It usually contains a message that says something like, "Hey, I wanted to remind you that you have an appointment with the dentist on Wednesday at 3 pm."

There are two types of reminder emails, the first being reminding someone about something before it happens and the second is reminding someone about something after it has already happened.

The before type would be more like a reminder email for a meeting, while the after type would be more like an overdue payment reminder email.

What’s the Ideal Timing for a Reminder Email?

This really depends on what you’re trying to remind the person about. If it’s something like an appointment or a meeting, you usually want to send the email a day or two in advance.

This gives the person enough time to see the email and put it on their calendar. For things like contract reminders, rent payments or library book returns, you might want to send the email a week or two before the due date.

That way, the person has time to take care of it without forgetting and getting penalized. If the reminder is for things without due dates, you can wait a little bit longer to send it.

Gentle Reminder Email Templates

There are a few different types of reminder emails that you can send, depending on what you're trying to remind the person about.

Here are some gentle reminder email templates that you can use for different situations:

Note: Try Bonsai to get access to invoice, contract and proposal templates for coaching, consulting, or other freelance services. Our gentle follow up email samples are easy to customize and send off to current or potential clients. Claim your 7-day free trial and see for yourself.

1. Polite reminder email to boss

Email subject line: Leave Request for September

Hello Matthew,

Hey there! Just wanted to send a polite reminder about my leave request for September. I submitted the request on August 21st and still haven't heard back from you.

I wanted to have the request approved as soon as possible so that I can start making travel arrangements. If you could let me know at your earliest convenience, that would be much appreciated.

Best Regards,

2. Friendly reminder for no response

Subject: Follow-up on Job Application

Hi [Employer],

Thank you again for taking the time to speak with me about the open [position] position at your company. I am very excited about the opportunity to join such a prestigious organization.

I just wanted to follow up and make sure that you received my application materials. I submitted them on [date] and haven't received a response yet.

I would really appreciate it if you could let me know if there is anything else I need to do or if there is any other information you need from me.

Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

3. Gentle reminder message for meeting

Subject: Upcoming Meeting on Wednesday

Just wanted to send a quick reminder that we have a team meeting scheduled for this Wednesday at 11 am in the conference room.

The meeting will last for about an hour, and we'll be going over the quarterly budget report . Kindly bring a copy of the report with you to the meeting.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me.

Thank you, and I'll see you all on Wednesday.

4. Deadline reminder email

Subject: Upcoming Deadline - Project Proposal

Just wanted to send a quick reminder that we have a project proposal due next Monday, October 12th. The proposal is due at 11:59 pm EST.

We'll be presenting the proposal to the client on Tuesday, October 13th therefore, it is very important that the proposal is completed and submitted on time.

Kindly come prepared with any questions or concerns that you may have about the project to avoid a missed deadline.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Thank you, and I'll see you all on Monday.

5. Event reminder email

Subject: Upcoming Event - Staff Party

Just wanted to send a quick reminder about next week's staff party. It will be on Friday, December 18th, from noon until four in the afternoon in the break room.

We have invited a few special guests, and there will be refreshments provided.

Please RSVP to this email if you plan on attending so we can get an accurate headcount. If you require any further information, let me know.

Thank you, and I look forward to seeing you all at the party.

6. Overdue payment reminder emails

Subject: Overdue Payment - Invoice #12345

Hi [Customer],

I'm just writing to remind you that your payment for invoice #12345 is now overdue. The payment due date was [date], and we have yet to receive payment.

We would appreciate it if you could make a payment as soon as possible. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.

7. Gentle reminder on the below request

Subject: Gentle Reminder - Request for Information

Hi Maryann,

I'm just writing to gently remind you that we have a request for information from you that is overdue. We requested the information about [topic] on [date], and we have yet to receive it.

We would appreciate it if you could provide the requested information as soon as possible. If you require any further information, feel free to contact me.

8. Final humble reminder

Subject: Final Reminder - Invoice #12345

This is a final reminder that your payment for invoice #12345 is now overdue. The payment due date was [date], and we have yet to receive payment.

Our terms and conditions state that we will assess a late fee of [amount] if payment is not received within [number] days of the due date.

We will be forced to take legal action if we do not receive a payment within the next 48 hours.

We would appreciate if you organize and settle this invoice immediately to avoid this. Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

9. Second email follow-up reminder email after no response

Subject: Follow-Up - Link Building

I'm just writing to follow up on my previous email about our link-building services. I emailed you a few days ago and haven't received a response yet, so I just wanted to make sure that you received it.

Once again, we offer various link-building services designed to help improve your website's SEO.

Our team of experts would be more than happy to discuss the different options with you in more detail and answer any questions you might have.

If you're interested in learning more about our services or if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

This will be our last follow-up email. If we don't hear back from you within the next 48 hours, we will assume that you are not interested and will take no further action.

Thank you for your time,

10. Zoom meeting reminder email to participants

Subject: Upcoming Zoom Meeting - [Date] at [Time]

Just wanted to send a quick reminder about our upcoming Zoom meeting. It will be on [date] at [time]. The meeting ID is [ID], and the password is [password]. The agenda for the meeting is attached.

We hope to see you all there!

Kind regards,

11. Appointment reminder email

Subject: Appointment Reminder

This is a friendly reminder that you have an appointment with us tomorrow at 2 pm. We'll be seeing you for a follow-up visit to discuss your progress and see how we can best help you moving forward.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Best regards,

12. No-Show Coaching session reminder email

Subject: Missed Session reminder

Sorry that we missed you and that you were not able to join our regularly scheduled life coaching session! In future please cancel 24 hours ahead so that we can free up the appointment in our scheduling software and reassign the booking to someone else. As a quick reminder, future missed sessions may incur a cost so please be careful in the future and let us know ahead of time.

We won't send over a coaching invoice for payment today, but next time this will have to be the action we take. We look forward to seeing you in future coaching sessions!

How to Write a Reminder Email Template

Reminder messages can be a gentle nudge in the right direction for your recipients, or they can be more direct.

It all depends on your relationship with the recipient and the purpose of the email. If you need to send a reminder email, here are the key areas you should cover:

Reminder email subject line

This is your first chance to get the recipient's attention, so make it count. Write a clear subject line. For example, "Reminder: Invoice #12345 Due on [Date]"

The opening

Start with a greeting, then state the purpose of your email right away. For example, "Hi Jane, Just wanted to remind you that we're scheduled to have a meeting tomorrow at 11 am."

Keep the body of your email short and to the point. If you're sending a reminder for an upcoming event, include all the relevant information (date, time, location, etc.).

If you're sending a payment reminder, include the invoice number and amount due. If the reminder is for something else, be clear about what you're reminding the recipient about.

Here is where you explain the situation, give the solution and action to be taken, and provide a timeline for when you need a response.

The closing

End the email by giving the recipient some benefit of doubt or opportunity for redemption.

For example, "I know you're busy, so I'll just remind you again tomorrow." or "If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to let me know."

Thank the recipient for their time and sign off with your name.

5 Common Email Reminder Mistakes – and How to Avoid Them

Sending too many reminders.

If you find yourself sending too many reminders, it might be time to reassess your process. Are there ways you can automate reminders?

Can you set up a system where the recipient receives a reminder automatically? If not, try to space out your reminders so they're not overwhelming.

Being too vague

Don't make the mistake of being too vague in your reminders. The whole point of a reminder is to jog the recipient's memory, so be specific about what you're reminding them about.

The more specific you are, the less likely it is that they'll need another reminder.

Sounding angry or impatient

It's important to remain professional in your reminder emails, even if you're feeling frustrated. Remember, the recipient is not necessarily trying to ignore you or be difficult – they might just be busy. Always remember the nuances in written communication can be lost like the differences between a gentle reminder vs a friendly reminder.

Avoid sounding angry or impatient in your email by keeping your tone friendly and positive. And avoid writing "just a reminder"; instead, use "just a friendly reminder," this way, you sound polite and direct.

Failing to proofread

Before hitting "send," take a minute to proofread your email. This will help you avoid any typos or grammatical errors, and it will also give you a chance to make sure the email sounds the way you want it to.

The last thing you want is for your reminder email to come across as unprofessional because of a simple mistake.

Sending too many emails at once

If you have multiple things you need to remind someone about, try to consolidate them into one email instead of sending several individual emails.

This will help avoid overwhelming the recipient and will make it more likely that they'll actually read your reminder (and act on it!).

Conclusion on Gentle Reminder Emails

A reminder email is a polite way to prompt someone to take action. It's important to be clear, concise, and specific in your email so that the recipient knows exactly what they need to do.

Different situations will call for different types of reminder emails, so be sure to tailor your email to the specific situation.

And finally, avoid making common mistakes like sounding angry or being too vague in your email.

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A grim reminder of just how realistic scams can…

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Subscriber only, a grim reminder of just how realistic scams can seem | scam of the week.

Even more upsetting is just how personalized this particular scam was. The scammer clearly either did some fair amount of homework before setting it up or was using technology I’m not even aware of to mimic someone they knew.

I’ve written columns previously about artificial intelligence being used to impersonate colleagues and loved ones and in essence, this was the email version of that. It included official-looking footers and even the email address itself looked correct at first glance. It’s little details, a misspelling in a place you wouldn’t normally check, that pop out only when you look very closely. It’s not until the very end of the exchange that the scammer starts to unravel and the facade falls.

This is something I could have easily fallen for if the email had been directed at me. With the exception of some grammatical errors in later messages, the initial requests come off as genuine.

I’ll say this about my coworker, they have an eye like a hawk, it just so happened that this email came in the perfect moment when they were just busy enough that it slipped by without much scrutiny early on.

This is a cautionary tale. If you ever receive a request for money from someone you know — even if you know them well — double back and call the person yourself and talk to them directly to solidify that the request is from them. This is important whether it’s an email, a phone call or a text message. The technology is getting better and the methods are getting much savvier.

Stay safe out there folks and stay hydrated. The weather is heating up.

Scam of the Week generally runs every Tuesday. Readers are welcome to contact reporter Jake Hutchison to report scams and potential scams they have come in contact with by calling 828-1329 or via email at [email protected].

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What It Takes to Build Influence at Work

Whether you’re managing up to your boss or out to your clients, there are proven techniques to help you better understand them and win their respect.

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Do you know how to influence people who don’t report to you? That might include your boss, clients, or even your peers.

Nashater Deu Solheim argues that there are proven techniques to help you understand your colleagues’ thinking and win their respect—even in virtual work settings.

Solheim is a forensic psychologist and a leadership coach who studies how people gain influence within organizations.

In this episode, she explains that the key to influencing others is understanding them, and she offers a three-part framework to help you do just that. She refers to it as ABC: advanced preparation, body language, and conversation.

Key episode topics include: leadership, business communication, power and influence, managing up, persuasion.  

HBR On Leadership curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week.

• Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Better Ways to Manage Up and Out (2020)
• Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast .
• Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org .

HANNAH BATES: Welcome to HBR on Leadership , case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, hand-selected to help you unlock the best in those around you.

Do you know how to influence people who don’t report to you at work? Maybe it’s your boss or clients even your peers. Nashater Deu Solheim is a forensic psychologist and a leadership coach who studies how people gain influence within organizations. She argues that this has become more difficult in virtual work settings. But she says there are proven techniques to help you understand others’ thinking and win their respect.

In this episode, you’ll learn why it’s so important to understand who you’re trying to influence – what are their priorities, how busy are they, and what’s the best way to reach out to them? That might mean you study their background or ask around to learn more about them. Think of it like prepping for a job interview.

You’ll also learn how to keep your body language relaxed and open – even if you’re feeling intimidated. This episode originally aired on HBR IdeaCast in December 2020. Here it is.

CURT NICKISCH: Welcome to the HBR IdeaCast from Harvard Business Review. I’m Curt Nickisch.

In the 1980s, Harvard political scientist Joseph Nye came up with the term soft power. It describes how countries are able to influence others without the use of force or hard power. And since then, that idea has influenced how people think about managing people, not just countries. As Nye put it, “soft power rests on the ability to shape the preferences of others.” So as a team leader, even when you’re managing people who have to answer to you, can you motivate them through other means than threatening to fire them or rewarding them with promotions? And that ability to shape the preferences of others is even harder and more prized when you’re trying to influence people you don’t manage. Maybe your boss or organizational leaders, managing up, or your peers or people you don’t work with directly, managing out.

Today’s guest has done a lot of work on how to convince people to come over to your side and she’s here to share and explain her best practices. Nashater Deu Solheim is a forensic psychologist and leadership coach, and she wrote the book, The Leadership PIN Code: Unlocking the Key to Willing and Winning Relationships. Nashater, thanks for being here.

NASHATER DEU SOLHEIM: It’s my pleasure Curt, thanks for inviting me to the show.

CURT NICKISCH: So your career started in forensic psychology, where you were working literally with psychopaths. And then you also worked with returning veterans at the British Ministry of Defense, people who’d been traumatized by experiences in war zones or conflict zones in other countries and now you work as an executive coach and leadership coach and you work with companies, draw a line there between your experience as a forensic psychologist and a leadership coach.

NASHATER DEU SOLHEIM: I guess my interest in working with people who are classified as psychopaths, I was really having to use my training and skills in the art of, shall we say, investigative questioning, trying to build rapport and trust. And so a lot of the skills that I was trained in had to do with how do you, even when somebody is resistant or not necessarily motivated to engage with you, how do you try and build a trusting relationship and build rapport with somebody so that you can work cooperatively together? And within that toolkit, it certainly was things like getting to know the other person, helping them to figure out their own journeys, perhaps links between past experiences and current behaviors, and also using my own skills in questioning and empathy and trying to validate their experiences while also encouraging them to change, perhaps to be able to be living a healthy life going forward.

And when I found myself, many years later, working in business, in essence, I found myself using the same skills, albeit with a population that weren’t as challenging to work with, but certainly leaders were sometimes resistant to changing their own behaviors or working with people who they found were resistant to following their lead. And the same skills were very useful on how to engage and then create a change journey with these people I was working with.

CURT NICKISCH: I’m just fascinated how you can think about this similarly, to walk into a maximum security prison and meet with somebody that you’re trying to build trust with and how that can be applied in a business setting. What are the sorts of things you would do?

NASHATER DEU SOLHEIM: So really there were, I guess, three things that I crystallized from those experiences that I have certainly worked then with leaders later on, and put into the book that I wrote, and they were what I refer to as the ABC, if you like. And I remember a lot of my training as a forensic psychologist was in preparation, how much research you did before you walked into a room with somebody who had perhaps a propensity to be violent, may have had some symptoms of mental illness, may have had some kind of biases or reactions to either my role as a psychologist or me being a woman, or whatever that reaction may be. But I really needed to do my research of the person I was going to meet. So reading their files, speaking to the staff who were either in the hospital that they were in or the prison that they were in, and getting as much information as I could about this person’s interests, their motivations, the kind of day they were having the day I was going to meet with them.

And the purpose of that research was always to try and find out what would motivate and drive this person to want to do the work that was going to be our work together, which was to perhaps understand what had happened, what had led to these egregious behaviors, and then perhaps even beginning to think about changing and move forward to a better or healthier life. The A really was my advanced preparation. And if we’re going to put a number to it, at least about 80% of the effectiveness of the work that I did came from thorough preparation. And then I would think consciously about my body language. How can I make sure that I am encouraging as much of a collaborative atmosphere between the two of us as possible? So is my body language relaxed and open? Not showing tension or stress or disinterest?

CURT NICKISCH: Okay. So the B in your framework is for body language and behavior. The C is for conversation. And I’m just curious, what is the first question you would ask when you walk in and meet one of these folks for the first time?

NASHATER DEU SOLHEIM: You know, you probably imagine, a lot of people imagine, that we are asking very difficult or clever or very technical questions, but really it starts with building rapport as you would with anybody you meet and a simple, “How are you?” or “It’s nice to meet you”, or “My name is”, and explaining who you are and why you’re there was always really the first point of entry.

CURT NICKISCH: I read that you would often ask the question, “How do you feel about meeting me today?”

NASHATER DEU SOLHEIM: Right.

CURT NICKISCH: And why did you ask that?

NASHATER DEU SOLHEIM: Because it’s really about ensuring that the other person is consenting and engaging as much as they can at that moment in time in the work that you want to do. Because if you ask somebody, how do you feel about meeting me today, and the person feels somehow coerced because they’re locked up or perhaps they are subordinate and they don’t feel that they have a choice to say no to the leader, it immediately gives you information as to how much they know about why they are having the conversation with you, how much they are motivated, engaged to engage in this journey with you. And you can start to work on then building knowledge, or information, or getting clarification so that you can make that engagement, commitment to the process stronger. So if, when I would ask that question, how do you feel about meeting me today?

And if the answer to that, which often was the case, which was, “Well I’m suspicious. What are you here for? If I say something, is it going to make it worse for me?” And that lack of trust, which would be natural in those settings, that I don’t know you, and I don’t know what your agenda is, that it was a great place to start with. Well, let’s get some clarification then about what my role is. What do you want to know? What can I share with you that will help you to understand what our contract of work is going to look like?

CURT NICKISCH: So how do these concepts apply to a business context where you are trying to manage up superiors, company leaders or people that are lateral?

NASHATER DEU SOLHEIM: So you’re relying on kind of goodwill and cooperation and kind of those lateral relationships where you need to work together. I think one of the things that I see often in the workplace is that you’re in your own head, you’re really wrapped up with what it is that I need. What’s my agenda? What’s my goal in this conversation in discussing this with a person or asking for their support and help? And certainly if it’s by email, it’s even tougher. In today’s world, we really are doing a lot more cold calling, I guess, in that sense, where we are reaching out to people who may not know us, and we’re trying to connect and trying to get our needs across. And I think one of the challenges and where we, I think, go wrong often is by starting with what’s most important to us in the conversation and forgetting that what we really want to also do is figure out what’s in it for the other person to be of help or support to me, or give the time for a response, whatever it is I’m asking for.

And in doing that, you’re not doing what I was saying earlier, which is so important, which is your real preparation and figuring out, “Well, I’m going to reach out to this person who doesn’t know me, what’s going on for them right now? What are they interested in? What’s their priorities? Perhaps even what are they stressed by or what is kind of keeping them busy at the moment? So that when I put out my request for support or help, then I’m able to create the hook that both meets my needs, but also meets them where they are.” But in order to do that, I need to suspend my needs, what’s going on in my head and my agenda and not come straight out with that.

CURT NICKISCH: I need this by such and such date.

NASHATER DEU SOLHEIM: I see it often, “Hi, it’s great to meet you.” And then they go straight in, “I need your advice with and great if you could send it by the end of the week. Thanks so much for your help. Kind regards.” And in that, it’s a very egocentric request in lots of ways. It’s about hi, you’re useful to me, here’s my request. I’m sure you don’t mind helping me. Look forward to your response. And really you can be lucky in that regard. You might meet somebody who has the time and the motivation to help you, but actually you’ll have more predictable success if you do take the time to figure out what that person is dealing with now and why they might be motivated to help you.

So if you say, let’s say for an example, you need some extra resources for a project, and the other person is very, very busy, but at the same time, they would benefit from giving somebody the kind of exposure to the work that you do. So you might hang your request on that and say, “I know you’re really busy and I know you have these people and you’re looking for some kind of opportunity to expose them to the work in my arena. Hey, I’ve got a request. I could really do with this support. And I think this could be a great opportunity for you to send over one of your people and I can also train them on the job, or they can have some exposure to the work that we do.” Trying to find the, it sounds cliche, but the win-win, the what’s in it for you in order for me to get what I need.

CURT NICKISCH: You have to take it away from the egocentric. How do you do that though? How do you find all that out?

NASHATER DEU SOLHEIM: I love that question because a few people have said to me, “Doesn’t it sound a little sneaky doing research on people before you reach out to them?” And I kind of find that surprising because I’m thinking, well, when you interview people for a job, you do a ton of research before you bring them into the room.

CURT NICKISCH: To be flattering. yeah.

NASHATER DEU SOLHEIM: And is shows interest. So you can simply, if they’re in your organization, of course, I guess there’s information available on their role and their responsibilities, but more simply, figuring out people that they know and speaking to them about what is this person working with? What are their priorities? Are they really busy at the moment? Is this a good time for me to reach out? And certainly actually reaching out to the person, this one is a more sophisticated, I think, technique for influence, which is when you are thinking about your role, play ahead of the game. And what I mean by that is identify the stakeholders who are likely to be of interest and use to you in your work going forward early on long before you may actually need their help and support.

CURT NICKISCH: Doing your homework. It’s one of those things that everybody knows they should do, but it’s always just great to get a reminder of how effective it can be. Body language and behavior are things that people probably know or think they know as well. What about that do you find that people get wrong when it comes to these managing up or out kinds of situations?

NASHATER DEU SOLHEIM: It’s as simple, I think, as just not being very conscious of the fact that what is going on in your mind is showing up in your body language and people often aren’t really very conscious of the fact that if they are feeling stressed and irritated as they’re about to go into conversation with their boss or with a senior stakeholder that they maybe find intimidating or overwhelming, that those thoughts and anxieties or feelings will show up in their body language, if they’re not conscious about that, and that can then affect the conversation and the dynamic that you’re setting up for yourself. So I think it’s just being very mindful that if I’m going to go into the conversation, how can I also prepare my mindset as much as I am preparing the case and the questions and the task that I’m going in for?

So that’s the first thing. And the other thing I think people are perhaps not paying attention to is how should I approach this person in terms of when I call it the room, should I send a mail? Should I pick up the phone? Should I call for a meeting? Should this be a physical meeting? COVID aside, if there was an opportunity for physical meetings. How do I approach a senior stakeholder or a stakeholder in my lateral arena for a request? What’s the best room, whether that’s a video call or email or physical conversation? And I think doing your preparation is key, which is about how much time do they have? What is their preference? Some people have a preference, for example, you picking up the phone rather than sending long emails or vice versa and asking people around them so you can figure out the best way to make contact with them.

CURT NICKISCH: Yeah. You have a lot of advice for just how to set up a room or where to sit with chairs that are in a room. It’s probably easier in managing out or up situations because you’re definitely not going to sit at the head of the table for that type of conversation, but what do people often get wrong in this approach? What do you think people can do better when you’re actually meeting physically?

NASHATER DEU SOLHEIM: So one of the things I see over and over and over, and probably one of the greatest aha moments I get feedback on in this part of the ABC is how simple something like moving your chairs is, and yet the normative the impact it can have. And so what I find most people do is they naturally want to sit across the table at 180 degrees when they’re having meetings or conversations. And particularly when it’s a difficult conversation, perhaps you need to give feedback to somebody on their performance, and it’s negative feedback and you’re worried about that. So people have a tendency to want to be very formal in those arenas. And yet that creates even more guardedness and defensiveness in the conversation, because now you have a big barrier between you, which is a table, and maybe you’re sitting directly opposite, which creates very intense eye contact.

And it’s very hard to kind of create a collaborative atmosphere where you really feel that you’re trying to be solution orientated and collaborative in this conversation. So I simply encourage people where they’re having what I call collegiate conversations, so where you are working together and you’re going to continue working together and you need to sort out a challenge or a problem, to sit in this 90 degree angle, I call it, or in a V, and maybe not even have a table if it’s not necessary, but you create a natural angle between the two people talking that allows for easy eye contact, your body language actually immediately relaxes in that situation compared to sitting across from each other, with or without a table.

And so I’ve seen it myself, oddly enough, now when I’m doing coaching, when I walk into a room, having coached somebody in some of these techniques, I’ll notice that they’ve moved the chairs and we might laugh about it that has been a very conscious decision on their part, but they will often say that it changed the feel of the conversation, which sounds a little soft, but it actually moves away from this power based hierarchical relationship, me versus you in the conversation at 180 degrees, to this collegiate, “We’re in this together, what is it we’re trying to solve?”

CURT NICKISCH: So many of us are working remotely right now, and when you are working remotely or you’re doing a video conference, you can’t sit kitty corner from them. How do you create that same kind of collaborative, collegiate feel that you’re describing here in a virtual setting?

NASHATER DEU SOLHEIM: So I think the important thing here is if they are known to you, if they are already colleagues of yours, then it’s a little bit easier to know what the other person’s preference is. And when you do have these virtual meetings, I think it’s really important that we use the same mode and I encourage people to use the video because it gives as much physical information as we would normally get in an everyday interaction if we were sitting with somebody. So you can see the body language, you can see facial expressions, you can pick up a little bit of the non-verbal communication, as well as obviously the spontaneity of language.

What I also encourage people to do is to try and mirror the same visual as you have as with the person on camera. So if they’re showing their head and shoulders, then you would show your head and shoulders. If they’re showing the whole of their body, then you may want to mirror that and show the whole of your body. So you’re trying to recreate this reciprocal feeling of, “We’re in the same mode with each other, and we’re trying to replicate a physical interaction.” Because it’s a very easy way of validating the other person saying, “I’m here with you and I’m kind of trying to mirror what you’re doing and be empathic in a way.”

CURT NICKISCH: Yeah. Let’s talk about the C in your framework, conversation. How do you show empathy? How do you, through conversation, build trust and get a sense of the situation somebody else’s in to be able to use that soft power to get them to help you out?

NASHATER DEU SOLHEIM: So I think my favorite tool for empathy is curiosity, because for me, empathy doesn’t have to be about joining in or agreeing with what the other person is sharing with you, but keeping an open mind and being curious about what they want to share with you. So asking very open questions, digging a little deeper when they share, picking up perhaps on the feelings in what they’re sharing, as much as the facts in what they’re sharing, being able to listen so well that you can summarize what the other person said to you and reflect it back to them in your own words, and in doing so, you’re able to both check out that you have picked up the essence of what they said, and they can correct if not, or add on. And also it really shows the other person that you’ve paid enough attention that they feel validated and heard and understood. You don’t have to necessarily agree with what they’ve said, but you are showing that you have listened and paid attention to the essence of their message.

CURT NICKISCH: How does all of this change when you are managing up rather than managing out?

NASHATER DEU SOLHEIM: It really is the same thing. It’s a great question because I think context is really important here rather than the skills themselves. So we tend to think that leadership skills, and I’ve written the book for leaders, but that leadership skills only apply to leaders. But if we think about these skills, it’s easy to forget that the rules of what is the other person interested in? Why should they be interested in helping me? How can I hook what I need onto what they’re also dealing with right now? How can I prepare my message in such a way that it appeals to them and it’s delivered in the way they would like to hear it rather than the way I want to deliver it? I think those are all very common and transferable skills, whether you’re managing up or managing down.

CURT NICKISCH: One thing that you often see with people who are trying to manage up or out is just this desire to feel like they’re important enough to be heard, and it gets into self-promotion territory. People often feel like they have to kind of justify why they’re worth helping or what they’re doing is so great. I’m just curious what you make of that and what you recommend for people who have that inclination, and maybe don’t always have the success with it that they expect.

NASHATER DEU SOLHEIM: I see that, and I recognize that, and it’s something that, on the one hand, we encourage people to do, which is don’t hide your light under a bushel, make sure that you’re able to communicate your strengths and your achievements towards others, that’s how you’ll get recognized. And at the same time, that can go too far, or sometimes it doesn’t work. It lands in the wrong way. And my feedback to people is when you’re trying to communicate your achievements or your strengths, think about it in a way that meets the other person’s context. So rather than simply stating, “This is what I’m good at. This is what I think I can do. This is what I think I can contribute.” Start with where it will meet the other person or the other person’s context now.

Let me give you an example. So let’s say that you are really keen to join a team, it would be a promotion, and you would love them to see that you have the right competence and skills to be able to work with them. And rather than presenting that as an offer to them, “Here I am, and I can do all of these things.” I might encourage the other person to do their homework and figure out what this team is really working with right now. What are their key priorities? What are their key projects or initiatives that they’re really kind of either struggling with or really involved and excited by? And then talk about your skills, your abilities, that self promoting part, in the context of how you can contribute to that. What you could add value to, or how you could add that value.

I think where I find it falls flat is where people do it out of context and it just feels like a self promotional brag at worst, without really it meeting anybody else’s needs. And I often think bragging is seen as bragging when it doesn’t really have a context to it, it’s just about you’re saying what you’re great at, but it’s not landing for the person that you’re saying it to in any way that’s valuable to them.

CURT NICKISCH: It’s that egocentric thing that you were talking before.

NASHATER DEU SOLHEIM: It’s back to that. I was just going to say exactly, it comes back to the if you’re not speaking to other people’s interests and contexts, then you’re on your own. And you may not be understood or your intentions may not be well understood or met with the kind of support you’re looking for.

CURT NICKISCH: Well, Nashater, thanks so much for coming on the show to talk about why soft power is so hard and to make it a little bit easier for us.

NASHATER DEU SOLHEIM: Oh, it was my pleasure to be with you, and thank you so much for having me.

HANNAH BATES: That was forensic psychologist and leadership coach Nashater Deu Solheim in conversation with Curt Nickisch on the HBR IdeaCast . She’s the author of the book The Leadership PIN Code: Unlocking the Key to Willing and Winning Relationships .

We’ll be back next Wednesday with another hand-picked conversation about leadership from the Harvard Business Review. If you found this episode helpful, share it with your friends and colleagues, and follow our show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. While you’re there, be sure to leave us a review.

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This episode was produced by Mary Dooe Anne Saini, and me, Hannah Bates. Ian Fox is our editor. Music by Coma Media. Special thanks to Rob Eckhardt, Adam Buchholz, Maureen Hoch, Erica Truxler, Ramsey Khabbaz, Nicole Smith, Anne Bartholomew, and you – our listener. See you next week.

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