5 Email Templates That'll Save Your Reputation When Your Response Is Long Overdue

1. For “Friendly” Emails That Don’t
Technically Require A Response
It’s really easy to procrastinate on replying to
these types of emails, because your daily
responsibilities usually take precedence. But
trust me, it’s better to send a late response than
never send one at all. Just make sure to extend
a heartfelt apology and prove that despite your
tardy response, you’re interested in the other
person’s life.
2. For Request Emails
When someone asks you for information or help
and you forget to respond (or put it off because
it’s never the right time), you can feel pretty
guilty. Show the person who reached out that
you’re not a jerk by doing the best you can to
help him or her now.
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
Hi Amy,
Thanks so much for your kind note last month!
Yep, it was definitely exciting for our team to
get the Wall Street Journal mention—things have
been crazy here ever since, which is why I’m so
late in answering your email. (I apologize!)
I saw your company recently announced its
launching a new marketing division. That’s so
awesome, congratulations! How’s everything
been going over there?
Thank you again, and I hope to see you at
another meet-up in the future.
Best,
Aja
“
Dear James,
Last month, you asked me if I knew anyone
who worked at Carol Smith Agency, and I
apologize for not answering sooner! Are you
still hoping to find a contact there? I just looked
through my connections and discovered a
couple people who might be helpful. Let me
know if you want me to make some
introductions.
And if there’s anything else I can do for you,
just ask. I promise I’ll try to be quicker next
time!
Aja
3. For Bad News Emails
It’s incredibly easy to put off breaking bad news
(and find one million reasons to do it).
However, you have to rip that Band-Aid off
eventually. First, apologize, then try to explain
the situation, and finally, actually make an
effort to help!
4. For Every Other Email
For all those miscellaneous, oh-gosh-I-really-
have-to-reply emails, you can use this template
as a starter.
Related: Should You Really Send That Email?
Your Go-To Guide
Answering a late email always requires a little
willpower. But you know you’ll feel better once
you do—and now that you have these templates,
there’s no excuse not to push “send.”
Related: I Worked Without Email For 10 Days,
Survived And Even Learned Something
This article was originally published on The Daily
Muse .
Aja Frost is a freelance writer who covers career,
lifestyle, current events, and social justice. Besides
being a Muse contributor, she’s also Editor-in-
Chief of Her Campus Cal Poly, co-founder of
Feminists at Lunch, and a student at Cal Poly San
Luis Obispo. Say hi to her on Twitter.
Also on Forbes:
Hi Maren,
I hope you’re doing well and that your last
semester at Colgate is off to a great start. My
sincerest apologies for not getting back to you
about the remote internship sooner.
After thinking it over, our team doesn’t think
this will work out—so much of our
communication happens in person, and we’d
hate for you to miss that. However, you’re
clearly talented and motivated, and I’d be more
than happy to see if I know anyone at another
company who could use a remote intern. Let me
know if you’re interested.
Sincerely,
Aja
“
Dear Sam,
As I was looking through my drafts, I realized I
had never [emailed/responded to] you about
[subject]. I am sincerely sorry for letting the ball
drop on this one—in the future, I’ll double-check
that I’ve sent my messages to you so it doesn’t
happen again.
After meeting with the Dev Ops team, we’ve
decided to move forward with the original plan
discussed at our March meeting.
Apologies again,
Aja