Following Up When a Contract Gets Ignored
You successfully pitched your agency, negotiated the price, and the client enthusiastically said, "Send over the contract!" You drafted the Master Services Agreement, sent the Docusign link, and... complete ghosting. When a hot prospect goes brutally silent at the exact moment a legal signature is required, panic ensues. This specific delay is almost always caused by the friction of corporate legal review; their internal counsel is slowly analyzing your indemnification clauses, or the executive with signing authority went on vacation.
Following up on an un-signed contract requires a delicate balance of consultative patience and external urgency. You must not aggressively demand a signature. Instead, actively offer to rewrite the contract. Assume the legal jargon is confusing them or that a specific clause scared their legal team. Explicitly ask them if they need any redlines adjusted. Combine this highly accommodating tone with a strict capacity deadline (e.g., "We must begin onboarding by Friday to hit the launch date").
Use the customized templates below to gracefully expedite the legal phase. These scripts unstick stalled contracts by giving the prospect an easy avenue to voice their objections directly.
When to use these emails
Knowing exactly when to send a following up when a contract gets ignored is critical for getting a positive response. You should deploy these templates when you need to communicate clearly and professionally within the Sales & Marketing sector. Timing is everything—ensure you send these during appropriate business hours and tailor the variables perfectly to your recipient's current context.
Ready-to-Use Email Templates
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Subject: Re: Next Steps & Contract for [Project Name] Hi [Client Name], Hope you are having a fantastic week! I wanted to circle back regarding the Master Services Agreement I sent over on Tuesday. Since I know these standard legal documents can sometimes raise internal questions, I wanted to see if your legal team required any specific redlines or modifications to the clauses? I am completely happy to jump on a quick 10-minute call with your counsel to iron out any verbiage blocking the signature. Just let me know how you’d like to proceed! Best regards, [Your Name]
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Subject: Action Required: Finalizing the [Project Name] contract Hi [Client Name], Just floating this thread back to the top of your inbox. We are incredibly excited to officially kick off the [Project Name] initiative with your team. To ensure our engineering department holds dedicated bandwidth to hit your highly-requested launch date of [Desired Date], we would ideally need the final contract executed by end of day tomorrow. Is there anything specific in the scope of work causing hesitation that I can easily adjust or clarify for you today? Cheers, [Your Name]
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Subject: Re: [Company Name] / [Your Company] Agreement Hi [Client Name], Following up on the Docusign link I sent over earlier this week. I totally completely understand if this got buried under other priorities! If it is easier, I can quickly send over a summarized 1-page PDF of the exact deliverables rather than navigating the massive 10-page document. Are we still on track to officially onboard your team next week, or has the timeline shifted internally? Best, [Your Name]
Next Steps in Your Journey
After sending this email, you will likely need to send one of the following:
Best Practices & Tips
- Use their deadline as leverage. Remind them that delaying the signature causes their own desired launch date to be severely pushed back.
- Offer to speak to their lawyer. Usually, the point of contact does not understand the contract; offering to talk directly with their legal team solves the bottleneck instantly.
- Give them permission to back out softly. Ask 'Has this initiative been tabled?' to extract the brutal truth.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
When drafting this type of email, many professionals make critical formatting and psychological errors. Avoid these common pitfalls:
- Being overly verbose: Do not write a five-paragraph essay. Keep your request strictly focused and visually scannable.
- Assuming context: Always provide a brief sentence reminding the recipient who you are or why you are reaching out.
- Weak Call-to-Actions (CTAs): Never end with "Let me know what you think." Give them a specific, frictionless next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should I wait to follow up on a contract?
Wait exactly 3 business days. Legal review takes time, but 3 days is enough to prompt them for an update.
What if they want to redline every single clause?
If you are a small agency, it is often easier to accept their corporate Paper (their standard vendor agreement) rather than spending thousands on lawyers fighting over your own contract.
Should I start the work before they sign?
Never. Absolutely never begin delivering services or handing over intellectual property until the ink is dry.