As a coach or consultant, you’ve probably had to deal with a dreaded late payment from a client or even no-shows at sessions.
These things happen, but not because your clients have bad intentions. The truth is that your clients probably have a lot going on, and they’re forgetting to do these important tasks.
This is where reminder emails come in. They are a friendly way to keep your coaching clients on their toes and make sure they take action.
So let’s explore how to send a reminder email for appointments, payments, and more!
What is a Reminder Email?
A reminder email is a simple email sent to remind clients to take action in one way or another.
They don’t have to be particularly creative. In fact, reminder emails should be simple, short, and focused. Anything else could distract coaching clients from what they need to do.
The simpler they are, the more you can reuse the same emails repeatedly for different clients.
Why You Might Need to Send Reminder Emails
In our experience, setting up reminder emails can improve your coaching business in many ways. If you automate them, you don’t even have to do them manually each time. You just schedule them once, and they will be sent at the exact time you need them (more on this later).
Here’s why it’s worth sending reminder emails to your clients:
- They help your clients stay accountable.
- They make you look more professional.
- They help busy clients incorporate their coaching sessions into their jam-packed schedules.
- They remind clients about the consequences of not paying on time or filling out an intake form (which we found to be the greatest motivation).
- They make sure you can maintain momentum and build a long-term client relationship.
- They minimize session cancellations and no-shows.
- They improve overall communication between you and your client.
When Should You Send Reminder Emails?
Follow-ups are useful in many scenarios. If you take payments online, reminder emails are a great way to let clients know when their invoice is due. This can be as simple as a Google Sheets invoice if you don’t want to complicate things.
You can also send reminder emails before an appointment. It’s up to you to decide what frequency is best, but here are some common appointment reminder settings coaches like to use:
- 24 hours before the appointment
- One hour before the appointment
- 15 minutes before the appointment
- 5 minutes before the appointment
You don’t have to set up all of these for your sessions; one or two is more than enough.
Reminder emails can also be used if clients haven’t filled out important documents. For instance, if they need to send files over before their first discovery session.
How to Write Reminder Emails for Coaching Clients
Some coaches may worry about offending their clients, while others may be tempted to vent their frustrations at them in a reminder email.
Here’s how to find the sweet spot and send a professional reminder email when your client’s MIA.
1. Don’t Apologize
Reminder emails are completely normal in any business so you shouldn’t apologize for sending one.
That means you should avoid writing things like:
I’m sorry to bother you, but I still haven’t received the payment for this invoice.
It’s easy to think that clients will get annoyed by reminder emails. But the truth is that people are busy, and it can be incredibly liberating for a business to take ownership of those reminders.
When you’re reminding your clients, whether it’s about an appointment or a DMARC for MSPs platform comparison, you’re taking one more weight off their shoulders. So why apologize for doing that?
I was guilty of doing this at first, but I’ve learned that apologizing doesn’t solve anything.
2. Stay Polite
On the flip side, reminder emails shouldn’t be used to argue with your client.
We get it–it can be really frustrating when you don’t receive a payment for a job well done. You should be firm in your emails, but stay polite.
Put the focus on the invoice that didn’t get paid instead of the fact that the client hasn’t paid.
Here’s what we mean. Instead of writing:
“You still haven’t paid this invoice.”
Try this instead:
“This invoice hasn’t been paid yet.”
Both sentences communicate the same fact. But as a client, which one would you rather receive?
3. Keep It Focused
You should only include the necessary information in a reminder email. These emails aren’t the right time to ask your client how their family is doing or how they enjoyed their latest vacation.
Write only as much information as you need to get your point across, but no more than necessary.
4. Make It Easy to Take Action
Reminder emails are designed to remind clients to do something.
You should make their lives as easy as possible so that they will take action. For instance, if you’re reminding them to fill out a form, include a link to that form.
Otherwise, they’ll have to dig around trying to find the original email you sent.
Remember that many people receive dozens of emails a day in their inboxes. The easier it is for them to access what they need, the more likely they are to get the job done.
6 Reminder Email Templates to Send to Coaching Clients
Stuck on how to write your reminder note? Here are six templates you can use in the most common scenarios.
Payment Reminder Emails
You can send this email a week or a day before a payment is due from your client.
You can also set up a late payment reminder for a week later in case your client forgets. I use PayPal to send invoices and keep track of invoice activity. I get a notification email when an invoice hasn’t been viewed yet and I can set up a reminder with that condition.
Finally, it’s important to clearly state the consequences of not paying the invoice. In the second example below, you’ll see what it looks like if you take appointments only once a payment is made.
Early Payment Reminder
Subject line: Payment reminder for [invoice number] – Due on [date]
Hi [client name],
This is a friendly reminder that you have a [amount] payment on [invoice number] that’s due for payment tomorrow, on [date].
You can view this invoice and make your payment here:
[link]
Don’t hesitate to hit reply or send me an email at [your email address] if you have any questions.
[Signoff]
Same-Day Payment Reminder
Subject line: Payment reminder for [invoice number] – Due today
Good morning [client name],
I just wanted to remind you of the [amount] payment on [invoice number] that’s due for payment today.
You can access and pay your invoice here:
[link]
Payment can be made via [payment options].
Don’t hesitate to hit reply or send me an email at [your email address] if you have any questions.
[Signoff]
Late Payment Reminder
Subject line: Your payment for [invoice number] is one day overdue
Hi [client name],
Hope everything is going well.
I’m reaching out because I still haven’t received a payment for [invoice number] for [amount due]. This invoice was due on [date].
You can access the invoice via this link:
[link]
Payment can be made via [payment options].
I’d like to remind you that this payment needs to be completed before our next appointment.
If you’re having technical difficulties with the invoice or if you have any questions, please hit reply or email me at [your email address]
[Signoff]
Appointment Reminder Emails
Your reminder email for appointments should include the information about where and when they will happen.
For instance, include the call link if you’re meeting via Zoom. If you’re having a phone call, remind them to have their phone charged and ready at the time of the appointment.
If you set up multiple appointment reminders, they can look very similar. Here are two variations for your next session with a client.
Appointment Reminder Email 24 Hours Before
Subject line: Appointment Reminder: Your Next Appointment is on [date] [time]
Hi [client name],
This is a reminder that your next session appointment is on [date] at [time].
You’ve scheduled [time frame] and you can join the call via Zoom at:
[Zoom link]
Make sure to have Zoom installed on your device before our appointment time.
[Signoff]
Appointment Reminder Email to Send One Hour Before
Subject line: You have a [Name of Session] in one hour
Hi [client name],
This is a reminder that your appointment for [name of session] starts in one hour, at [time].
Your appointment will be via Zoom and will last [time]. Use this link to join the call:
[Zoom link]
Make sure to have Zoom installed on your device before our appointment time.
[Signoff]
Intake Form Reminder Email
Many life coaches like to use intake forms to make client onboarding smooth. But what happens if your client doesn’t fill out their form before your first coaching session?
To avoid that situation, you can send them a reminder like this one:
Subject line: Reminder about your intake form
Hi [client name],
I noticed the intake form I sent you hasn’t been filled out yet.
This questionnaire is essential so I can keep the session focused on your needs and make the most of our time together.
You can access your intake form here:
[link to intake form]
Please have this form filled out at least [number of hours] before our first session so that I can prepare adequately to help you get to where you want to be.
If you have any questions or if you get stuck with this form, don’t hesitate to email me back.
[signoff]
Reminder Emails FAQs
When Should You Send out a Reminder Email?
Ideally, you should send a reminder email 1-3 days before an appointment or deadline. Optionally, you can also remind clients about meetings on the day.
What Should a Reminder Email Include?
Your email should include:
- A clear and attention-grabbing subject line
- A friendly greeting
- A brief explanation of the purpose of the email
- A direct and specific reminder or request with key details like date and time or due date
- A professional sign-off and contact details
What Are the Different Kinds of Reminder Emails Coaches Need to Send?
Coaches often send session reminders, payment reminders, deadline reminders, and event follow-ups.
When is It Time to Let a Client Go?
Firing a coaching client can be a challenging decision but is sometimes necessary to maintain professional boundaries and uphold your integrity.
Signs that it might be time to consider parting ways with a client include:
- Consistent non-payment
- Failure to submit intake forms
- Frequent session cancellations (especially last-minute or without good reason)
- Not showing up for sessions without cancellation
- Lack of progress or commitment
- Violation of boundaries
- Misalignment of expectations
It’s essential to have an open and honest conversation with your client about any concerns before making a decision. Make sure that your expectations toward them are clearly communicated, and if they still fail to complete them, bring it up in an email or the next time you talk to them.
If the issues persist and negatively impact the coaching process, it may be time to part ways professionally and ethically. Always communicate your decision respectfully and with the client’s best interests in mind.
Luckily, automating your reminder emails can prevent many of these issues. Plus, they make follow-up an easy, set-up-and-forget process.
Here’s the simplest way to automate your reminder emails.
How to Automate Your Reminder Emails Using Paperbell
There’s one more mistake that life coaches make with reminder emails—sending them manually!
If you’re still sending manual reminder emails, you’re setting yourself up to forget or let stuff fall through the cracks. You’ll likely need reminders… to send out reminders.
Paperbell is a tool that runs your entire coaching or consulting business, including your reminders! In fact, they’re baked right into it, so you’ll never have to send one manually again.
It allows you to fine-tune your reminders triggered by different types of appointments or purchases. You can put whatever text you like in these emails, so borrow liberally from the examples above!
Paperbell also allows you to eliminate payment reminder emails, as clients always pay at the time of their booking. Plus, payment plans and subscriptions are charged to your client’s card automatically. This means you don’t have to remind them to pay you; it’s all handled automatically!
Paperbell also makes it easy to manage payments, contracts, and scheduling. It’s free with your first client—sign up now to try out all features.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November 2021 and has since been updated for accuracy.
