Following Up After a Request for Information

I am an accredited executive associate of the Institute for Independent Business International. The Institute is an international accreditation body for senior executives. We are on a closed e-mail system and can therefore send mass e-mails to all accredited associates. I often use this to share my sources with associates, but also to receive continuous requests for funding.

Once I receive a mass e-mail that requests funding, I check with my various sources and if there is interest, I reply with a request for the additional information I will need to assist; I try to do this within 24 hours, but I am sometimes held up by my funding sources. If I do not receive a response from an associate that sent the request, I send a follow up e-mail one week later. 80% of the time I receive a response, but I do not understand why the other 20% don't even respond or acknowledge my offer of assistance.

To me it is common courtesy to reply even if the need has been filled. I find it very helpful to be notified that a deal no longer needs funding and then I close it out of my pending projects.

The awareness for today is to be conscious and courteous if you are looking for information. If someone replies back to you after you have already received the information you were looking for, simply express that and thank them for their time; it will definitely keep the relationship open for the future.
~Paul