Guide
They replied "not interested": what to send back
A clear no is a good outcome: it took them ten seconds and it saves you three follow-ups. Make it cost them nothing.
Short answer
Send nothing, or one line of thanks, and stop every follow-up to that person at once. Treat "not interested" as an objection to your marketing, which in the EU and UK means you stop for good [1]. Do not try to change their mind, and do not write to their colleagues instead.
The reply, if you send one
Thanks for letting me know, Maria. I will not write again.
Sam
That is all. No "may I ask why", no "would next quarter be better", no link to a case study. Each of those turns a polite no into a reason to mark you as spam, and spam reports are what hurt a mailbox: Google warns that if your messages are often reported as spam, future ones are more likely to land there [2].
Is "not interested" the same as unsubscribe?
Treat it as one. Under GDPR, when someone objects to direct marketing, "the personal data shall no longer be processed for such purposes" [1]. In the US, opt-outs must be honoured within 10 business days [3]; in Canada, no later than 10 business days [4]. A reply that says no is the clearest opt-out there is, so the safe practice everywhere is the same: stop now and never write again.
"Not now" is different
| They wrote | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "Not interested", "no thanks", "please stop" | No | Stop for good |
| "Not right now, maybe next year" | Later | Stop the sequence; if you write next year, write once, as a new and better email |
| "We already use something for this" | No, with a reason | Stop; the reason is worth noting for your targeting |
| "Not me, try Sam" | Wrong person | See talk to my colleague |
Do not go round them
When someone says no on behalf of their practice or firm, writing to their colleague the next day feels like ignoring them, because it is. Stop for the whole organisation, unless they pointed you to someone else.
Learn from it
A run of "not interested" replies from one kind of organisation is a targeting signal, not bad luck. Note what those organisations have in common and leave that kind out of the next campaign.
How Honest Intros handles it
Honest Intros recognises declines, including phrasings you add yourself, and stops all further email to that person and to their colleagues at the same organisation. The address goes on your do-not-contact list. "Not now" replies stop the sequence too, and the inbox offers a short starting reply that you edit and send yourself.
Questions
Should I reply to a 'not interested' email?
One short line of thanks is enough, or nothing. Never ask why or suggest another time.
Is 'not interested' an unsubscribe request?
Treat it as one. Under GDPR an objection to direct marketing means you must stop, and opt-out deadlines elsewhere are 10 business days at most.
Can I email a colleague after someone says not interested?
Not unless they suggested it. A no on behalf of an organisation should stop the whole organisation.
When can I contact someone again after they said no?
If they said no, never. If they said 'not now', one new email at the time they named, written for that moment.
See what it would write for you
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