How to Follow Up With Potential Licensees and Actually Get a Response

Pursuing a licensee is rarely a straight line. Here's how to stay on someone's radar without becoming a burden.

Whether you're following up on an initial expression of interest, reaching out cold, or trying to revive a conversation that has gone quiet, the same challenge appears again and again:

You need to stay on someone's radar without becoming a burden.

Most inventors underestimate how difficult that balance is - and how long it can take.

In licensing, email remains the primary mode of communication. You may supplement with an occasional phone call, a LinkedIn message, or (in rare cases) a text or personal call, but email is the professional default. It's where decision-makers track ideas, route opportunities, and manage their workflow.

And yet… email is routinely ignored.

Not because your invention lacks value, but because people have competing priorities and reviewing outside ideas requires time, attention, and risk. Even innovation-friendly organizations juggle internal demands that push evaluations further down the list than you might expect.

Still, with a clear process and respectful persistence, responses do come. Here's a practical, experience-based approach to increasing your chances.

1. Start With One Appropriate Contact and One Focused Email

Identify a person whose role aligns with evaluating new product opportunities - product management, innovation, business development, or leadership in a relevant category.

Send a single email to that person. No CCs, no blasts.

Your initial message should be:

• Short
• Specific to the company's interests
• Clear about how your invention fits their market or product strategy
• Credible, but not overloaded with detail

You are not trying to convince them—only to interest them enough to want the next step. Think hooks, not homework. Offer more information only if they're interested.

2. Expect Silence - Then Follow Up With a Clear Short Reminders

Here is a clean, realistic follow-up rhythm:

• Week 0 — Initial Email
• +1 week — Follow-up #1
• +2 weeks — Follow-up #2
• +3 weeks — Follow-up #3

At this point you've made four touches over roughly four weeks.

Depending on industry, this may be perfectly appropriate - or slightly fast.

Guidance:

• Consumer goods, housewares, electronics, small companies: weekly follow-ups are fine
• Medical devices, industrial tools, large corporations: stretch spacing to 10-14 days

Regardless of cadence, always keep follow-ups short, polite, and easy to answer.

3. Timing Does Matter - Sometimes

There's no universal best time to send outreach emails.

However, in my own experience, and in much sales and business development practice, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings often perform better.

Think of it as a helpful tendency, not a rule. But if you need a default window, mid-week mornings are a good choice.

4. After 4-8 Weeks, Ask the "Permission to Continue?" Question

Once your first round of follow-ups is complete, give the outreach a little breathing room - usually 2-4 additional weeks depending on industry pace.

Then send a brief, respectful message like:

"I don't want to be a nuisance. Please let me know if I should continue reaching out."

This line is gentle, honest, and low-pressure. It signals respect while giving them an easy yes/no path.

5. If No Response, Try Another Contact (Thoughtfully)

If the first contact remains silent, identify a second relevant person within the company. If that doesn't work, try a third - always spacing these attempts by weeks, not days.

Important:

• Do not contact multiple people simultaneously
• Do not shift tone or story between different threads
• Do not "spray and pray"

And one essential professional habit:

Document exactly who you contacted, when you contacted them, what you said, and how they responded.

This prevents embarrassing overlap - such as messaging someone who already forwarded your email internally - and helps you maintain a strategic rhythm.

After completing a cycle with two or three individuals, you can gently circle back to your original contact:

"Following up in case my earlier notes didn't reach you. If this is not a fit, no worries - just let me know."

This keeps the door open without adding pressure.

6. Be Polite. Be Patient. Be Brief.

These three principles outweigh every tactic:

• Politeness keeps conversations alive
• Patience respects the realities of internal timelines
• Brevity increases the odds your message will actually be read

Your goal is to make it easy for someone to engage whenever they have the bandwidth.

7. Persistence Helps But Isn't a Guarantee

Persistence is powerful. Many responses - sometimes very positive ones -arrive after weeks or months of calm, respectful follow-up. A message that lands at the right moment can suddenly open a door.

But it's important to acknowledge:

• Not every invention will find a licensee, no matter how well you communicate
• Sometimes the timing, internal priorities, or market realities simply aren't right

Your aim isn't to force a yes - it's to ensure that you don't miss the yes that could have happened if you had stayed professionally present.

The Bottom Line

Licensing outreach isn't glamorous. It's not about long pitches or flashy presentations. It's about steady, respectful communication that makes it easy for a decision-maker to take the next step when the timing is right.

If you combine a clear fit, a concise message, and disciplined follow-up, you dramatically increase your chances of getting the conversation started.

And that's where deals begin.

Need help with licensing outreach? Invention City conducts professional licensing outreach for selected inventions on both a paid and revenue-share basis. We bring 25+ years of experience connecting inventors with potential licensees. Learn more about Invention City here.

- Mike Marks