Proposal follow-up email
Account executives and founders
Send this about a week after the proposal, sooner if you agreed a date. Do not reattach the file unless they ask. The attachment is how these emails get long and unread.
Subject. Where the proposal landed
Hi — the proposal has been with you for a week. I will not attach it again unless you need a fresh copy.
I need to know if we are editing it, starting it, or stopping. A maybe leaves both of us holding a document nobody is using.
Where did the proposal land?
- Move ahead
- Needs changes
- Not going forward
In Gmail these are buttons. The recipient clicks one. The answer comes back to the thread. They do not install anything.
Before you send. If a specific page is the one they stalled on, name it. Do not add a new discount in this email. A discount is a different conversation, after they say the current version is the problem.
Why this gets more replies
A proposal follow-up that summarizes the proposal asks them to review it again before they can reply. They already did not review it. The three outcomes are start, edit, or stop. Anything else is a delay with better manners.
FAQ
What does Needs changes actually get me?
A reply from you that asks which part, in one question. Do not send a rewritten proposal before you know the edit.
How is this different from the quote email?
A quote has a date on it and the numbers expire. A proposal is the shape of the work. If all you sent was a price sheet, use the quote follow-up.
Free for 50 sends a month. The other person does not install anything.