Set up the follow-up before you send

The easiest follow-up is the one you agreed in advance. When you hand over the proposal, ask when they expect to have looked at it and who else needs to see it. Then say when you will be back in touch. A prospect who has agreed to a date is far more comfortable hearing from you on that date.

It also helps to know how the decision gets made. If a finance director or a co-founder signs off, your follow-ups should give your contact something they can forward to that person. A short summary they can paste into an internal email does more work than a reminder.

Timing that respects their week

Send the first follow-up a few working days after the proposal, or on the date you agreed. Leave longer gaps after that. A prospect who is busy reads a message every few days as attention. A message every day reads as pressure.

  • First follow-up. A few working days after sending, or on the agreed date. Check they received it and offer to walk them through it.
  • Second follow-up. About a week later. Add something useful that answers a likely question.
  • Third follow-up. A couple of weeks after that. Make it easy for them to say where things stand, including a no.
  • Closing message. When you have heard nothing after that. Close the loop politely and leave the door open.

Avoid Monday mornings and Friday afternoons where you can. Mid-morning on a working day tends to find people at their desk with time to read.

What to say in each message

Every follow-up should stand on its own. Someone who only reads this one email should understand what you are asking and why it matters to them. Keep the subject line in the original thread so the proposal is one click away.

Each message needs one clear ask. Pick from a short set: a quick call to go through the proposal, an answer to a specific question, an introduction to the person who decides, or a simple yes or no on timing. Asking for two of these in one email usually gets you neither.

Drop the phrases that make a follow-up sound like a chaser. Wording such as "just checking in" or "circling back" tells the reader you have nothing new to say.

How to add value each time

A follow-up that brings something new gives the prospect a reason to reply. It also shows the kind of attention they would get as a client. Good additions are small and specific to them.

  • Answer the question they have not asked yet. If your proposal includes a phased start, explain what the first month looks like in practice.
  • Remove a step for them. Offer a one-paragraph summary they can share internally, or a simpler starting option if the full scope feels large.
  • Share something relevant you have made. A short checklist, a template or a worked example that helps them whatever they decide.
  • Point to a change on their side. If they have opened a new location or launched a new service, say how the proposal fits it.
  • Clarify the commercial terms. If the pricing has options, set out plainly what each option includes.

Keep the added material short. A follow-up is a note between two people. Long attachments belong in the proposal itself.

When to stop

Stop when they tell you, and thank them. A clear no is useful: ask whether it is timing or fit, and note the answer for later.

If they say nothing at all, send a closing message after your third follow-up and then stop. That message should make it easy to reply with a one-word answer. A polite close asks for very little, which makes it easy to answer.

After that, wait a few months before getting in touch again, and only with a genuine reason, such as a new service or a change in their business.

Example follow-up emails

These are starting points. Change the details so each one reads like you and refers to the real conversation.

A short checklist before you press send

  • The message makes sense on its own, without the earlier emails.
  • There is one ask, and it is easy to answer.
  • It adds something the prospect did not have before.
  • The proposal is one click away.
  • You would be happy for their decision maker to read it.