How to Write Sales Follow-Up Email After Sending a Proposal

You have written a solid proposal and sent it to the client. However, you receive no response, even after waiting for days.

What should you do?

The best way to take the deal forward is to write a sales follow-up email. It helps you understand what your prospect is thinking and if anything is wrong.

How do you write a follow-up email after sending your proposal?

Here is how you can go about it.

Think of a Great Subject Line

The subject line of your email is the first thing your client will notice. It can be the difference between your mail being opened or ignored.

Therefore, make an effort to write a well-thought subject line personalized to your client’s requirements.

You can remind your prospect about your proposal or discussion. Moreover, you can try to add value to your subject line to boost your email’s appeal.

It may help to be creative, funny, or cheerful. Don’t adopt an aggressive approach, as it may irritate your client.

A few examples of potential subject lines are:

• Our offer still stands for the next 3 days. Respond to take action.
• Do you still want your website to attract more traffic?
• Reply to this email to boost your sales by 50%.

The Icy Whiz team talked to Gert Kulla, CEO of Batlinks, about crafting an effective follow-up email after sending a proposal. Here is what he said:

“In my experience, the key to crafting an effective follow-up email after sending a proposal is to strike a delicate balance between assertiveness and empathy.

On one hand, you want to assert your value proposition and convey a sense of confidence in your ability to deliver on the client’s needs.

However, it’s equally important to demonstrate empathy by acknowledging their concerns and addressing them in a thoughtful, solutions-oriented manner.

For instance, if the client has expressed budget constraints, I might say: “I understand that cost is a significant factor in your decision-making process.

Let’s explore ways we can optimize the scope to align with your budget while still delivering maximum value.” This approach shows that you’re listening, while also positioning yourself as a collaborative partner committed to finding a mutually beneficial solution.”

Keep It Concise

You might be wondering what went wrong after you sent your proposal. It may lead you to write a long sales follow-up email expressing your thoughts.

However, your follow-up emails must be short. Your goal should be to determine the barriers stopping the deal.

Therefore, prevent the urge to write a long email. You can send more follow-up emails after the initial one if you don’t get any response.

Moreover, you can write better follow-ups after you learn about your prospect’s concerns.

Don’t be Afraid to Ask Questions

The objective of your follow-up is to take the deal forward. You must learn what is stopping your client from signing the deal.

Therefore, ask questions to find out what is wrong. Be direct and ask something like:

• May I know if you have any concerns about the deal?
• Do you need more clarification about our pricing?
• Do you want assurance our product will work for your requirements?

Wait to see what your client says. You can write the next follow-up email based on that.

We interviewed Isabella Porter, Account Executive at Square Waves, on this. Here is what she had to say:

“Empathy is the most underrated skill in sales. To balance empathy and assertiveness, begin by acknowledging the client’s point of view, understanding their feelings if they have any concerns, and offering a realistic solution that suits both parties.

Highlight the common goals while reinforcing your commitment to being the solution to their problem.

Often, I find empathy as simple as listening, finding common ground, and getting to know the prospect beyond just the surface level (favorite movies, if they have kids, sports, etc.).

I find that this helps the client be more forthcoming and feel more comfortable with addressing concerns or finding a compromise. Additionally, end your follow-up by establishing the next steps.”

Offer the Right Solution

Your prospect may express some concerns or issues preventing them from closing the deal. It is a must to listen proactively and offer them the right solution to make the deal happen.

Sometimes, it may be as simple as appealing to the right authority. If your prospect needs a go-ahead from someone above, you just wait for a few days.

Moreover, you can send more proof to back the value of your product. It helps your client get more information to finally sign the dotted lines.

For example, you may send case studies of similar clients from the same industry to create trust. It helps your prospect see your product work for others like them; so they can expect due returns.

At times, a prospect may be waiting to strike a bargain at the final moment. They may want a discount for the proposed service.

You may allow a discount if it suits you, but with a clause. Say, “Will you sign the contract today if we can agree on your price?”

Try Sales Closing Strategies

Sales closing strategies are excellent for getting your lead to act. You can try a few closing techniques in your sales follow-up email to win the deal.

FOMO

FOMO, or fear of losing out, creates an urgency. It persuades your leads to act and make the purchase.

Your email can contain a FOMO offer like:

We will reserve our special price for you for the next 5 days. You can enjoy this special offer by signing the attached PDF right now.

Summary Close

Summarize your proposal offering in your follow-up email. It reminds your prospect about your product and helps make the final decision.

You will also know if they are not ready to proceed.

Takeaway Close

Kids want something more when you take it away. You can try the same technique on your client to nudge them to sign the papers.

An example would be:

The extra features we offered will cease to be a part of the contract in 3 days. Please reply to this email to prevent missing out on this valuable offer.

Steven Renn, Co-Founder of ACTIVE Clean, talked to the Icy Whiz team about the right balance between assertiveness and empathy in a follow-up email. Here is what he said:

“Striking the right balance between assertiveness and empathy in a follow-up email involves acknowledging the client’s needs and showing understanding while clearly stating the value proposition of ACTIVE Clean.

When drafting such an email, start by expressing appreciation for their time and consideration of the proposal, validating any concerns they might have raised.

It’s crucial to reiterate the core benefits of our services, tailoring the message to address specifically how we can solve their unique challenges.

By empathetically engaging with their concerns and assertively showcasing our solution’s impact, we guide the conversation towards a positive outcome for both parties, fostering a sense of mutual respect and understanding throughout the negotiation process.”

Don’t be Salesy

A sales follow-up email is not supposed to be salesy. You must prevent the urge to sell your product in your follow-up emails.

You have already explained your product’s value and sent your proposal. Therefore, your objective, as we said earlier, should be to discover barriers to finalize the deal.

Be empathetic and avoid putting pressure on your prospect. Look for opportunities to provide valuable information or ease the way forward.

Being genuine in your intentions is a must in the final stages of lead nurturing.

Recheck Your Contacts

The person you sent your proposal may not be the final decision-making authority. It may be the reason behind the unresponsiveness of your prospect.

Therefore, recheck your contacts and determine if you pitched to the right guy. If not, head to LinkedIn or other services to find out who you should address your email.

In an interview with the Icy Whiz team, Carl Rodriguez, Founder and Owner of NX Auto Transport, talked about the innovative approaches in crafting a follow-up email. Here is what he said:

“One effective strategy is to incorporate principles of behavioral psychology into your follow-up email. For example, you can leverage the concept of scarcity by mentioning limited-time offers or exclusive deals related to your proposal.

This can create a sense of urgency and encourage the client to act quickly. Additionally, using the principle of social proof by mentioning other clients or projects you’ve successfully worked on can help build credibility and trust.

By tapping into these psychological triggers, you can make your follow-up email more compelling and persuasive.

Another innovative approach is to include interactive content in your follow-up email. Instead of just presenting information in a static format, consider embedding interactive elements such as quizzes, calculators, or assessments related to your proposal.

This not only makes your email more engaging but also encourages the client to actively participate in the content. For example, if you’re a financial advisor, you could include a retirement savings calculator that allows the client to input their information and see personalized results.

This interactive approach can differentiate your follow-up email from others and make it more memorable to the client.”

Final Thoughts

A sales follow-up email can go a long way to closing the deal. Be empathetic and try to resolve the problems your prospect is facing. You can also try a few closing strategies to finalize the deal.

Guest Author: Saket Kumar

Last Updated on April 30, 2024 by suchi