Key takeaways
- 'Did you get a chance to look?' invites 'not yet' and nothing more.
- Tie every follow-up to who decides, what is unclear or what happens next.
- Offer to talk to the person who signs, not only your contact.
- A stalled deal needs an honest question about priority, not another nudge.
Why 'did you get a chance to look' stalls a proposal
That question stalls a proposal because the only easy answer is 'not yet', which closes the conversation without moving anything. It also puts the buyer on the spot for being slow.
A better follow-up names a part of the decision you can help with. Approval routes, budget timing, legal review and scope questions all give the buyer something concrete to answer.
Week two and stalled deal email templates
The day-three message is in the template block. The week-two and stalled-deal versions move from helping with the review to checking whether the project is still a priority.
- Week two: 'Hi [first name], a thought on [the part most likely to need sign-off, such as the implementation plan]: if it would help [the person who signs] to hear it directly, I can join a 15-minute call with them this week or next.'
- Stalled deal: 'Hi [first name], it has been a few weeks since the proposal, and priorities shift. Is [project] still planned for [their timeframe], or has it moved? Either answer helps me plan, and I will not keep chasing if it has.'
How do you find out who signs and what is unclear
Ask before you send the proposal, then confirm in the first follow-up. 'Who else will review this before a decision?' is a fair question at the proposal stage, and the answer tells you whom the follow-ups should help.
If your contact does not know, offer a short walkthrough for the group. Reading a proposal alone is where questions often turn into silence.
When should a quote follow up email stop
Stop after the stalled-deal message if there is still no answer, and move the deal to a stage that reflects reality. Keeping a silent proposal open as likely to close distorts the pipeline for everyone.
Leave a final line that makes it easy to restart: if the project comes back, a reply to the old thread is all it takes.
How to follow up on a proposal, step by step
Agree the review process before you send the proposal.
- Ask who will review and approve the proposal before you send it.
- On about day three, send a follow-up about the section most likely to raise questions.
- Around week two, offer a short call with the person who signs.
- If the deal stalls, ask plainly whether the project is still a priority.
- Update the deal stage and close date to match what you learned.
The day-three proposal follow-up email
Send it about three working days after the proposal. Change the section name first, choosing the part you expect them to question.
Subject: Re: proposal for [project]
Hi [first name],
Before the proposal goes to [the person or group who decides], is there anything in [the section most likely to raise questions, such as scope, timing or terms] that would be easier to talk through than to read?
I am happy to adjust the format too. Some teams prefer a one-page summary for approval, and I can send one by [day].
Best wishes,
[your name]
Avoid 'just following up on the proposal'. Name a section or a person in every follow-up.
Where Pebbles Ai fits
- CapabilityProspecting & customer recordsDeals in the CRM (in Beta) hold the stage, amount, close date and probability, so a stalled proposal is easy to spot and update.
- CapabilityOutreach contentAsk an assistant for the next follow-up when it is due; it drafts it from the proposal thread and saves it in your connected mailbox. Follow-ups are not scheduled automatically.
Common questions
How soon after sending a proposal should I follow up?
About three working days, unless the buyer gave you a date for their review. In that case, write the day after it.
Should I offer a discount in a proposal follow-up?
Not unprompted. A discount answers a price objection the buyer may not have, and it lowers the value of the proposal you just sent.
What if my contact goes quiet but the deal is not lost?
Ask whether someone else is now running the decision, and offer to brief them. Silence often means the proposal moved to another desk.
About this page. Written by the Pebbles Ai team for people who run sales, marketing and growth. Last updated .
