When Do You Follow Up An Email Proposal?

4 replies
I had a prospect email in looking for web design and SEO.

After a fairly long phone chat, I told them I would email the proposal through.

I did so, leaving the line at the bottom 'reply by email if you would like to go ahead and I will send the invoice'.

I haven't heard back (spoke yesterday afternoon, sent proposal through so they had last night and this morning to reply).

Since I didn't speak hard numbers over the phone, should I be calling back this afternoon to go over the proposal so I don't lose them to someone else?

Thoughts?
#email #follow #proposal
  • Profile picture of the author SiteSmarty
    What I do is call the client just before I send the proposal. Then I send the proposal as I talk to the prospect and close on the phone while we go through the proposal.

    This doesn't help in your case but maybe the next job you can do it some thing like that.

    Call right now and go over the proposal with him, tell him that you take 50% to start, you'll work with him to develop the site on your server. Once he finalizes the work, he pays you the other 50%, you move the site to his server.

    I'd do something similar for SEO as far as payment goes, but call him ASAP and close the agreement.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6308141].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
      Originally Posted by SiteSmarty View Post

      What I do is call the client just before I send the proposal. Then I send the proposal as I talk to the prospect and close on the phone while we go through the proposal.

      This doesn't help in your case but maybe the next job you can do it some thing like that.

      Call right now and go over the proposal with him, tell him that you take 50% to start, you'll work with him to develop the site on your server. Once he finalizes the work, he pays you the other 50%, you move the site to his server.

      I'd do something similar for SEO as far as payment goes, but call him ASAP and close the agreement.
      SiteSmarty has got it right. Never send anything--a proposal, a demo site link, etc.--without being on the phone or screensharing to go over it live. That way you'll hear their reactions, and can adjust if you have to.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6310696].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author sammib01
    If you had a long chat with them you should have at the end of the chat said:
    "OK I will send you a proposal in an Email today. You take a look at it and make notes of any changes you would recommend and we will talk again"
    Then VERY IMPORTANT: Get the next call Date and Time on the phone:
    You say: "I will give you a call tomorrow or would the day after tomorrow be better for you.... wait for an answer.

    Answer comes: tomorrow would be good

    You say: "Is it better for you in the morning or in the afternoon"... wait for an answer

    Answer comes: Afternoon is good

    You say: "OK, how about 3 o`clock would that be good"... wait for an answer

    Answer comes: yeh, 3 sounds good

    You say: "Can I reach you at this number or at a different number at 3"... wait again for answer

    Answer come: Call me on my Cell...

    If they do not give you the number ask for it and if you have the number read it back to them to be sure

    The last thing you say is: "OK so I will send you the proposal in an Email to (Read it out leter for letter) johnsmith@companyname.com today and I will call you on your Cell and we will talk again on Wednesday the 14th at 3 o`clock, right"... wait for an answer

    Answer comes: OK sounds good

    You say: "Thanks looking forward to our talk and working with you, till then thanks Mr. Smith or John.

    Sorry if it sound like I am giving a school but others will read this as well who may not have your experience.

    Hope this helps
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6310454].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    In a perfect world being on the phone with every client when you send through the proposal would be great. The problem is we don't live in a fairytale world like that.

    Business owners are very hard to get a hold off and pin down even if they are already expecting your call.

    The best thing to do is what the poster two above said and that is to nominate a time when it's best for you to call back. That way they are expecting your call and will make time for it. Let them know upfront the call may take 10-15 minutes so they give you a time of day when they will be able to devote that much time to your call.

    Then when you call back you can say I was going to send through the proposal for you to take a look at but I decided it's probably easiest if we just go over things together. You then send them the email and away you go. This allows you to answer any objections as soon as they arise. Also treat it as though you have already made the sale and you are just going through the proposal and making sure everything is ok for them before they pay.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6314403].message }}

Trending Topics