You followed the plan step-by-step and just executed a perfect sales proposal successfully! And noe you are waiting to hear back from the prospective client, ready to take things further and schedule your work. But the only problem is you are still waiting.  

You check your mailbox to see how things are going and find that progress has stagnated. 

The longer it takes them to respond, the more concerned you become that your proposal wasn’t as good as you thought it was or that the customer isn’t actually interested at all. This can be a stressful time for any salesperson, as you wait anxiously to hear back from potential customers about whether they are interested in what you have to offer. 

It’s important during this period of limbo not to panic and do something rash like follow up too soon or send too many emails chasing a response; there are several smart strategies that will help keep your anxiety level low while still ensuring that the customer gets back to you with an answer in due course.

To get the ball rolling, we have listed some post-proposal best practices that will help you keep deals moving in the right direction. 

Optimize the proposal and the “way” you send it

When it comes to getting a new business deal, the only thing as important as presenting your proposal is making sure that it’s up to mark. If you don’t have a winning proposition that meets the needs of your prospect, there’s a real possibility they’ll just go silent on you.

It’s essential that any proposal you send is well-researched and carefully tailored according to what each individual prospect wants. Your prospects will be looking for solutions that address their problems and provide value in return, so make sure your proposal does just that. Consider including details such as pricing models, overall cost-benefit analysis, results from previous projects, and information about how your solution solves their problem better than other options.

Another important factor to note is the “way” you are sending your proposals. There’s a high risk of getting ghosted if you are sending your proposal in PDFs. 

To cover all of your points in one file, creating a large PDF might be an effective way. But it’s important to think about whether the size of your PDF will fit in an email. And since emails have limits on file sizes, sending a giant PDF may not be a viable option. For example, some email providers only allow files less than 25MB per attachment while other services may increase that limit up to 50MB or more.

Proposal software handles both of these issues. It enables you to create compelling, captivating proposals using proposal templates that are maintained entirely online so that file size is not a concern.

Be patient

When you have worked hard to create a proposal that is sure to get the attention of your potential client, it is natural to be eagerly awaiting their response. However, it is important to remember that you may not hear back from them right away. It can often take days or weeks for clients to review and respond to your proposals, so it is essential to stay patient during this process. 

Even if you need more customers, you shouldn’t let your excessive anxiety affect how you interact with your prospective clients. They are aware that the decision ultimately rests with them, therefore you don’t want to put any pressure on them. If you fall short in this area, the client can decide against your proposal. So just play it cool.

In some cases, the customer may have an ongoing RFP with a submission date far in the future. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the customer is uninterested or uncommitted; it simply means that they are giving all interested parties an equal chance to submit their proposal.

The customer may also be using this longer deadline as a way to evaluate multiple proposals side-by-side, allowing them to compare each vendor’s unique offerings and narrow down their choices. 

You should give your customers enough time to review and discuss the proposal within their organization. Not giving your clients sufficient time will likely lead to them rejecting your proposal or offering counter-proposals with terms that are unfavorable to you. It’s therefore important to make sure that your client has ample time to consider the proposal before making a decision. 

Use advanced proposal analytics

If you want to know what happens when you send proposals you must dig into your data. Proposal software like Fresh Proposals offers a feature called proposal analytics. Advanced proposal analytics provide metrics about how well your proposals are performing, including how often they’re being opened, read, and responded to. 

This data can be used to identify areas where you could improve your proposal writing process or make better decisions about who you should be targeting with each proposed offer. With this information in hand, you can then follow up on any proposal that doesn’t receive a response in a timely manner or otherwise seems like it may require further attention. 

By using advanced proposal analytics, businesses can gain greater insight into the effectiveness of their proposals and how to optimize them for maximum success.

Follow-up first

If the client does not respond in an appropriate amount of time, it might be beneficial for you to reach out and follow up with them. This can be done through an email or phone call, but make sure not to come off as pushy or desperate when doing this; instead, remain calm and polite in order to show the client respect. 

The reason behind doing this follow-up is to remind your prospect of your business proposal and check if they have any queries. This is important because it’s possible that your customer briefly saw the proposal, went on to other activities without fully reading it, and then forgot to do so later.

As a general rule, after submitting your proposal, wait at least three or five business days before attempting to make contact with the recipient. This allows them sufficient time to review and respond without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. 

Here’s more about mastering your follow-up after you send your proposals

If their response does not come within this timeline, then it may be appropriate to reach out with a follow-up call or email inquiry. When doing so, ensure that your approach is polite but assertive and reiterate why your proposal would be beneficial for their organization. Additionally, if there are any changes needed for the proposal before they make their decision then ensure that those are taken care of promptly as well. 

Pull another person in

When it comes to making progress with your prospects, sometimes the key is speaking with the right person. It’s possible that you may have been talking to the wrong prospect, and that could be why you’re not getting anywhere. Having a conversation with someone who is not in a position to make decisions or take action on what you are discussing can be a waste of time. 

If you don’t know who the decision maker is for your product or service, ask questions and do some research to find out who has the ultimate authority before moving forward. You can start by asking your contact if they are able to make decisions related to what you are selling and if they’re not then ask them who would be in control of those kinds of purchases and decisions within their organization.

Conclusion

Getting a business proposal moving after you send them is an important part of being successful in the business world. Follow these best practices and you will be off to a great start. Be sure to follow up with clients, have a clean and professional design, customize each pitch, provide detailed information, and foster relationships with clients. With this strategy in place, you can make sure that your business proposals stand out and get the attention they deserve.