If you are in sales, you have probably heard this many times.
“Theek hai, proposal bhej dijiye. We’ll discuss and get back to you.”
You come back feeling the meeting went well. The customer asked questions, seemed interested and asked for the proposal. You prepare it and send it the same day.
Two days later, you send a WhatsApp message.
“Sir, any update on the proposal?”
No reply.
After another two days:
“Sir, just following up.”
Still nothing.
Then you call.
“Haan, we are looking at it. I’ll get back to you.”
And the proposal remains there for the next three weeks.
I have seen this happen far too often. We assume that once a customer asks for a proposal, the sale is moving ahead.
Not necessarily.
Before you send the proposal, ask this
When someone says, “Send me the proposal,” don’t be in a hurry to say yes and leave.
Ask:
“Sure. Once I send it, what happens next?”
That’s it.
The answer will tell you a lot.
Maybe the customer needs to show it to their boss. Maybe finance has to approve it. Maybe they are taking quotations from three other companies. Or perhaps they haven’t decided whether they want to buy at all.
You can also ask:
“Who else will be looking at this?”
“When are you hoping to decide?”
“Is there anything specific you’d like me to include?”
These are normal questions. You are not putting pressure on the customer. You are simply trying to understand what happens next.
And that can save you a lot of chasing later.
Don’t send the same proposal to everyone
Most of us have done this at some point.
Change the customer name. Change the price. Save as PDF. Send.
But if you’ve spent 30–40 minutes talking to a customer, surely you know something about what they need.
Put that in the proposal.
If late deliveries are troubling them, explain how you will handle delivery.
If they are worried about service after the purchase, tell them how your support works.
If their biggest concern is cost, show them where your solution can save money.
A sales proposal should make the customer feel that you listened during the meeting.
Otherwise, you’re just sending another quotation.
Please stop sending “Sir, any update?”
This has probably become the most common sales follow-up message in India.
“Sir, any update?”
“Sir, any update?”
“Sir, gentle reminder.”
After a point, even the customer doesn’t know what to reply.
Try giving them a reason to speak to you instead.
For example:
“When we met, you mentioned delivery time was your main concern. I’ve added a clear timeline in the proposal. Can we discuss that for five minutes?”
Or:
“You had mentioned your finance head would also see the proposal. I’m happy to speak with them if they have any questions.”
There is something to respond to now.
Follow-up ka matlab sirf “Sir, koi update?” poochna nahi hota.
Decide the next call before you leave
This is one small habit that can make sales proposal follow-up much easier.
Instead of ending the meeting with:
“I’ll send you the proposal tomorrow.”
Try:
“I’ll send you the proposal tomorrow. Can I call you on Friday once you’ve gone through it?”
Now you don’t have to wonder when to call.
The customer also knows you’re going to call.
It sounds like a very small change, but in sales, small habits often make a big difference.
And yes, sometimes you need to stop chasing
Following up is important.
Chasing someone endlessly isn’t.
If you’ve called many times, sent messages and still haven’t received a clear answer, perhaps this deal isn’t going anywhere right now.
You can simply say:
“I understand this may not be a priority at the moment. I’ll leave it here for now. Whenever the timing is right, we can speak again.”
You leave the door open and move on.
Your time is also valuable.
Sending the proposal is not the job done
I think this is where many salespeople go wrong.
They work hard to get the meeting. They understand the requirement. They prepare the quotation.
Then they send it and wait.
A proposal by itself doesn’t sell much.
The conversation around it does.
So the next time someone says, “Proposal bhej dijiye,” don’t just think about what you’re going to send.
Ask what happens after you send it.
That answer may be far more important than the proposal itself.
FAQs
1. What should I do after sending a sales proposal?
Ideally, decide the next call or meeting before you send the proposal. If that hasn’t happened, follow up with a specific question or refer to something the customer discussed with you. Avoid repeatedly sending “Any update?”
2. How soon should I follow up after sending a quotation?
It depends on what you and the customer discussed. Instead of following a fixed two-day or three-day rule, ask the customer when they expect to review the quotation and agree on when you can speak again.
3. Why do customers ask for a proposal and then stop replying?
They may be comparing prices, waiting for approval, speaking to other suppliers or simply not ready to buy. This is why it’s useful to ask what happens after the proposal before you send it.
4. What should a good sales proposal contain?
Keep it simple. Show that you understand what the customer needs, explain what you’re offering, mention the price and timeline clearly, and answer the important questions that came up during your discussion.
5. Does Rajeev Narang conduct B2B sales training?
Yes. Rajeev Narang works with sales teams on everyday situations they face with customers — from asking better questions and following up on proposals to handling objections, negotiating and closing sales.
6. Can Rajeev Narang help a sales team improve its follow-up?
Yes. Rajeev Narang’s sales training focuses on what salespeople actually face in the market. This includes what to ask in customer meetings, how to follow up without irritating the customer, and how to take a discussion from “send me the proposal” towards a clear yes or no.
