You sent the proposal. The call went great. They said they’d review it and get back to you by Friday.
Friday comes. Nothing. You send a follow-up. Still nothing. Two weeks pass and that opportunity just dies without a word.
How many times has this happened to you?
If you run a marketing agency, you’ve probably lost count of how many times this has happened. Each ghosted proposal represents hours of your time, your team’s energy, and real money you’ll never get back.
But here’s what most agencies get wrong. They assume the problem is their follow-up game. It’s not. According to research published in Harvard Business Review, 40-60% of qualified B2B opportunities are lost to “no decision” rather than competitors. Your prospects aren’t choosing someone else. They’re just stuck.
So what’s actually going on? And more importantly, what can you do about it right now?
The Real Reasons Prospects Go Silent on You
Most agencies assume silent prospects are just comparing options or got busy. But that misses what’s really happening inside their organization.
Think about the last time you tried to pick a restaurant with a group of friends. Everyone has opinions. Someone wants Italian, someone else wants Thai. One person checks their phone for reviews while another worries about price. What usually happens? The group says “let’s figure it out later” and everyone just goes home.
That’s exactly what happens when your proposal lands on someone’s desk. According to Gartner’s research on buyer enablement, the typical B2B purchase involves 6 to 10 stakeholders. Each of them has consulted 4 to 5 different sources. Now they all need to agree. Your proposal isn’t convincing one person. It needs to survive a mess of competing priorities and internal politics you never even see.
Where Your Qualified Deals Actually Go
The hidden truth about B2B proposal outcomes
GHOSTED
56%
of “no-decision” deals come from buyer indecision
44%
actually lost to competition or fit issues
Source: Harvard Business Review research by Dixon & McKenna
Decision Paralysis Beats You More Often Than Competitors Do
You’ve probably heard of the jam experiment. Researchers found that shoppers presented with 24 jam options bought far less than those shown just 6 options. More choice created more friction.
The same thing happens with your proposals. When you send a detailed document with multiple package options, tiered prices, and extensive scope possibilities, you don’t help your prospect decide. You overwhelm them. Dixon and McKenna’s research found that 56% of “no-decision” deals come from buyer indecision, not competitive loss.
So ask yourself this. Does your proposal make the decision easier or harder? If someone needs to synthesize a lot of information and then build internal consensus, silence becomes the path of least resistance.
Fear of a Bad Decision Outweighs Fear of a Missed Opportunity
Why Buyers Freeze: FOMO vs FOMU
The psychology that explains why your prospects go silent
Fear of Missing Out
“If we don’t act, we’ll miss this opportunity and fall behind competitors.”
Fear of Messing Up
“If this goes badly, my reputation takes a hit. I might have to explain failure to leadership.”
The uncomfortable truth: If your prospect doesn’t respond to your proposal, nothing bad happens to them. The project doesn’t happen, but they stay safe. This is called status quo bias — and research shows buyers will actually pay more for established vendors just because it feels safer than making a new decision.
Source: “The JOLT Effect” by Matthew Dixon, Ecosystems research on cost of inaction
There’s a psychological concept called FOMU, or Fear of Messing Up. Matthew Dixon popularized it in his book The JOLT Effect, and it explains a lot about why buyers freeze. As discussed in the 2Bobs podcast episode on agency ghosting with Blair Enns and David C. Baker, this fear stops decisions cold.
Put yourself in your prospect’s shoes for a second. If they hire you and it goes badly, their reputation takes a hit. They might have to explain the failure to leadership. Maybe it affects their next promotion.
But if they just don’t respond to your proposal? Nothing bad happens. At least not immediately. The project doesn’t happen, but they stay safe. This is called status quo bias, and research from Ecosystems on the cost of inaction shows buyers will actually pay more for established vendors just because it feels safer.
The Stakeholders You Never Knew Existed
Here’s a scenario that probably sounds familiar. A marketing director reaches out, loves your approach, asks for a proposal. You send something great. Then silence.
What you didn’t know is that the CFO needs to approve anything over $10,000. The CEO has opinions about agency partnerships. IT needs to sign off on vendor integrations. Your enthusiastic contact may not have the authority to actually say yes.
According to G2’s research compiled by Corporate Visions, the CFO holds final decision power in 79% of B2B purchases. Meanwhile, a 2024 Gartner survey on B2B buyer conflict found buy groups range from 5 to 16 people. That’s a lot of people who can say no.
The Hidden Buy Committee Your Proposal Must Convince
Each stakeholder has different concerns — and any one can kill the deal
Proposal
6–10
Stakeholders per B2B purchase
79%
CFO holds final decision power
4–5
Sources each stakeholder consults
The reality: Your enthusiastic contact may not have the authority to say yes. If you can’t map the full committee before sending a proposal, you’re asking your champion to do internal sales on your behalf — and most won’t.
When your proposal lands, your contact faces an internal sales job they didn’t expect. Many don’t have the political capital or motivation to push it through. Rather than admit that, they just go quiet.
What to Do Before You Send Any Proposal
If you want to stop ghosting, you need to change your approach before you ever write a proposal. Blair Enns, founder of Win Without Pitching, puts it simply: “The proposal is the words that come out of your mouth. The document is the contract.”
What does that mean for you? It means the real selling happens in conversation, not in a PDF. The document should just confirm what you’ve already agreed on.
Before You Write Any Proposal
Complete this checklist to dramatically reduce ghosting
“The proposal is the words that come out of your mouth. The document is the contract.” — Blair Enns
Verbal commitment secured
They’ve agreed to work with you in conversation — the document just confirms terms.
“I’d be happy to write up a contract for your signature if you’re telling me we have an agreement. Do we?”
Full buy committee mapped
You know who else needs to approve, their concerns, and the decision process.
“Walk me through your decision process for a project like this. Who else needs to be involved?”
Budget authority confirmed
You know their approval threshold and whether finance review is required.
“What’s the approval process at this investment level?”
Review meeting scheduled
A specific date/time to walk through the proposal together is on the calendar.
“I’ll put together the proposal this week. Can we schedule a call for Thursday to walk through it?”
Deal-breakers identified
You’ve uncovered potential obstacles and past agency experiences.
“What would make this project not happen? Have you worked with agencies before — what happened?”
Mutual Action Plan created
Shared document with milestones, deadlines, and responsibilities for both sides.
Include: customer goals, defined milestones with dates, task assignments, success criteria, timeline anchored to their deadline.
0 of 6 complete — High ghosting risk
Get Verbal Commitment Before You Write Anything
When a prospect says "send me a proposal," what do you do? Most agencies start writing immediately. But this is exactly where ghosting becomes almost guaranteed.
Try this instead. Say: "I'd be happy to write up a contract for your signature if you're telling me we have an agreement. Do we?"
Yes, it feels uncomfortable. That's the point. This question reveals whether your prospect actually intends to decide, or just wants to collect proposals to satisfy a process or compare prices.
If they need documentation to share internally first, negotiate an exchange. You'll invest the time if they commit to a decision by a specific date. Otherwise you're trading your expertise for hope. And hope isn't a strategy.
Map the Full Buy Committee Early in the Process
Most agencies avoid these questions because they feel intrusive. But they're the questions that prevent ghosting:
| Question to Ask | What It Reveals |
|---|---|
| "Walk me through your decision process for a project like this." | Shows if they've thought through internal steps |
| "Who else needs to be involved in this decision?" | Surfaces hidden stakeholders |
| "What's the approval process at this investment level?" | Reveals budget authority and sign-off requirements |
| "Have you worked with agencies before? What happened?" | Uncovers past failures and concerns |
| "What would make this project not happen?" | Identifies deal-breakers early |
If your contact can't answer these clearly, that's a signal. They haven't thought through the internal process yet. Your proposal will just trigger confusion rather than a signature.
When possible, ask for direct access to other stakeholders before you write anything. A 15-minute call with the CFO can prevent weeks of silence. If your contact resists, ask yourself whether they're actually positioned to champion your work internally.
Mutual Action Plans Create Shared Accountability
A Mutual Action Plan (MAP) is just a shared document that outlines what both sides will do to move toward a decision. Simple concept, but Outreach's analysis shows deals with MAPs have a 26% higher win rate. Most agencies don't use them.
What goes into a good MAP? Five things:
- Customer goals in their words, not your marketing speak
- Defined milestones with actual dates for calls, reviews, and decisions
- Task assignments that specify what you'll prepare and what they'll provide
- Success criteria so everyone knows what a good outcome looks like
- A timeline anchored to their deadline like a campaign launch or board meeting
Think of it as a trial run of the relationship. If they can't meet small commitments in a MAP, will they be reliable clients? Probably not.
Schedule the Follow-Up Meeting Before You Send the Proposal
This one is simple. Before you open a blank document, say: "I'll put together the proposal this week. Can we schedule a call for Thursday to walk through it together?"
If they agree, you have a built-in follow-up that doesn't feel like pestering. If they resist, you've learned they're not serious enough to justify your investment. Either way, you win.
How to Structure Your Proposal So Prospects Actually Respond
Once you've got verbal commitment and a scheduled review, your proposal needs to work for you, not against you. Most agency proposals are too long, too complex, and too focused on the agency.
Keep It Shorter Than You Think You Should
Data from proposal software platforms consistently shows shorter proposals outperform longer ones. But most agencies still produce 10-20 page documents packed with company history and case studies.
Here's the thing. If you've done the pre-work right, your prospect already said yes verbally. The document just confirms terms. Extensive selling content actually hurts you because it gives them more to deliberate over and gives away your ideas for free.
What should your proposal include? Just six things:
| Element | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Scope of services | What you'll do, stated clearly |
| Deliverables | What they'll receive |
| Budget | The investment required |
| Timeline | When things happen |
| Terms | Payment and legal basics |
| Signature block | Makes it easy to say yes |
Everything else is either already established from your conversations or belongs in the actual engagement after they sign.
Frame Your Price Around Value and the Cost of Inaction
Prospects spend a lot of time on the pricing section. So this needs extra thought.
Don't present your fee as a cost. Tie it to outcomes from your discovery conversations. If they mentioned losing $15,000 monthly to bad leads, your $5,000 retainer isn't an expense. It's a pathway to recovering $180,000 annually.
Include the cost of inaction too. What does the status quo cost them over the next 6-12 months? This shifts the question from "should we spend this?" to "can we afford not to fix this?"
Add an expiration date of 14-30 days, but anchor it to their timeline. "This proposal is valid through March 15th, which gives us two weeks before your Q2 planning begins" creates real urgency tied to their priorities.
Present Your Proposal Live Instead of Just an Email
Think about how much effort went into that first meeting. The outreach, the scheduling, the prep. That relationship can disappear fast when you just email a proposal and wait.
As sales consultant Liston Witherill explains in his guide on sales proposal presentations, the number of calls and emails needed to replace one live meeting is substantial. Present over video call at minimum.
Why does this matter? You control the pace. You set context before revealing price. You read reactions and handle concerns in real time. And you create social pressure for a response. It's harder to ghost someone you just talked to.
GetAccept's research on personalized video in proposals shows video content dramatically increases response rates. Even a 60-second walkthrough humanizes the communication in a way text can't.
The Follow-Up Sequence That Actually Gets Responses
If you've followed the prevention framework, you'll have fewer silent prospects. But some will still slip through. When that happens, your approach matters a lot.
Fewer Touchpoints Outperform Aggressive Sequences
You've heard that "80% of sales require 5+ follow-ups." This has led agencies to send aggressive email sequences that actually damage relationships.
A 2025 study by Belkins analyzing 16.5 million emails tells a different story. The highest reply rate of 8.4% comes from just one email. Performance drops with each additional follow-up. Send 4+ emails and you triple spam complaints.
The resolution? Quality over quantity, plus multi-channel outreach. Five "just checking in" emails hurt you. One excellent touchpoint across multiple channels helps.
A Practical Post-Proposal Timeline You Can Follow
The Smart Follow-Up Timeline
Quality over quantity — fewer touchpoints, better results
Days 1-4: Immediate
Confirmation + One Focused Follow-Up
Proposal is fresh in their mind
- Send confirmation email with scheduled review reminder
- One follow-up referencing their specific pain point
Days 7-14: Value Add
Give Value Across Multiple Channels
Provide value without asking for anything
- Share relevant case study or industry insight
- Attempt one phone call
- Engage thoughtfully on LinkedIn
Days 18-30: Stand Out
Personalized Video + Direct Question
Break through inbox noise
- 60-second personalized video message
- Direct question: "Is this still a priority?"
- Offer to modify scope if needed
Days 35-45: The Breakup
Breakup Email — "Should I Close Your File?"
Triggers loss aversion and closes the loop
- Subject: "Should I close your file?"
- Give permission to say no
- Leave door open for future
🚫 What Kills Your Chances
8.4% → 4.1%
Reply rates drop by half from 1st to 4th email. More isn't better.
HubSpot's research on breakup emails shows they achieve 33% response rates. People respond because they value what they're about to lose.
Why Status Request Emails Fail Every Time
Every follow-up should answer one question: "Why should I respond to this?"
"Just checking in" fails that test. It signals you want something while offering nothing. Worse, it reminds them of the decision they're avoiding.
What works better? Deliver value. Share an article relevant to their industry. Point out a competitor's campaign. Give them something that shows you're thinking about their business, not just your pipeline.
The best follow-ups don't ask for anything directly. They offer something useful and end with a soft opener: "Thought this might be relevant to what you mentioned. Happy to discuss if helpful."
How to Recover When Prospects Have Already Gone Silent
Sometimes prospects disappear despite everything you do. Standard follow-up won't break through. You need something different.
The "I'm Confused" Approach That Reopens Doors
This works because of a psychological principle called commitment and consistency. People feel pressure to explain when they deviate from what they said they'd do.
Try something like this: "I'm confused about where things stand. Last time we talked, you mentioned [pain point] was costing around [amount]. You seemed excited and committed to [next step]. Did something change? I want to make sure I'm not missing something."
Notice this doesn't ask for a decision. It asks for an explanation. Because you reference their own words, silence feels socially awkward. Most people respond, even if just to say no.
And honestly? A clear no is valuable. It closes the loop and frees your energy for better opportunities.
Trigger Events That Reopen Old Conversations
Sometimes timing was just wrong. Budget got frozen. Priorities shifted. A new CMO came in. These aren't rejections. They're pauses that might resolve later.
Set up alerts for trigger events that create new openings:
- Job changes reset conversations because new leaders bring new priorities
- Funding announcements suggest budget constraints may have lifted
- Industry news affecting their business creates urgency around problems you solve
- Fiscal year transitions bring new budgets and initiatives
When you spot one, reach out with genuine relevance: "Saw [company] just announced [event]. Congratulations. If [original pain point] is back on the radar, I'd love to reconnect." This feels helpful rather than pushy.
Expand to Other Stakeholders When Your Contact Goes Dark
After 4-5 unsuccessful attempts with your main contact, consider expanding your reach. But do it respectfully.
Send a valuable resource to your original contact first. Wait 3-5 days. Then forward that same resource to another decision-maker: "I shared this with [colleague] and thought you might find it relevant."
This respects the original relationship while acknowledging they may not be positioned to move things forward. The new person might have more authority or just more bandwidth.
Red Flags That Signal a Prospect Will Ghost You
Experienced agencies learn to spot warning signs during sales conversations. When you recognize these patterns, you can improve qualification or walk away before wasting time on a proposal that won't close.
Pre-Proposal Red Flags to Watch For
🚩 Red Flags That Predict Ghosting
Spot these warning signs during sales conversations and save yourself hours
Won't discuss budget or timeline
No budget secured, or using you to build a comparison case for another vendor
"Just send something so I can review it"
Box-checking behavior — ghosting is almost guaranteed
Won't schedule follow-up before receiving proposal
Low commitment to making any decision — proposal will go into a black hole
Pushes for proposal before real discovery
Collecting proposals for comparison shopping, not a genuine decision
Vague about needs and success criteria
Not actually ready to hire an agency — they're still figuring things out internally
History with many agencies, none satisfactory
The problem is internal, not with their partners — you won't be different
💡 The Decision Framework
Keep Pursuing When:
- Deal value is 5x+ your average
- They've engaged with emails/viewed proposal
- Clear buy signals existed in conversations
- Business case was validated in discovery
Walk Away When:
- Zero engagement across channels
- They explicitly chose a competitor
- You feel bitter or desperate
- 5-6 quality touchpoints, no response
When you see these signs, ask yourself: is this worth my time? Sometimes the smartest move is to walk away early.
When to Walk Away Versus When to Keep at It
Not every silent prospect deserves continued effort. Here's a framework:
Keep at it when:
- Deal value is 5x or more your average engagement
- They've opened emails or viewed proposal sections
- Clear buy signals existed in early conversations
- Business case was validated during discovery
Move on when:
- Zero engagement across multiple channels
- They explicitly chose a competitor
- You feel bitter or desperate, which shows in your messages
- Better opportunities are neglected
- You've made 5-6 quality touchpoints without response
When you decide to move on, do it cleanly. Update your CRM. Add them to a nurture sequence. Set a reminder for 3-6 months. Then redirect your energy.
What Has Changed in B2B Sales and Why Old Advice Falls Flat
Buyer behavior has shifted significantly. Advice from 2019 or 2020 often backfires now.
Buy Committees Have Grown Larger and More Complex
The single decision-maker sale is mostly dead in B2B. Gartner's survey shows buy groups now range from 5 to 16 people, with 74% showing unhealthy conflict during decisions. For enterprise deals, committees typically include 8 to 11 stakeholders.
What does this mean for you right now? More people need to agree. More veto points exist. Your champion may have less authority than they realize. Building relationships across the committee isn't optional anymore.
Buyers Complete Most of Their Research Before They Ever Contact You
Where B2B Buyers Actually Spend Their Time
By the time they request a proposal, they've already decided what they want
vendor
80% of their journey happens before they ever talk to you
4-5 sources consulted per stakeholder before requesting proposals
Opinions already formed about scope, price, and approach
What This Means For Your Proposal
Your proposal either confirms what they've already concluded or challenges it. If it challenges too much, they have to restart internal consensus from scratch — and that's when ghosting happens. Spend discovery time understanding what they've already decided rather than trying to educate them on things they've already researched.
Source: Gartner 2024 B2B Buying Survey via Brixon Group analysis
According to an analysis of Gartner's 2024 data by Brixon Group, buyers spend only 17% of their buy time in direct contact with vendors. About 80% happens without you. By the time they ask for a proposal, they've already formed opinions about what they want and what they should pay.
Your proposal either confirms what they've concluded or challenges it. If it challenges too much, they have to restart internal consensus from scratch. Guess what happens then? Silence.
The takeaway is simple. Spend more discovery time understanding what they've already decided rather than trying to educate them on things they've already researched.
Economic Scrutiny Has Intensified Across All Industries
Forrester's 2024 State of Business Buying report shows 86% of B2B purchases stall and 81% of buyers express dissatisfaction with their providers. Research compiled by Corporate Visions indicates 87% of technology buyers have adjusted their process to focus on mission-critical purchases.
Sales cycles are longer. More proposals face finance review regardless of size. CFOs hold decision power in nearly 80% of purchases, whether they were in your conversations or not.
For your agency, ROI justification has shifted from nice-to-have to required. If your proposal can't quantify returns in concrete terms, it will likely stall in financial review.
Technology Expectations Have Risen Dramatically
Proposal software with tracking from Proposify, PandaDoc, or Qwilr shows exactly which sections prospects view. Interactive proposals get longer read times and more internal shares.
Multi-channel approaches outperform email-only. LinkedIn combined with direct messages achieves higher reply rates as email-only performance declines. Yans Media's research on video proposals shows video follow-ups break through noise effectively.
Challenges Specific to Marketing Agencies
Marketing agencies face dynamics that generic B2B advice doesn't address. Creative evaluation, retainer structures, and competitive pitches create unique challenges.
Retainer Proposals Need a Different Approach Than Project Proposals
For retainer proposals, the fear that causes silence is usually "what if scope creeps and we pay more than expected?" Counter this by including explicit monthly deliverables, specifying what's not included, defining client obligations, and starting with a 3-month pilot before proposing longer contracts. Wethos's guide on retainer proposals has a useful framework.
Why pilots work: a yes to three months is easier than a yes to twelve. And a successful pilot naturally converts to ongoing work.
For project proposals, focus on defined deliverables with specific timelines, clear start and end dates, milestone payments, and explicit scope documentation. The transactional nature means you need to establish value fast since ongoing relationship opportunities are limited.
How to Handle Competitive Pitches Without a Loss of Time and Money
The True Cost of Competitive Pitches
What silence after an RFP actually costs your agency
$48K
Average cost per
agency pitch (UK data)
$44K
Unbilled time per
pitch (US data)
Month 14
When agencies finally
see profit on new clients
Client Relationship Profitability Timeline
Every ghosted RFP represents 1-2 months of recovered revenue lost. Protect yourself: Request discovery meetings, establish clear next steps before submitting, decline spec work, and make proposal review meetings non-negotiable.
Sources: Campaign UK (Ultimate Asset analysis), OUCH! Factor Report (Duval Partnership)
RFPs and competitive pitches have the highest ghosting risk. According to a Campaign report analyzed by Ultimate Asset, the average agency pitch costs around £40,000 ($48,000). The OUCH! Factor Report from Duval Partnership found agencies spend $44,000 in unbilled time per pitch and don't see profit until month fourteen. Silence after that investment is increasingly common.
Protect yourself. Request discovery meetings even in formal RFP processes. Establish clear next steps before you submit. Decline spec work that gives away ideas without commitment. Make proposal review meetings non-negotiable.
If they won't grant these accommodations, ask whether the opportunity justifies your investment. Sometimes the right move is walking away early.
The Marketing Director vs C-Suite Authority Gap
Here's a pattern you've probably seen. An engaged marketing director drives the conversation, requests a proposal, then goes silent. What happened?
Often, they lacked final budget authority. Their recommendation was overruled or delayed by executives you never knew about. The CFO who holds approval power in 79% of cases never saw your proposal.
How do you fix this? Map the full decision committee during discovery, not after silence. Create different value propositions for different stakeholders. Tactical metrics for directors, ROI and business outcomes for executives. Make sure executive contact exists before you invest heavily.
If you can't get access to actual decision-makers, recognize what you're asking. Your contact has to do internal sales on your behalf. Give them the materials they need to make that case effectively.
How to Put This All Together
Stopping proposal ghosting isn't about any single tactic. It requires restructuring your approach so silence becomes nearly impossible.
The agencies with consistently high close rates share common practices:
- They never send proposals without a scheduled review meeting
- They secure verbal agreement before writing anything
- They build relationships across the buy committee early
- They use Mutual Action Plans for accountability
- They keep proposals short and focused on client outcomes
- They track engagement and time follow-ups precisely
These aren't advanced techniques for enterprise teams. They're foundational practices any agency can start using today. The main investment is discipline. Follow the process even when it feels uncomfortable.
The payoff? Fewer wasted proposals. Shorter sales cycles. Higher close rates. Relationships that start with clarity rather than silence.
Start with one change. Maybe require a scheduled review meeting before sending any proposal. Once that becomes habit, add another element. Within a few months, proposal ghosting shifts from constant frustration to rare exception.
And when that exception happens? It usually teaches you something about your qualification process that makes the next opportunity even stronger.
Proposal Ghosting FAQ
Direct answers for agencies and freelancers losing deals to silence
40-60% of qualified B2B opportunities end in "no decision" rather than being lost to competitors. This means your biggest competitor isn't another agency—it's inaction. Of these no-decision losses, 56% come from buyer indecision (analysis paralysis) and 44% from prospects committed to the status quo.
The most common reasons are: they weren't actually ready to buy (just gathering information), they lack budget authority to approve, hidden stakeholders vetoed the project, or your proposal overwhelmed them with too many options. Interest doesn't equal intent—some prospects collect proposals without any real commitment to decide.
The typical B2B purchase involves 6-10 stakeholders, with enterprise deals averaging 8-11 people. Each stakeholder consults 4-5 different sources before discussions. The CFO holds final decision power in 79% of B2B purchases—even when they're not in your initial conversations.
FOMU (Fear of Messing Up) is the fear of making a wrong decision that damages your reputation. Unlike FOMO, which drives action, FOMU causes paralysis. If a prospect hires you and it fails, they face consequences. But if they simply don't respond? Nothing bad happens immediately. This status quo bias explains why silence feels safer than deciding.
People avoid uncomfortable conversations. Your prospect may genuinely like you but lack the authority to say yes, or they're facing internal opposition they don't want to explain. Sometimes priorities shifted, budgets froze, or new leadership changed direction. Ghosting lets them avoid an awkward "no" while keeping options open if circumstances change.
Red flags include: they won't discuss budget or timeline, they say "just send something so I can review it," they refuse to schedule a follow-up before receiving the proposal, they push for proposals before real discovery, they're vague about success criteria, or they have a history of churning through agencies. If your contact can't explain their internal decision process, your proposal will likely trigger confusion rather than a signature.
Get verbal agreement before writing anything. Say: "I'd be happy to write up a contract for your signature if you're telling me we have an agreement. Do we?" Also map the full buy committee, confirm budget authority, schedule a proposal review meeting in advance, and create a mutual action plan with shared deadlines. The proposal should confirm what's already agreed—not introduce new selling.
Ask these five questions during discovery:
| Question | What It Reveals |
|---|---|
| "Walk me through your decision process for a project like this." | Whether they've thought through internal steps |
| "Who else needs to be involved in this decision?" | Hidden stakeholders who can veto the deal |
| "What's the approval process at this investment level?" | Budget authority and sign-off requirements |
| "Have you worked with agencies before? What happened?" | Past failures and concerns you need to address |
| "What would make this project not happen?" | Deal-breakers to address early |
A Mutual Action Plan (MAP) is a shared document outlining what both sides will do to reach a decision. It includes customer goals, defined milestones with dates, task assignments, success criteria, and a timeline anchored to their deadline. Research shows deals with MAPs have a 26% higher win rate. It also acts as a trial run—if they can't meet small commitments now, they likely won't be reliable clients.
Always. Before opening a blank document, say: "I'll put together the proposal this week. Can we schedule a call for Thursday to walk through it together?" If they agree, you have a built-in follow-up. If they resist, you've learned they're not serious enough to justify your time. This single change can dramatically reduce ghosting.
Confirm three things before investing proposal time: they have a confirmed budget range, there's a defined next meeting to review together, and you've received a verbal "yes" to the solution fit. If they say "just send something so I can review it," they're likely benchmarking you against competitors or using your proposal as a free audit. Your proposal becomes a pricing reference sheet—not a path to closing.
Research shows 6 pages is the optimal length for conversion. Shorter proposals typically outperform longer ones because they're faster to produce, easier to review, and less overwhelming. Include only: scope of services, deliverables, budget, timeline, terms, and signature block. If you've done your pre-work right, the prospect already said yes verbally—the document just confirms terms.
Focus on three things clients care about: the problem you're solving (in their words), the outcome they'll achieve, and the investment required. Frame price around value and the cost of inaction—if they mentioned losing $15,000 monthly to bad leads, your $5,000 retainer is a path to recovering $180,000 annually. Add an expiration date (14-30 days) anchored to their timeline.
Present live whenever possible. Video call at minimum. Live presentation lets you control the pace, set context before revealing price, read reactions, and handle concerns in real time. It also creates social pressure for a response—it's harder to ghost someone you just talked to. If you can't meet live, a 60-second personalized video walkthrough significantly increases response rates.
Discuss pricing ranges during discovery—never let the proposal be the first time they see a number. When clients are surprised by cost, it means you failed to set expectations earlier. Tie your fee to outcomes they mentioned in conversations. Include the cost of inaction: what does maintaining the status quo cost them over 6-12 months? This shifts the question from "should we spend this?" to "can we afford not to fix this?"
No. A good proposal summarizes the business case, describes a process for working together, and outlines deliverables and timelines. It doesn't give away your methodology. Detailed strategies let unethical prospects take your ideas to existing vendors or execute them without you. Keep the specifics for after they sign.
Research analyzing 16.5 million emails shows the highest reply rate (8.4%) comes from just one email—performance drops with each additional follow-up. Sending 4+ emails triples spam complaints. Focus on quality over quantity, and use multiple channels (email, phone, LinkedIn) rather than repeated emails. Five "just checking in" messages hurt you; one excellent multi-channel touchpoint helps.
Send confirmation within 24-48 hours. First value-add follow-up at days 7-14. Video message or direct question at days 18-30. Final "breakup email" at days 35-45. If you scheduled a review meeting beforehand (which you should), follow your agreed timeline instead. Avoid Mondays and Fridays—mid-week between 9am-12pm gets the best open rates.
Every follow-up must answer: "Why should I respond to this?" Checking in offers nothing while signaling desperation—and reminds them of the decision they're avoiding. Instead, deliver value: share a relevant article, point out a competitor's campaign, or provide industry insights. End with a soft opener: "Thought this might be relevant. Happy to discuss if helpful."
A breakup email signals you're closing the opportunity. Use subject line "Should I close your file?" These achieve 33% response rates because they trigger loss aversion—people respond when they sense they're losing something. Give explicit permission to say no, which paradoxically makes responding easier. Keep it professional, leave the door open, and send around days 35-45 when standard follow-ups have failed.
Add value, don't just ask for status. Reference their specific pain point from discovery. Keep it under 5-10 lines. Include a clear call to action: "Do you have 15 minutes Thursday to review together?" or "Would it help if I walked through the ROI calculations?" Ask for feedback rather than a decision: "Would love to hear your thoughts—anything I can clarify?" Always give them an easy out.
Use the "I'm confused" approach: "I'm confused about where things stand. Last time we talked, you mentioned [pain point] was costing around [amount]. You seemed excited and committed to [next step]. Did something change?" This asks for explanation, not decision. Because you reference their own words, silence feels awkward. Most people respond—even if just to say no.
After 4-5 unsuccessful attempts with your main contact. Do it respectfully: send a valuable resource to your original contact first, wait 3-5 days, then forward it to another decision-maker: "I shared this with [colleague] and thought you might find it relevant." The new person may have more authority or bandwidth. Don't burn the original relationship—they may still become a client later.
Set alerts for: job changes (new leaders bring new priorities), funding announcements (budgets may have opened), industry news affecting their business (creates urgency), and fiscal year transitions (new budgets). Reach out with relevance: "Saw [company] announced [event]. Congratulations. If [original pain point] is back on the radar, I'd love to reconnect." This feels helpful, not pushy.
Move on when: there's zero engagement across multiple channels, they explicitly chose a competitor, you feel desperate (which shows in your messages), better opportunities are being neglected, or you've made 5-6 quality touchpoints without response. Keep pursuing if deal value is 5x+ your average, they've engaged with your content, or strong buy signals existed in conversations. Close cleanly: update CRM, add to nurture sequence, set a 3-6 month reminder.
No. Sometimes priorities changed, budgets evaporated, or people were moved around internally—none of which had anything to do with you. However, ghosting often exposes gaps in qualification or sales process. It's a signal, not an insult. Learn from each instance: did you confirm budget authority? Map the buy committee? Schedule a review meeting? Each silent proposal teaches you something for the next opportunity.
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