You sent the proposal, they said they'd get back to you by the end of the week.
That was some 6 weeks ago.
You know you should follow up, but the last thing you want to do is send another "just checking in" email…
The problem:
Seemingly hot leads ghost you after a call and a proposal, and don’t respond to your follow ups.
The benefit of solving it:
You revive the projects from the dead and get a response from the client.
Why what you've tried has failed:
There's no new reason for them to respond, so they continue to ignore you.
Here's how to solve it:
Get creative.
“Just following up” is AN approach, but you’ll get a lot more responses when you DON’T do what everyone else is doing…
Here are 4 approaches worth testing →
1. Anchor a deadline to what they said on the call.
If they mentioned a launch date, a budget cycle, a planning window, or a specific quarter on the call, use it.
A deadline that comes from their own mouth is much more meaningful (and personal) than an arbitrary “my calendar is filling up” email never will.
2. Open with something new.
Don't mention the proposal.
Find something legitimately relevant to the problem they described on the call, like an article or your own observations, and lead with that.
It gives them something real to respond to and without the weight of your proposal that they've been avoiding.
3. Bring it back to the desired outcome.
Call out the specific thing they told you they were trying to change or fix, make it concrete, and connect their silence to that thing sitting unresolved.
Clients convince themselves when they can clearly see the cost of an outcome not happening.
So make the cost visible to them.
4. Build the relationship.
Instead of reaching out in an effort to close the deal, reach out as a way to network and build the relationship.
Sending a potential client a note tied to something current and real in their business is the clearest signal you can send that you're operating like a strategic partner, not a vendor waiting by the phone.
You could show them something a competitor did successfully that they had mentioned on the call, or point out something that connects directly to the problem they described on the call.
Experiment with these approaches and bring your results to our coaching sessions inside TFP for my feedback and input from 1,300+ other freelancers raising deals from the dead.
Best,
Jamie
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