Send it warm, then chase like the deal depends on it, because it does

Send it warm, then chase like the deal depends on it, because it does

A proposal emailed cold with "let me know your thoughts" is a proposal sent to die. The handoff matters as much as the document. Whenever you can, present it live: walk the buyer through it on a call, watch their face on the price, and answer the objection in the room rather than letting it fester in silence over email.

If it must go by email, send it warm. A short note that restates the outcome, points to the recommended option, and proposes a specific next step keeps the momentum you built on the call. "Here is the full thing, the middle option matches what we discussed, can we lock it in Thursday" beats "attached, thoughts welcome" every time, because it carries a direction rather than handing the buyer a blank page.

Then follow up, deliberately and without shame. Most deals die not from a no but from silence, and the silence is rarely rejection. It is a busy buyer whose attention got pulled elsewhere. A follow-up is not pestering, it is doing your half of the job. The founder who follows up four times closes the deal the founder who gave up after one email left on the table.

Make each follow-up add something rather than just nudge. A relevant case, an answer to a question they raised, a reminder of the cost of waiting, a gentle restatement of the deadline. "Just checking in" is a wasted touch. "Saw this and thought of your situation, still happy to start Monday" keeps the conversation moving and gives the buyer a reason to re-engage.

Know when to close the loop. A clean "should I close your file" after several unanswered touches often unsticks a deal faster than another soft nudge, because it forces a decision and loss-aversion does the rest. Either it revives the deal or it frees your attention. Both outcomes beat a proposal hanging in limbo indefinitely.

INTERVIEW EWOUD: What is your follow-up cadence after sending a proposal, and tell me about a deal that closed only because you kept following up when most people would have quit.