Plenty of sales are lost not because the customer said no, but because nobody followed up. People are busy, emails get buried and decisions get delayed. A well-timed, helpful follow-up keeps you front of mind without feeling pushy.

Follow up faster than you think

Reply to new enquiries as quickly as you can. Speed signals that you're organised and keen, and the first business to respond often wins the work. After sending a proposal, a follow-up two or three working days later is perfectly reasonable.

Add value every time

"Just checking in" gives the reader nothing. Instead, share something useful: a relevant case study, an answer to a question they raised or a quick idea for their project.

Three templates to adapt

After a proposal:

Hi Sarah, I hope the proposal was clear. You mentioned the launch date is tight, so I've sketched out a timeline that would get you there comfortably. Happy to talk it through on a quick call this week if that's useful.

When things go quiet:

Hi James, I know things get busy. Is the project still a priority this quarter, or would it be better to pick it up later in the year? Either is absolutely fine, I just want to make sure I'm not chasing at the wrong time.

The polite close:

Hi Priya, I haven't heard back, so I'll assume the timing isn't right and close this off for now. If anything changes, just reply to this email and I'll pick it straight up.

Use your CRM to remember

Set a task with a due date after every conversation so no follow-up slips. Many CRMs let you save templates, schedule emails and see when messages are opened.

A simple rule: three thoughtful follow-ups beat ten generic ones.

The short version

Reply fast, add value with each message, make it easy to say yes or not now, and let your CRM do the remembering. See my CRM picks for tools that make this effortless.