How to get a customer to move on a proposal that’s been sitting there for days.
You’ve sent a sales proposal to a customer and haven’t heard back, even though there’s been plenty of time to make a decision. Your challenge is to give the customer a nudge to get the purchase moving again. At the very least, you need to know whether the opportunity is still alive.
There are four basic approaches, each of which can be the core of an email, a snail mail, a voice mail, or even a live telephone call:
1. The Standard Approach
“It’s been X days since our last meeting, and I’m trying to get a feel for what the team here might need to deliver. By any chance, do you have some news about the ABC project? I realise you’ve got a lot on your plate, but anything that you could share would be appreciated.”
- Advantage: It’s businesslike and inoffensive.
- Disadvantage: Will probably rank low on the customer’s to-do list.
- Use It: When you’re too chicken to try the other three approaches.
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