Free tool

Proposal follow-up email generator

Pick what's happened since you sent the proposal and how you want to sound. You get a short, human follow-up you can edit and send.

Situation
Tone

Written by hand, filled in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere. Replace anything in [brackets] before sending.

Your email

Subject

Re: [Project] proposal

Body

Hi [Client name], Just floating this back to the top of your inbox in case it got buried — the proposal for [Project] is still here whenever you're ready. If anything in it doesn't quite fit (scope, timing, budget), tell me and I'll adjust it. Happy to jump on a quick call too if that's easier than email. Thanks, [Your name]
Written by Shaish Guni, Founder, ApeiroCraft — every template on this page was written by hand.Last reviewed Kathmandu, Nepal

When to follow up on a proposal.

Silence after a proposal rarely means no. More often the client is busy, waiting on someone else, or unsure about one detail they haven't put into words. A follow-up is useful when it makes the next step easier, not when it just asks "any update?"

The schedule on the right is a sensible default, not a rule. If the client gave you a decision date, follow up after it instead. If they told you they're away, wait until they're back. Their timeline beats any template.

  1. 1.Right after sendingSend the link with a short note saying what's in it and what you'd like them to do next. Ask when they expect to decide; that date is your follow-up plan.
  2. 2.A few working days laterFirst nudge. Keep it short, offer to adjust something, and make replying easy. If the proposal was never opened, it may simply have been missed. Resend the link.
  3. 3.About a week after thatSecond nudge. Ask a specific question about what's holding it up: price, scope, timing, or someone else's sign-off. Offer one concrete alternative.
  4. 4.Shortly before it expiresOnly if the proposal really has an expiry date. Say when it lapses and offer to extend it. Don't invent a deadline to create pressure.
  5. 5.Last messageAsk whether to close the file for now. It's polite, gives the client an easy way out, and often gets a reply when nothing else has.

What makes a follow-up worth replying to

One ask, easy to answer

"Is it mainly price, timing or scope?" can be answered in one word. "Let me know your thoughts" needs a whole email. The easier the reply, the more likely you get one.

Offer a way to adjust

Phasing the work, moving the start date or trimming the scope gives a hesitant client something to say yes to, without you cutting your rate.

Use the subject line

Name the project so the email is easy to find later. Replying in the original thread keeps the proposal one click away.

Know when to stop

After two or three follow-ups with no reply, send a polite closing note and move on. You can always pick it up again if the client comes back.

Know when to follow up, instead of guessing.

Send your next proposal as a tracked link. ApeiroCraft shows you when it's been opened, so you can time the nudge, and the client can e-sign it from the same page.

Free plan: 3 proposals and 3 invoices sent a month, no credit card. Solo is $19/mo for up to 3 people.

Send it as a tracked proposal

Following up, answered.

Does this generator use AI?

No. Every email was written by hand for a specific situation and tone; the generator only fills in the names you type. Nothing is sent to a server, so the same choices always give the same email.

How long should I wait before following up on a proposal?

A few working days is a sensible default for a first nudge: long enough for a busy client to have read it, short enough that the conversation is still fresh. If you agreed a decision date on a call, follow up the day after that instead.

How many times should I follow up?

Two or three spaced follow-ups is a reasonable ceiling for most proposals. Make the last one easy to answer, for example asking whether to close the file for now, and then stop. A clear no is more useful than continued silence.

Should I tell the client I saw them open the proposal?

Usually not. Knowing a proposal was opened is useful for timing your follow-up, but saying so tends to feel like surveillance. The “opened but no reply” templates ask about questions or blockers instead.

What should I do after a client says no?

Thank them, ask one short question about why, and leave the door open. Don't reargue the proposal. The answer helps you price and scope the next one, and a gracious reply is remembered if their plans change.