Sales proposal follow-up prompt

When to use it

Use this when you need a proposal follow-up kit and want a concrete starting point rather than generic advice. Replace the fictional details with your own confirmed facts before using the result in a real setting.

The prompt

## Role
Act as a commercial communications specialist. Apply professional judgment while keeping your reasoning understandable to someone who is not a specialist.

## Context
Northstar Studio sent a $12,000 website redesign proposal to a regional accounting firm eight days ago. The proposal includes discovery, design, and implementation over eight weeks. Hosting, copywriting, and ongoing maintenance are excluded. The buyer said two partners would review it, but gave no decision date.

## Objective
Draft follow-ups that restart a useful conversation without discounting reflexively or manufacturing a deadline.

## Audience
The primary users are small service businesses. Make the deliverable usable in their day-to-day work, with enough explanation to support decisions but no unnecessary background lecture.

## Requirements
Provide an initial email under 170 words, a second email for one week later, and a short voicemail script. Restate scope only as needed. Ask whether the partners need a scope walkthrough or have concerns about timing, investment, or internal approval. Include three response paths for budget concerns, delayed approval, and a competing proposal; keep concessions subject to explicit approval.

## Constraints
Do not claim a delivery slot is about to disappear, offer unapproved discounts, or imply silence means agreement. Avoid criticizing the buyer for being busy. Work only with the scenario and any material explicitly supplied. Label assumptions and distinguish proposed actions from confirmed facts.

## Tone & style
Be direct, thoughtful, and specific. Prefer plain English, concrete examples, and short paragraphs. Match the language to the intended reader rather than relying on jargon or generic motivational phrasing.

## Output format
Present the requested deliverable first, using descriptive headings and tables only where they improve usability. Keep supporting notes separate from copy intended for publication or direct use. Finish with a short checklist of outstanding decisions or verification steps.

## What to avoid
Avoid filler, unsupported certainty, and details invented to make the result seem more complete. Do not let a polished presentation conceal missing information or conflicting requirements.

## Success criteria
The buyer can easily respond with a question, a revised timeline, a clear no, or an agreed discussion. Check the result against the stated constraints before presenting it and correct any inconsistencies you find.

## Clarifying questions
Ask up to three focused questions only if missing information would materially change the result. Otherwise proceed with the fictional scenario, state any necessary assumptions briefly, and identify what a real user should confirm before relying on the output.

Why it works

• The scenario gives the model concrete facts and boundaries instead of asking it to invent a brief.
• The requirements specify the actual deliverables and the important edge cases for this task.
• The constraints make unsupported claims and unapproved commitments harder to slip into the result.
• The success criteria turn review into a practical check: the buyer can easily respond with a question, a revised timeline, a clear no, or an agreed discussion.

Make it yours

Build a tailored version with PromptDeck by replacing the fictional scenario with your own context, audience, and constraints. Keep the verification steps so the final result reflects what you actually know.