| Category | Business Development |
|---|---|
| Time to Run | 15 min |
| Difficulty | Standard |
| Output | |
| Client-Facing | Yes — goes directly to client |
You just sent a proposal. The call went well, the prospect seemed engaged, and now you're staring at your inbox wondering when to follow up and what to say. The instinct is to wait a few days and send a "just checking in" email. That instinct will cost you the deal.
Run this immediately after sending any proposal where the prospect doesn't commit on the spot. The skill builds a 4-email sequence spaced over 14 days — each email with a distinct purpose, so you stay top of mind without becoming the consultant who can't take a hint. The sequence starts on Day 2 and closes on Day 14, giving the prospect enough space to decide while keeping you strategically present.
Copy the skill file below and save it as follow-up-sequence-writer-SKILL.md. Upload it to Claude along with the inputs listed above to generate your complete 4-email follow-up sequence.
---
name: follow-up-sequence-writer
description: >
Generates a structured 4-email follow-up sequence after sending a proposal.
Use when you've submitted a proposal and need a disciplined cadence to stay
top of mind without becoming a nuisance.
metadata:
author: "Kathryn Brown, Practice Builders"
version: "1.0.0"
date: "2026-04-25"
---
# Follow-Up Sequence Writer
Builds a timed 4-email follow-up sequence that keeps you present in the prospect's decision process without eroding your positioning.
**Core Principle: Each follow-up must add value or new information. If the only thing you're communicating is "just checking in," you're subtracting credibility with every send.**
## What This Skill Does
**Job 1: Create a timed cadence with escalating relevance.** The sequence spaces four emails across 14 days, each with a distinct angle. Email 1 confirms and adds a missing piece. Email 2 addresses the most likely objection. Email 3 introduces a constraint (timeline, availability, external factor). Email 4 offers a clean close. No two emails make the same argument.
**Job 2: Pre-empt the most common objections.** By requiring the user to name objections raised during the proposal conversation, the skill builds responses directly into the sequence. Instead of reacting to pushback later, you address it proactively in email 2.
**Job 3: Preserve positioning through restraint.** The sequence is designed to avoid desperation signals — no "just following up," no discounting, no multiple exclamation marks. Each email reads like a peer continuing a conversation, not a vendor chasing a deal.
### Section 1: Email 1 — The Value Add (Day 2)
Send two days after the proposal. Reference a specific point from your conversation and add something you didn't include in the proposal — a relevant case example, a data point, an article. The email should feel like a natural continuation of the conversation, not a follow-up.
This matters because the first follow-up sets the tone for the entire sequence. If it's "just checking in," every subsequent email feels like pressure.
Format: 3-4 sentences. One new piece of value. No ask.
What to look for: The user's proposal and conversation notes will contain a detail worth expanding on. If they can't identify one, use the prospect's stated goal and connect it to a relevant pattern.
### Section 2: Email 2 — The Objection Address (Day 5)
Address the primary objection or hesitation — directly but without defensiveness. Pattern: acknowledge the concern, reframe it with evidence or a relevant example, and leave space for the prospect to respond.
This matters because unaddressed objections don't disappear. They become the silent reason the deal dies. Naming the concern shows you were listening and aren't afraid of the hard question.
Format: 4-5 sentences. Name the objection, reframe it, offer evidence.
What to look for: The user must provide at least one objection from the conversation. If none were raised, use the most common objection for the service type (usually timing, budget, or internal buy-in).
### Section 3: Email 3 — The Constraint Introduction (Day 9)
Introduce a legitimate constraint — your calendar is filling, a relevant deadline is approaching, or an external factor creates urgency. This is not manufactured scarcity. It's a real scheduling or timing reality that gives the prospect a reason to decide now rather than later.
This matters because without a catalyst, proposals sit in inboxes indefinitely. A legitimate constraint gives the prospect permission to prioritize the decision.
Format: 3-4 sentences. State the constraint factually. No pressure language.
What to look for: Identify a real constraint. Upcoming quarter-end, your capacity limits, a seasonal factor in their industry. If none exists, skip the constraint and use a "what questions remain?" angle instead.
### Section 4: Email 4 — The Clean Close (Day 14)
Give the prospect a graceful exit. "If the timing isn't right, no hard feelings — I'd rather know than guess." This email converts more often than any other in the sequence because it removes pressure and triggers reciprocity.
This matters because prospects ghost because they feel trapped, not because they're uninterested. Offering a clean close gives them space to say yes or no — and either answer is better than silence.
Format: 2-3 sentences. One clear question. Permission to say no.
### Section 5: What to Skip / What to Watch For
**Leave alone:** Don't revise the proposal mid-sequence unless the prospect explicitly asks. Sending an updated proposal unprompted signals insecurity. If you need to adjust terms, wait until they re-engage.
**Watch for:** If the prospect opens emails but doesn't reply (you'll see this if you use read receipts or a CRM), they're interested but stuck. After the sequence ends, wait 2 weeks and re-engage with a completely different angle — a relevant article, a mutual connection, an industry event. Don't restart the follow-up sequence.
## Quality Check (Internal — never shown to the user)
| # | Check | Fix |
|---|-------|-----|
| 1 | Does each email have a distinct angle, or do two emails make the same argument? | Rewrite the duplicate to serve a different purpose (value, objection, constraint, or close). |
| 2 | Does any email contain "just checking in" or equivalent filler? | Replace with a specific value-add or question. |
| 3 | Does email 2 name and address a real objection? | If the objection is vague, sharpen it to a specific concern with a specific response. |
| 4 | Is the constraint in email 3 legitimate, not manufactured? | If it feels artificial, switch to a "what questions remain?" approach. |
| 5 | Does email 4 genuinely offer a clean exit, or does it hedge? | Remove any "but I hope we can still..." language. Make the exit real. |
**Enforcement:** Run all 5 checks. Identify the weakest email. Rewrite it. Verify the rewrite actually improved the sequence before presenting.
## Rules
- Never use "just checking in," "circling back," or "touching base" — these are credibility-destroyers
- Each email must stand alone — the prospect may not have read the previous ones
- No discounting or revising terms unless explicitly asked
- Keep each email under 100 words. Shorter emails get read; long ones get archived
- Space the sequence across 14 days: Day 2, Day 5, Day 9, Day 14
- Never send more than 4 emails in a sequence. After 4, switch to a different channel or wait 30 days
- Always include a specific reference to the prospect's situation — no generic templates
- If no objection was raised, use the most common objection for the engagement type
## Output Format
**Follow-Up Sequence for [Prospect Name]**
**Proposal sent:** [Date]
**Sequence window:** Day 2 through Day 14
---
**Email 1 — Value Add (Day 2)**
Subject: [Specific reference to conversation topic]
[3-4 sentences. Reference a proposal detail. Add one new piece of value. No ask.]
**Signal:** [What from the proposal conversation triggered this angle] → **Do This:** [Send on Day 2, no response needed]
---
**Email 2 — Objection Address (Day 5)**
Subject: [Addresses the concern directly]
[4-5 sentences. Name the objection. Reframe with evidence. Leave space for response.]
**Signal:** [The specific objection or hesitation raised] → **Do This:** [Send on Day 5. If they reply, pause the sequence and respond conversationally]
---
**Email 3 — Constraint (Day 9)**
Subject: [Timing-related or capacity-related]
[3-4 sentences. State the constraint factually. No pressure language.]
**Signal:** [The real constraint — calendar, deadline, season] → **Do This:** [Send on Day 9. If no real constraint exists, use "what questions remain?" instead]
---
**Email 4 — Clean Close (Day 14)**
Subject: [Closing the loop]
[2-3 sentences. One clear question. Permission to say no.]
**Signal:** [No response after 3 emails] → **Do This:** [Send on Day 14. Accept any response — yes, no, or silence — gracefully]
## What Makes This Different
Most follow-up advice says "be persistent" and gives you five ways to say "checking in." This skill forces each email to serve a different strategic purpose — value, objection handling, urgency, and clean close — so the sequence builds momentum instead of eroding your positioning. The prospect experiences a consultant who's thoughtful and organized, not one who's anxious and hovering.
---
Copyright (c) 2026 Kathryn Brown, Practice Builders
This skill is licensed for your personal and business use. You may run this skill inside your own practice and share the outputs it produces with your team and clients. "Your practice" includes employees and contractors engaged to perform work for your business under your direction — virtual assistants, operations support, bookkeepers, and similar team members.
You may not share, distribute, resell, or repackage the skill file itself — including this SKILL.md document, its prompts, frameworks, and structure — with anyone outside your practice. This includes peer practitioners, other consultants who would use it in their own client work, and anyone outside your operating team. Written permission from Kathryn Brown ([email protected]) is required for any redistribution.
This skill is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, express or implied.
Run this and you walk away with a complete 4-email sequence with specific subject lines, body text, and sending dates. Each email is under 100 words and ready to paste into your email client. The sequence covers 14 days with escalating angles: value add, objection handling, constraint introduction, and clean close.