First of all, stop doing proposals. At least stop doing them the way you've been doing them. You can read that article to see how to change things up.
Second of all, hope is not a scalable sales growth strategy.
Finally, "following up" and "checking in" and asking "What's it gonna take to get a deal done today?" is no way to live your sales life.
You are a professional.
You offer value.
You scratch an itch your customers can't reach.
You must conduct yourself in a manner that is conducive to all of the above.
You can never appear hungry to "close a sale."
As soon as you do your prospects will run from you as though you're shouting at them in the hallway with a megaphone...because you kinda sorta are doing that when you're desperate for a sale.
And as I've written many times before, if you think you're desperate you are.
You can avoid feeling desperate by having a plan, a process, a method for
It's as easy as A.B.C.D.E.
When you know how many calls or emails or ads with a certain click through rate it takes to generate a lead...
When you know how many leads it takes to get a qualified prospect...
When you know how many qualified prospects agree to an appointment...
When you know how many booked appointments turn into kept appointments...
When you know how many kept appointments turn into real proposals...
When you know how many real proposals turn into orders...
When you know how many orders turn into repeat orders, testimonials, and referrals...
Then even when sales are below where you want them during a particular week, month, or quarter you'll know what to do to get things back on track.
"I've never been lost...but I was mighty turned around for three days once."
~Daniel Boone
But like a magic trick, discovering and perfecting this method can take months or even years to discover on your own. (Trust me. I've pounded the pavement on my own and followed the old school "out-hustle-'em-all" method to win and I've followed the "success-leaves-clues" method to win...and I much prefer the latter.)
The greatest athletes, actors, speakers, business leaders, even political leaders have coaches, trainers, directors, producers, and campaign managers.
They're great because they realize that while it may be lonely at the top...it doesn't mean they embark on the journey alone.
Good selling,
Wes Schaeffer
Founder, The W.E.S. Method™