ANTONY DRAPER ADVISORY · STALLED PROPOSAL KIT

Proposal Awaiting Internal Approval? Help Your Contact Decide

By Antony Draper · Published 8 November 2026 · For B2B agency, consultancy and specialist-service owners

“It’s with my business partner” or “finance is looking at it” identifies an approval step. The next job is to understand what that step needs, not simply send another reminder.

Make the approval step specific

Ask who makes the decision, what information they need, which questions remain and what timing is realistic. Do not assume your contact has authority to approve spend because they liked the proposal.

“What does the approver need to see before deciding, and who is coordinating that conversation?”

Keep your contact involved. Offer a conversation together if useful; do not bypass them or contact a partner behind their back.

Prepare a short buyer-forwardable summary

  1. Problem: the issue the buyer confirmed and the consequence of leaving it unresolved.
  2. Intended outcome: what the proposed work aims to change and how it will be assessed.
  3. Scope: included work, exclusions and delivery dependencies.
  4. Investment: the actual price and applicable tax, with any assumptions explicit.
  5. Decision: the approval needed and proposed next step.

Check the summary with your contact before they forward it. Use their facts and priorities. An internal summary should make a decision easier, not introduce new promises.

An approval follow-up example

“Would a short summary of the problem, intended outcome, scope and investment help your partner review this? You can check it before sharing it. What question needs answering before they can decide?”

Illustrative example: a marketing lead wants a website ready for a January launch, but a business partner must approve the budget. Until the partner’s criteria, budget and decision date are known, a discount is a guess about the blocker.

Record an actual next step

If the buyer agrees to share the summary, confirm who does it and the realistic review date. If an approval meeting is not yet arranged, record that as unknown. If the project is no longer a priority, pause to an agreed date or close the opportunity.

A forwarded document, an approval, an agreed action and a signed purchase are distinct events. Record the evidence you have rather than treating them as interchangeable.