Episode 31: 10 reasons why your proposals get ghosted and how to avoid proposal purgatory in the future

I know how annoying it is when you've spent loads of time putting together what you think is a great proposal, only to be completely ghosted.

You've spent a few hours speaking to the client and listening to all of their problems.

You've spent a lot of time and energy creating a proposal.

You've sent it off.

And then there's radio silence. No response. No feedback.

Just the sinking feeling that you've done something wrong or wasted your time.

I'm sure that sounds familiar to you.

And many independent HR consultants I know find themselves stuck in what I call proposal purgatory.

That's where you invest time and effort into creating a proposal, only for the prospect to disappear without a trace.

So that's why, in today's main event, we're breaking down why this happens and, more importantly, how to stop it from happening again.

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Let’s start by looking at the 10 reasons as to why your proposals are getting ghosted....

Reason 1: The client wasn’t an educated prospect.

If they don’t fully understand HR or the impact of your work, they won’t see the value in your proposal. And that’s not their fault—that’s on you.

You have to educate them—not just on what you do, but why it matters. If they don’t understand how your services connect to their business goals, they won’t move forward.

If you don’t fully understand their business, their challenges, their goals, or their budget, your proposal is based on guesswork. And guesswork doesn’t convert.

Your proposal needs to feel like a customized solution, not a generic sales pitch. That only happens when you’ve done the deep work upfront.

If the first time they’re seeing the numbers is in your proposal, that’s a problem.

A lot of clients ghost because of sticker shock—they weren’t expecting the price, and instead of negotiating, they just disappear. That’s why it’s so important to talk about budget before you ever send a proposal. If you know they can’t afford it, you can adjust or walk away before wasting your time.

If your proposal is too broad, too vague, or doesn’t clearly connect with the client’s actual problems, they won’t see themselves in it. And if they don’t see themselves in it, they won’t move forward.

Your proposal should be specific—tailored to their business, their challenges, and their goals. If it feels copy-pasted, it’s going to be ignored.

And this one is huge.

If you’re only offering a chunk of bespoke hours, you’re making it harder for the client to say yes. Clients don’t buy time—they buy outcomes.

Instead, you need to package your services properly. Break them down using the HR Service Pyramid and stack the value, so the client can see exactly what they’re getting. If you make it clear how each level builds on the other, they’ll feel more confident about making a decision.

Clients don’t like all-or-nothing decisions. If you’re only giving them oneproposal and saying, “Take it or leave it,” they’re more likely to leave it.

Instead, always give three options—a tiered structure that lets them choose what works best for them. This simple shift increases conversions massively.

If there’s too much detail, too many options, or too much jargon, clients get overwhelmed. And when people feel overwhelmed, they delay decisions—or worse, avoid them altogether.

Your proposal should be clear and to the point. Make it easy to read, easy to understand, and easy to say yes to.

Never, ever just send a proposal as an email attachment and hope for the best. If you do, you’re leaving the client to interpret it on their own—and that’s dangerous.

Instead, always book a call to walk them through it. That way, you can explain your thinking, answer questions, and handle any objections in real time.

If your proposal doesn’t have a clear deadline, a next step, or a reason to act now, it’s too easy for them to push it down their to-do list. And once that happens? It’s out of sight, out of mind.

Every proposal should have a follow-up date and a reason to act now—whether that’s limited availability, a time-sensitive bonus, or something else that creates urgency.

Sometimes, ghosting isn’t about your proposal at all. The client might just not be ready. Internal priorities might have shifted, key decision-makers might be dragging their feet, or they simply might not be making any decisions right now.

But that doesn’t mean the deal is lost. It just means your follow-up strategyneeds to be strong. Because ghosting doesn’t always mean no—it just means not yet.

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So now we've covered the 10 reasons as to why your proposals are getting ghosted...

…let’s talk about what you can do differently to stop this from happeningand start turning more proposals into paid work.

The key takeaway here is that your proposals shouldn’t just be documents - they should just be a record of a larger conversation that you've had together.

For many HR consultants, that means putting a bit more work into your discovery and due-dilligence before creating the proposal.

And it means spending more time with the business owner, educating them on the world of HR and guiding them through the proposal that you've created.

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There's 3 things that I've created for you that will help.

The first is my now registered framework called the HR Service Pyramid.

This can be used to help you package up your services but also educate business owners on the different level of the HR Service Pyramid.

The second are templated admin and advisory 3 tier, subscription based packages.

These will help you position your services to business owners in the best way.

And then finally, I've created a templated promotional deck you can use to guide business owners through a discovery call to educate them, explain the different levels of service you provide and pitch your services in the right order.

All of these resources and loads more to help you avoid proposal purgatory are included within my flagship video programme "How to package up and sell HR to make more money"

To learn more about this video programme, please visit my website thehrmarketinggu.com.

And of course, I'm always here to help.

Just get in touch and let's jump on a call.