Objection handling

Handling the "Send Me a Proposal" Objection

A proposal without discovery is a guess in a PDF. Asked this early on a cold call, it's usually a polite way to end the conversation and make you do unpaid work.

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"Just send me a proposal"

Why prospects say it

It sounds like buying intent, which is why reps love it — but a proposal you write blind is priced on assumptions, addresses the wrong pain, and lands in silence. Early 'send a proposal' is frequently a brush-off, and even when sincere, it skips the discovery that makes a proposal actually win.

How to handle it

Welcome the interest, then reframe: a good proposal needs a few answers first.
Trade the proposal for a short discovery conversation, not a form.
Ask the two or three questions that would change what you'd propose.
Set a clear next step: discovery now or scheduled, then a tailored proposal.
If they refuse any discovery at all, treat the request as a soft brush-off.

What you can actually say

Happy to — but if I write it blind it'll be wrong and waste your time. Can I ask three quick things so it's actually accurate?

I could send a generic one, but you'd bin it. Give me ten minutes to understand your setup and I'll send something you can actually use.

Absolutely. To price it properly I need to know [X, Y]. Got two minutes now, or should we book a short call?

Deal — proposal it is, but a real one. What does success look like for you here, so I aim at the right target?

What to avoid

Don't dash off a blind, generic proposal to look responsive — you'll spend hours writing something that gets ignored.

How Tepio helps with this one

Tepio's brief gives you enough context to ask sharper discovery questions fast, so you earn the info a real proposal needs before you write it.

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