The follow-up that keeps quiet leads alive

You sent the proposal. Or you had the call, promised a recap, and sent it. Five days pass with nothing back. You tell yourself they're busy, which is probably true, and you tell yourself following up again feels pushy, which is the part that isn't. Then a week becomes two, and you've quietly filed them under "gone cold" without ever finding out whether one more short message would have brought them back.