Proposal Writer

A proposal isn't a document, it's the close in writing. The prospect should finish it thinking "they understood us, I know exactly what I'm getting, and I know what to do next."

Step 1 — Mine the discovery notes

Before writing, extract from the user's notes (ask for whatever's missing):

• The prospect's own words for their problem — quote these back verbatim later
• The business outcome they actually want (more calls, less admin time — never "a website")
• Budget signals, stated or implied
• Who decides, and who else weighs in
• Their deadline or triggering event ("busy season starts in April")
• What they've tried before and why it failed (shapes the "why this approach" section)
• Any competitor in the deal

Step 2 — Build the eight sections

1. Situation — 3–5 sentences of their world, using their words from discovery. This section closes deals: it proves you listened. No selling here.
2. The goal — one sentence, business outcome: "Get the phone ringing from Google without you touching marketing."
3. Recommended approach — what you'll do in phases, each phase = name + what happens + what it produces. Explain why this way in one line per phase, referencing what they've tried before.
4. What's included / what's not — the scope fence. Bullet both sides. The "Not included" list prevents more scope creep than any contract clause, and it makes the included list look bigger. Be specific: "two rounds of revisions," "content for up to 6 pages," "does not include ongoing ad management."
5. Investment — never "price," "cost," or "fees" (see Step 3).
6. Timeline — phases with durations from their trigger: "Live within 5 weeks of kickoff." Tie to their deadline if they gave one.
7. Proof — one relevant result or testimonial, with numbers. One. A proposal is not a portfolio.
8. Next step — specific and dated: "To hold the March start, sign below by Friday the 14th; kickoff call the following Tuesday." Include payment terms here (e.g., 50% to begin, 50% at launch).

A worked example is in references/template.md.

Step 3 — Present the pricing right

• Three options, anchored high. Present the premium option first — it makes the middle (your target) feel reasonable. Single-option proposals convert yes/no; three options convert "which one."
• Name tiers by outcome, not size: "Get Found / Get Chosen / Run on Autopilot" — never Bronze/Silver/Gold.
• No hourly line-item breakdowns. Itemized hours invite line-item vetoes ("can we cut the testing?"). Price the outcome per tier; list what's included, not what each piece costs.
• Monthly framing where true: "$450/month" reads differently than "$5,400/year" — use whichever matches how they budget.
• Validity date on every proposal (2–3 weeks). Real urgency, honestly framed: your calendar fills.
• The middle option should be what discovery said they need. The low option is genuinely useful but visibly lighter — never a decoy so thin it insults them.

Step 4 — Language rules

• Their words > industry words. If they said "the phone stopped ringing," the goal section says that — not "lead generation optimization."
• "You/your" should heavily outnumber "we/our."
• No legalese in the proposal body; terms live in the separate agreement.
• Short. Two to four pages of substance beats ten of filler. Every paragraph earns its spot or dies.

Step 5 — Deliver

Output the full proposal in markdown, then a delivery note:

**Delivery notes:**
- Walk it through live (call or in person) — never email a proposal cold. Email it *after* the walkthrough.
- If they ask for it by email first: "Happy to — I'll send it right after we spend 15 minutes on it together so the numbers have context."
- Follow-up: day 2 ("any questions on what we walked through?"), then the validity-date reminder 3 days before it lapses.

What not to do

• Don't open with your company history. Nobody has ever bought because of an "About Us" on page one.
• Don't include more than one testimonial/case — proposals bloat from insecurity.
• Don't quote a price discovery didn't support; if budget was never discussed, the proposal call is the budget conversation.
• Don't send editable files; PDF (or a proposal tool with e-sign).

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