Proposal Builder

Proposal Builder

Create compelling, customized proposals that speak directly to the prospect's situation, pain points, and desired outcomes. A great proposal isn't a product brochure — it's a mirror that shows the prospect their own problems and a clear path to solving them.

Philosophy

The best proposals follow this structure: "Here's what you told us is broken → Here's what it's costing you → Here's how we fix it → Here's what success looks like → Here's the investment." Every section connects back to what the prospect said during discovery.

How It Works

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                     PROPOSAL BUILDER                              │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  DOCUMENT TYPES                                                   │
│  1. Full Proposal — Comprehensive document for formal evaluation │
│  2. Executive Summary — 1-2 page overview for senior stakeholders│
│  3. Business Case — ROI-focused justification document            │
│  4. Mutual Action Plan — Shared timeline to close                │
│  5. SOW Outline — Statement of work framework                    │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  DELIVERY                                                         │
│  • Markdown for quick review and iteration                       │
│  • Word document (.docx) for formal delivery                     │
│  • PDF for polished final version                                │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Getting Started

• "Write a proposal for [Company] — here's what I know..."
• "Build a business case for the VP of Finance at [Company]"
• "Create an executive summary for this deal"
• "Help me outline a mutual action plan"
• "Draft an SOW for our [product] implementation"

What I Need From You

The quality of the proposal is directly proportional to the discovery context you provide:

Must have:

1. Company name and context — Who they are and what they do
2. The problem — What's broken, in their words if possible
3. Your solution — What you're proposing and why it fits
4. Key stakeholders — Who will read this, what they care about
5. Pricing — Investment amount and structure

Makes it much better:

• Discovery call notes or transcript
• Their stated decision criteria
• Competitor they're evaluating
• Timeline and urgency drivers
• Specific ROI metrics or goals they mentioned
• Their current solution/process and its shortcomings

Output Format: Full Proposal

# Proposal: [Your Solution] for [Company Name]

**Prepared for:** [Primary Contact, Title]
**Prepared by:** [Your Name, Title, Your Company]
**Date:** [Date]
**Valid through:** [Expiry date]

---

## Executive Summary

[2-3 paragraphs that summarize: their challenge, the proposed solution, expected outcomes, and the investment. A busy executive should be able to read just this page and understand the entire proposal.]

---

## Understanding Your Situation

[Reflect back what you learned in discovery. Use their language. Show you listened.]

### Current Challenges
[Describe their pain points as they described them]

### Impact on Your Business
[Quantify the cost of inaction — time, money, opportunity cost, risk]

### What Success Looks Like
[Their stated goals and desired outcomes]

---

## Proposed Solution

### Overview
[High-level description of what you're proposing — focused on outcomes, not features]

### How It Works
[Concise explanation of the solution approach]

### Why This Approach
[Connect your solution directly to their stated challenges]

### Key Capabilities
| Their Need | Our Solution | Expected Outcome |
|------------|-------------|------------------|
| [Need 1] | [Capability] | [Result] |
| [Need 2] | [Capability] | [Result] |
| [Need 3] | [Capability] | [Result] |

---

## Implementation Plan

| Phase | Timeline | Activities | Milestone |
|-------|----------|------------|-----------|
| Phase 1: [Name] | [Weeks] | [Key activities] | [Deliverable] |
| Phase 2: [Name] | [Weeks] | [Key activities] | [Deliverable] |
| Phase 3: [Name] | [Weeks] | [Key activities] | [Deliverable] |

---

## Expected Outcomes

### Quantified Benefits
[ROI projections, efficiency gains, cost savings — tied to their metrics]

### Qualitative Benefits
[Team impact, strategic positioning, risk reduction]

### Timeline to Value
[When they can expect to see results]

---

## Investment

| Component | Details | Investment |
|-----------|---------|------------|
| [Line item 1] | [Description] | [$ amount] |
| [Line item 2] | [Description] | [$ amount] |
| **Total** | | **[$ total]** |

**Payment Terms:** [Structure]
**Contract Term:** [Duration]

---

## Why [Your Company]

[Brief — 3-4 points on why you're the right partner. Social proof, relevant experience, differentiators. Not a corporate brochure.]

### Relevant Customer Success
[One or two short examples of similar customers and their results]

---

## Next Steps

1. [Specific action with date]
2. [Second action]
3. [Third action]

---

## Appendix (if needed)

- Detailed technical specifications
- Full ROI model
- Customer references
- Team bios

Document Variations

Executive Summary (1-2 pages)

For senior stakeholders who won't read the full proposal. Hits: problem, solution, outcomes, investment, next steps. Everything in one or two pages.

Business Case

ROI-focused document for financial stakeholders. Heavy on metrics, cost analysis, payback period, and risk mitigation. Less about the product, more about the investment thesis.

Mutual Action Plan

Shared document between you and the prospect outlining every step from now to close. Includes owners, dates, and dependencies. Creates accountability on both sides.

SOW Outline

Implementation-focused document with scope, deliverables, timeline, responsibilities, and acceptance criteria. Used when the prospect is ready to move forward and needs the "how."

Personalization Rules

The proposal should feel like it was written specifically for this prospect because it was:

1. Use their company name throughout — not generic "the customer"
2. Quote their words — reference specific things they said in discovery
3. Match their priorities — lead with what matters most to them
4. Address their concerns — proactively respond to known objections
5. Speak their language — match industry terminology and tone

Related Skills

• roi-calculator — Generate the ROI analysis for the business case section
• discovery-guide — Better discovery leads to better proposals
• deal-qualification — Ensure the deal is qualified before investing in a proposal
• battle-cards — Incorporate competitive positioning if needed

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