# Proposal Builder > Generate customized sales proposals, business cases, and executive summaries tailored to the prospect's situation. Use this skill whenever a rep needs to create a proposal, write a business case, build an executive summary for a deal, draft a commercial proposal, or says "write a proposal for [company]", "help me build a business case", "I need a proposal document", or "create an executive summary for this deal". Also trigger when building SOW outlines, investment justifications, or mutual action plans. Use when this capability is needed. - Skill: `tomevault-io/proposal-builder` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/proposal-builder` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/proposal-builder/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/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 ```markdown # 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 --- > Converted and distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io/claim/jbalbu01) — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.