proposal-writer

Proposal Writer

Input schema: see references/proposal-input-schema.md

Proposal Structure

Cover Page

# PROPOSAL

**[Your Company] -> [Prospect Company]**

**Prepared for:** [Name, Title]
**Prepared by:** [Name, Title]
**Date:** [Date]
**Valid until:** [Date + 30 days]

Executive Summary (Most Critical Section)

Decision-makers often read only this. Must stand alone.

## Executive Summary

### The Challenge

Based on our conversations, [Company] is facing:

- **[Pain Point 1]**: [Quantified impact - "$X/month in lost revenue"]
- **[Pain Point 2]**: [Quantified impact - "X hours/week wasted"]
- **[Pain Point 3]**: [Quantified impact - "X% customer churn"]

### Our Solution

[Product/Service] will help [Company] achieve:

- **[Outcome 1]**: [Measurable result with number]
- **[Outcome 2]**: [Measurable result with timeframe]
- **[Outcome 3]**: [Measurable result with percentage]

### Investment & Timeline

| Component | Investment | Duration |
|-----------|------------|----------|
| [Phase/Item 1] | $X | X weeks |
| [Phase/Item 2] | $X | X weeks |
| **Total** | **$X** | **X weeks** |

### Why [Your Company]

[2-3 sentences on specific differentiators relevant to their situation]

### Next Steps

| Action | Owner | By Date |
|--------|-------|---------|
| Proposal review call | [Prospect] | [Date] |
| Contract review | [Prospect legal] | [Date] |
| Kickoff | Both teams | [Date] |

Understanding & Approach

## Understanding & Approach

### Current Situation

[Reference specific discovery conversation points]

### Desired Future State

| Metric | Current | Target | Impact |
|--------|---------|--------|--------|
| [Metric 1] | [Current] | [Goal] | [Business impact] |
| [Metric 2] | [Current] | [Goal] | [Business impact] |

### Our Approach

**Phase 1: [Name]**
[Description and deliverables]

**Phase 2: [Name]**
[Description and deliverables]

**Phase 3: [Name]**
[Description and deliverables]

Scope of Work

## Scope of Work

### Included

| Deliverable | Description | Acceptance Criteria |
|-------------|-------------|---------------------|
| [Deliverable 1] | [What it is] | [How we know it's done] |
| [Deliverable 2] | [What it is] | [How we know it's done] |

### Not Included

- [Item 1] -- available as add-on
- [Item 2] -- future phase
- [Item 3] -- client responsibility

### Assumptions

- [Assumption 1]
- [Assumption 2]

### Client Responsibilities

- [Responsibility 1]
- [Responsibility 2]

Timeline & Milestones

## Timeline & Milestones

| Week | Milestone | Deliverable | Dependencies |
|------|-----------|-------------|--------------|
| 1 | Kickoff | Project plan | Contract signed |
| 2-3 | [Phase 1] | [Deliverable] | [Dependency] |
| 4-6 | [Phase 2] | [Deliverable] | [Dependency] |
| 7-8 | Go-Live | [Final deliverable] | [Dependency] |

Investment & Pricing

Strategy: Present 2-3 options with recommended highlighted. Anchor high.

## Investment Options

### Option A: Comprehensive
[Full solution with premium features]
- [Feature 1]
- [Feature 2]
- [Bonus: Feature 3]

**Investment: $XX,XXX**

### Option B: Recommended
[Core solution, best value for most situations]
- [Feature 1]
- [Feature 2]

**Investment: $XX,XXX**

### Option C: Essentials
[Minimum viable solution]
- [Feature 1]

**Investment: $XX,XXX**

---

**Payment Terms:** [50% upfront, 50% on completion | Monthly | etc.]

ROI Justification

## Return on Investment

**Current Cost of Problem:**
| Issue | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|-------|--------------|-------------|
| [Problem 1] | $X | $X |
| [Problem 2] | $X | $X |
| **Total cost of inaction** | **$X** | **$X** |

**With [Solution]:**
| Improvement | Monthly Savings | Annual Savings |
|-------------|-----------------|----------------|
| [Outcome 1] | $X | $X |
| [Outcome 2] | $X | $X |
| **Total savings** | **$X** | **$X** |

**Payback Period:** X months
**First-Year ROI:** X.Xx

Social Proof

## Why [Your Company]

### Relevant Experience

| Client | Challenge | Result |
|--------|-----------|--------|
| [Similar company] | [Similar problem] | [Quantified outcome] |
| [Similar company] | [Similar problem] | [Quantified outcome] |

### Client Testimonial

> "[Quote about working with you and results achieved]"
> -- [Name, Title, Company]

### By the Numbers

- X years in [industry]
- X clients served
- X% client satisfaction
- $Xm in [results delivered]

Team & Support

## Your Team

| Role | Name | Responsibility |
|------|------|----------------|
| Project Lead | [Name] | Overall delivery, your primary contact |
| [Specialist] | [Name] | [Specific responsibility] |

### Support Model

**During Implementation:**
- [Support type and availability]

**Post-Implementation:**
- [Ongoing support included]

Terms & Next Steps

## Next Steps

| Step | Action | Owner | Target Date |
|------|--------|-------|-------------|
| 1 | Proposal review call | [Prospect] | [Date] |
| 2 | Final questions addressed | [You] | [Date] |
| 3 | Contract review | [Prospect legal] | [Date] |
| 4 | Signed agreement | Both | [Date] |
| 5 | Kickoff meeting | Both | [Date] |

### Terms Summary

- **Proposal valid until:** [Date]
- **Payment terms:** [Terms]
- **Contract length:** [Duration]
- **Cancellation:** [Policy]

---

**To proceed:** [Clear instruction -- sign and return, schedule call, etc.]

**Questions?** Contact [Name] at [email/phone]

Anti-Patterns

Mistake	Fix
Lead with company history	Lead with their pain
Generic scope	Reference specific discovery
Bury pricing	Put in exec summary
Feature lists	Focus on outcomes
No next steps	Action table with dates
Wall of text	Headers, tables, bullets