---
name: proposal-writer
description: "Writes a B2B sales proposal built on the buyer's own problem statement: executive summary, current situation and cost, recommended solution mapped to success criteria, scope and deliverables, investment options, timeline, proof, terms and next steps. Use after discovery and evaluation when a buyer asks for a proposal, when proposals keep stalling, or when turning call notes into a document a buying committee can approve."
license: MIT
metadata:
  title: "Proposal Writer"
  category: "sales"
  author: "esther"
  summary: "Turn discovery notes into a buyer-centred proposal with a forwardable executive summary, clear scope, priced options and next steps."
  tags: "sales proposal, executive summary, pricing options, statement of work, deal closing"
  version: "1.0"
  updated: "2026-10-19"
---
# Proposal Writer

Produces a proposal a buying committee can read without the seller in the room: it restates the problem in the buyer's words, quantifies what it costs, shows how the recommendation meets their success criteria, makes scope and price unambiguous, and ends with a clear path to signature.

## When to use

- The buyer has asked for a proposal after discovery and evaluation.
- You need to turn messy call notes into something an executive will approve.
- Proposals go out and then nothing happens.
- You are responding to a request with a defined scope and want to stand out without a long sales document.

Do not write a proposal before discovery. A proposal without an agreed problem and success criteria is a brochure with a price on it.

## What you need

Ask for these first; the proposal is only as good as the discovery behind it.

1. **The buyer's problem in their words,** with quotes from calls if available.
2. **Impact numbers:** what the problem costs (time, money, risk, missed targets), ideally the buyer's own estimates.
3. **Success criteria** the buyer agreed to.
4. **Decision makers** who will read it and what each one cares about.
5. **Your recommended solution:** products, services, scope, assumptions, exclusions.
6. **Pricing:** list prices, discount authority, payment terms, contract length options.
7. **Timeline constraints** and the buyer's target go-live date.
8. **Proof:** relevant customer results or references.
9. **Format requirements:** page limit, template, procurement questions to answer.

## Process

1. **Write the executive summary last but place it first.** One page or less: the situation, the cost of leaving it unchanged, the recommended approach, the expected result, the investment, and the next step. Many approvers read only this page, so it must stand alone.
2. **Restate the current situation.** Use the buyer's language and numbers. When the reader sees their own words, they trust the rest of the document. Mark any number that is your estimate rather than theirs.
3. **Quantify the cost of inaction.** Monthly or annual cost of the problem, with the calculation shown simply. Conservative numbers survive finance review; inflated ones sink the whole document.
4. **Map the solution to success criteria.** A table: each agreed criterion, how the solution addresses it, and how it will be measured. Leave out features that do not serve a criterion.
5. **Define scope tightly.** Deliverables, what the buyer must provide (people, data, access), assumptions, and explicit exclusions. Vague scope causes most post-signature disputes.
6. **Offer options, usually three.** A focused option that solves the core problem, a recommended option, and an expanded option. Make the recommended one clearly marked. Options shift the buyer's question from "whether" to "which" and reduce discount pressure.
7. **Present investment clearly.** Price per option, what is included, payment terms, contract length, and any time-bound incentive with a real reason. Show the return against the cost of inaction where you can.
8. **Lay out the timeline.** From signature to kickoff to first value to full rollout, with dates tied to the buyer's target.
9. **Add proof.** One or two short, relevant customer examples with a measurable outcome, and an offer of a reference call.
10. **Close with next steps.** The exact actions to proceed (approval, signature, kickoff scheduling), who owns each, and the date. Include a validity date for the pricing.
11. **Edit for the committee.** Remove jargon, cut anything a finance or legal reader would not need, and keep the main body to a length the buyer can read in ten minutes.

## Output format

```
# Proposal: [Outcome] for [Buyer]
Prepared for: [names, roles]   Prepared by: [ ]   Date: [ ]   Valid until: [ ]

## 1. Executive summary
[one page or less: situation, cost of inaction, recommendation, expected result, investment, next step]

## 2. Where you are today
[buyer's words, key numbers, marked estimates]

## 3. What it costs to stay here
[simple calculation]

## 4. Recommended approach
| Your success criterion | How we address it | How we will measure it |

## 5. Scope
Deliverables: [ ]  You provide: [ ]  Assumptions: [ ]  Not included: [ ]

## 6. Options and investment
| | Focused | Recommended | Expanded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Includes | | | |
| Investment | | | |
| Terms | | | |

## 7. Timeline
| Milestone | Date |

## 8. Why us: proof
[1 to 2 short examples, reference offer]

## 9. Next steps
| Step | Owner | Date |
```

## Quality checklist

- The executive summary stands alone and fits on one page.
- The problem is in the buyer's words and numbers, estimates are marked.
- Every solution element maps to an agreed success criterion.
- Scope lists deliverables, buyer responsibilities, assumptions, and exclusions.
- Options are clearly differentiated and one is recommended.
- Pricing, terms, and validity date are unambiguous.
- Next steps have owners and dates.
- No hype words, no unsupported claims, no jargon the buyer did not use.

## Common mistakes

- **Leading with your company history.** The buyer cares about their problem; your story belongs in a short proof section near the end.
- **Feature dumps.** Listing everything the product does buries the three things that matter to this buyer.
- **A single take-it-or-leave-it price.** It invites discount negotiation instead of a choice between options.
- **Fuzzy scope.** "Implementation support" means something different to each party. Name the deliverables and the exclusions.
- **Inflated ROI.** One unbelievable number makes finance distrust every other number.
- **No next steps or validity date.** Proposals without a path forward sit in an inbox.
- **Sending without a walkthrough.** Where possible, review the proposal live with the champion before it goes to the committee.

## Example prompts

- "Write a proposal from these discovery notes for a 3-month onboarding and CRM migration project."
- "Draft a one-page executive summary my champion can forward to their CFO."
- "Turn our single price quote into three options with a clear recommended tier."
- "Our proposals get no reply. Review this one and rewrite it around the buyer's problem."
- "Create a scope section with assumptions and exclusions for a services engagement."