A proposal is not a brochure about your company. It shows one client that you understand their problem, explains how you will solve it and makes it easy to say yes.
Before you write
Most proposals are lost before they are written. Before you start, make sure you know:
- The problem, in the client's own words.
- What success looks like for them.
- Their budget range and deadline.
- Who makes the decision, and who else has a say.
If you do not know these, ask. A short call before the proposal is worth more than three extra pages in it.
The structure
- Their situation. Restate the problem and the goal in their words. This is the most important page. If they read it and think "yes, exactly", you are halfway there.
- Your solution. What you will do, in plain steps.
- Scope. What is included and, just as important, what is not.
- Timeline. Key dates and what the client needs to provide.
- Price. One clear number, or two or three options.
- Why you. Short proof: a similar project, a result, a testimonial.
- Next step. How to accept, and by when.
A template
Proposal for Greenleaf Café: online ordering
Your situation. You lose evening orders because the phone is busy, and the delivery apps take a large cut. You want customers to order directly from your site.
What we will do. Set up online ordering on your current site, connect it to your till, and train your team in one session.
Included. Ordering page, payment setup, one training session, two weeks of support. Not included: menu photography, delivery drivers.
Timeline. Live in three weeks from your go-ahead. We need your menu and prices in week one.
Price. 2,400 dollars, half on signing and half at launch.
Why us. We set up the same system for two cafés on your street. One now takes a third of its orders online.
Next step. Reply "yes" by 30 October to keep the November start date.
Pricing options
Two or three options can help a client choose instead of saying no. Make the differences clear and recommend one. Do not offer options that only differ in small details. There is more on setting the numbers in how to price your services.
Make it easy to say yes
- Use the client's name and their words.
- Put the price where they can find it, not on the last page after ten pages of history.
- Give a clear deadline, with a real reason, such as a start date.
- Make accepting simple: a reply, a signature or a deposit link.
After you send it
Follow up within a few days. Ask if it covers what they need, and offer a short call. If they go quiet, there is a sequence for that in follow-up email after no response.
For smaller jobs, a full proposal is often too much. A clear quote for your services does the job in one page.