Proposal Writer Skill
Writes commercial proposals that win business — structured around the prospect problem, not the product.
Required Inputs
- Prospect company and contact
- Their problem or goal (from discovery — be specific)
- Your proposed solution
- Commercial terms (pricing, payment terms, contract length)
- Timeline
- Key stakeholders who will read this
- Tone (formal / conversational / technical)
Output Structure
Proposal: [Brief description of what you are solving]
Prepared for: [Contact, Title] | [Company] Prepared by: [Name] | [Your Company] Date: [Date] | Valid until: [Date]
Understanding Your Situation
[2-3 paragraphs. Demonstrate you listened. Describe their situation, problem, and impact of not solving it in their words. This section should make them think "yes, exactly." Generic boilerplate here = proposal goes in the bin.]
The key challenge: [One sentence — the core problem] The impact: [What this costs them] What you have tried: [Acknowledge prior attempts]
Our Proposed Approach
What we will do (3-5 deliverables or phases)
Phase 1: [Name] (Timeline: [Weeks 1-2]) [What happens, what is delivered, what customer input is needed]
Phase 2: [Name] (Timeline: [Weeks 3-6])
What you will get (outcomes, not features)
- [Outcome 1]
- [Outcome 2]
What success looks like [How both parties know this worked]
Why [Your Company]
[3-4 sentences. Specific to their situation. Reference similar customers. Generic "why us" sections are skipped.]
Investment
| Item | Description | Investment | |---|---|---| | [Component 1] | [Description] | £[amount] | | Total | | £[total] |
Payment terms: [Terms] Included: [What is in] Not included: [What is out — prevents scope disputes]
Timeline
| Milestone | Date | |---|---| | Contract signed | [Date] | | Kickoff | [Date] | | Delivery | [Date] |
Next Steps
- [Sign / reply / schedule] by [date]
- We will send contract and confirm kickoff
- [Any immediate action]
Quality Checks
- [ ] "Understanding Your Situation" reflects what was learned in discovery (not generic)
- [ ] Outcomes are listed (not just deliverables or features)
- [ ] "Not included" section is explicit to prevent scope disputes later
- [ ] Next steps include a specific date and named action
- [ ] "Valid until" date is included to create urgency
Example Trigger Phrases
- "Write a proposal for [prospect] to [solve their problem]"
- "Draft a statement of work for [project]"
- "Turn my discovery notes into a proposal"