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

Payment terms: [Terms] Included: [What is in] Not included: [What is out — prevents scope disputes]

Timeline

Next Steps

1. [Sign / reply / schedule] by [date]
2. We will send contract and confirm kickoff
3. [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

Anti-Patterns

• [ ] Do not lead with the solution before establishing that the problem is understood — the proposal must demonstrate problem comprehension first
• [ ] Do not use vague investment language like "competitive pricing" — every proposal must state a specific price or range
• [ ] Do not omit a "not included" section — undefined scope leads to disputes after the proposal is accepted
• [ ] Do not forget a "valid until" date — proposals without expiry create awkward situations and stale pricing
• [ ] Do not list next steps without naming who is responsible for each and what the expected timeline is

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"