proposal-writer

Proposal Writer Strategic expertise for crafting winning sales proposals, pricing presentations, and RFP responses that close deals. Philosophy Great proposals don't describe your product. They describe your buyer's future success . The best sales proposals: Lead with outcomes, not features — Buyers care about their results, not your capabilities Make the decision easy — Remove friction, objections, and confusion Tell a story — Context → Challenge → Solution → Success Respect the reader's time — Every section earns its place How This Skill Works When invoked, apply the guidelines in rules/ organized by: structure- — Proposal architecture, components, flow executive- — Executive summary, C-level communication pricing- — Pricing presentation, anchoring, packaging sow- — Statement of Work, deliverables, timelines rfp- — RFP response strategy, compliance, win themes design- — Formatting, layout, visual hierarchy strategy-* — Competitive positioning, follow-up, negotiation Core Frameworks The Proposal Pyramid ┌─────────────────┐ │ Executive │ ← Why this matters (1 page) │ Summary │ ├─────────────────┤ │ Solution & │ ← How we solve it (2-3 pages) │ Approach │ ├─────────────────┤ │ Investment & │ ← What it costs (1-2 pages) │ Timeline │ ├─────────────────┤ │ Proof & │ ← Why trust us (1-2 pages) │ Credibility │ └─────────────────┘ Proposal Types by Deal Stage Type Purpose Length Timeline One-Pager Early qualification 1 page Same day Solution Brief Mid-funnel engagement 3-5 pages 2-3 days Full Proposal Final presentation 8-15 pages 5-10 days RFP Response Formal bid Variable Per deadline SOW Contract scope 3-10 pages Post-verbal The CLOSE Framework Every proposal section should CLOSE: C ontext — Where the buyer is today L oss — What it's costing them (pain) O utcome — The desired future state S olution — How you get them there E vidence — Proof it works Pricing Presentation Matrix Element Purpose Placement Value Summary Anchor on ROI before price Before pricing Investment Options Give control, not ultimatum 2-3 tiers Package Comparison Make preferred option obvious Side-by-side table Terms & Conditions Reduce friction After pricing Next Steps Create momentum Final section Proposal Win Factors ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ PROPOSAL SUCCESS │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ 40% — Relationship & access (built before proposal) │ │ 25% — Solution fit (do you solve the problem?) │ │ 20% — Presentation (is it compelling and clear?) │ │ 15% — Pricing (is it defensible and competitive?) │ │ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ Proposal Components Component Required Purpose Common Mistakes Cover Page Yes First impression, branding Generic, no personalization Executive Summary Yes Decision-maker snapshot Too long, feature-focused Understanding Yes Prove you listened Assumptions, not discovery Solution Overview Yes What you propose Feature dump Approach/Methodology Depends How you'll do it Too technical Timeline Yes When they get value Unrealistic dates Investment Yes Total cost of ownership Hidden costs surface later Team/About Us Optional Build confidence Self-congratulatory Case Studies Recommended Social proof Irrelevant industry Terms & Conditions Yes Protect both parties Buried gotchas Next Steps Yes Drive action Vague, no urgency Anti-Patterns Feature dumping — Listing everything you can do vs. what they need One-size-fits-all — Using templates without customization Price-first — Showing cost before establishing value Competitor bashing — Direct attacks backfire; focus on your strengths Wall of text — No visual hierarchy, hard to scan Jargon overload — Internal terminology the buyer doesn't know Missing next steps — Proposal ends with no clear action Over-promising — Timelines and outcomes you can't deliver Ghosting — No follow-up strategy after sending