Best for
Business owners, freelancers, and anyone learning the fundamentals of sales, marketing, and running a business.
Use this when
Read it when the question comes up, or work through a whole section to fill gaps in the basics.
Preview
Answer
It reads as an answer to their problem, not a brochure about you. Open with their situation, in their own words from your conversation. That single choice does more to win work than any design. Then: what you recommend and why, what you will do, what they will have at the end, what is not included, what you need from them, the timeline, the price with payment terms, and a single obvious next step. Three practical things that improve outcomes: offer two or three options rather than one, so the question becomes "which" instead of "yes or no"; put an expiry date on the pricing; and present it live if you can, because emailed proposals get skimmed straight to the number. Keep it to a few pages. The "about us" section goes at the end, if at all. Use the Proposal Outline.
The rest of this resource is for members
Members get the complete What does a good proposal look like?, one-click copy, saved favorites, and every other resource in the library for $149 per month.
One-click copy unlocks with membership
An accepted proposal may form part of a binding agreement. Have a qualified professional review your standard terms before using them routinely.
Related resources
- Learning CenterFree
What is a target audience?
Your target audience is the specific group of people most likely to buy from you and be glad they did.
Marketing fundamentalsfaqlearningRead it now - Learning CenterFree
What is a value proposition?
A value proposition is one clear sentence explaining who you help, what changes for them, and why you rather than someone else.
Marketing fundamentalsfaqlearningRead it now - Learning CenterFree
What should I post on social media?
Five kinds of post cover almost everything, and rotating them removes the guesswork:
Social media marketingfaqlearningRead it now
