---
name: proposals
description: "Write proposals that win approval: internal business cases, client, partnership, funding and project proposals that open with the reader's problem, set measurable outcomes, define scope and exclusions, price options plainly, show evidence and risks, follow required formats and end with a dated next step. Use whenever someone needs a proposal, business case, client pitch document, partnership proposal, grant or funding application, project proposal or RFP response."
license: CC-BY-4.0
metadata:
  author: Afeez Adebayo
  author_url: https://afeezadebayo.com
  author_linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afeez-adebayo/
  author_x: https://x.com/za_icon
  source: https://afeezadebayo.com/skills-md/productivity/workplace-writing/proposals/
  category: productivity
  subcategory: workplace-writing
  version: "1.0.0"
  created: "2026-10-10"
  updated: "2026-10-13"
---

# Proposals

A proposal asks someone to commit money, time or trust. Most proposals lose because they talk about the writer instead of the reader: pages of company history, generic capabilities and a price buried at the end, with no clear link to the reader's problem. Decision makers want to know quickly that you understand their situation, what you will do, what it will cost, what they get and why they should trust you to deliver.

This skill writes internal and external proposals: business cases for budget or projects, client proposals, partnership proposals and grant-style applications. It starts from the reader's problem, sets a clear outcome, explains the approach and scope, prices it plainly with options, shows evidence and risks, and ends with an easy next step.

## Operating principles
1. **Their problem, in their words.** Open with the reader's situation and goal, not your credentials.
2. **Outcome before activity.** What will be different, measured how, by when.
3. **Clear scope and price.** What is included, what is not and what it costs, early and plainly.
4. **Evidence over adjectives.** Results, examples and references replace claims like "world-class".
5. **Easy yes.** Options, a clear next step and a decision date.

## Proposal types
| Type | Reader | Lead with |
|---|---|---|
| Internal business case | Budget holder, leadership | Problem, cost of doing nothing, recommended investment and return |
| Client proposal | Client decision makers | Their goal, your approach, price options |
| Partnership proposal | Partner leadership | Shared opportunity and what each side gives and gets |
| Grant or funding application | Funder | Fit with the funder's goals, impact, budget, track record |
| Project proposal | Sponsor and team | Objective, scope, plan, resources, risks |

## When to use, and when not to
Use it for any document asking for approval, budget, a contract or a partnership. Follow funders' or clients' required formats exactly when they exist.

Don't use it for one-page decisions (`memos-one-pagers`) or sales emails (the Email and Inbox skills).

## Inputs
- The reader, their goals and their problem (from calls, briefs or RFPs).
- What you propose to do and deliver.
- Pricing, timelines and resources.
- Evidence: past results, case studies, references, data.
- Risks, assumptions and dependencies.
- Any required format, criteria or word limits.

## Workflow

### Step 1. Understand the decision
Who decides, what criteria they use, what alternatives they have (including doing nothing) and when they decide.

### Step 2. Write the core message
Two sentences: the outcome you will deliver and why you are the right choice.

### Step 3. Structure
Use the template below or the required format. Put the summary, outcome and price early.

### Step 4. Draft each section
In the reader's language. Keep the approach concrete: phases, deliverables, people, dates.

### Step 5. Price clearly
One table with options (for example essential, recommended, extended), what each includes, cost and timeline. State payment terms and assumptions.

### Step 6. Add evidence and risks
Two or three relevant results or case studies; the main risks with how you will manage them.

### Step 7. Close
The next step, a decision date, who to contact and how long the offer stands.

### Step 8. Review
Score the draft against the reader's criteria; run a fresh-reader test; check numbers and names.

## Template
```
1. Summary (half a page): their goal, our recommendation, outcome, price, timeline
2. Your situation: problem, impact, what success looks like
3. Our approach: phases, activities, deliverables
4. Scope: included | not included | assumptions
5. Timeline and team
6. Investment: options table, payment terms
7. Evidence: relevant results, case study, references
8. Risks and how we manage them
9. Next steps: decision date, contact, start date
```

## Internal business case additions
- Cost of doing nothing, quantified where possible.
- Expected return or savings, with assumptions shown.
- Options compared, including cheaper or slower alternatives.
- How success will be measured and reported.

## Pricing table example
```
| Option | Includes | Price | Timeline |
| Essential | Audit and plan | £6,000 | 4 weeks |
| Recommended | Audit, plan, 3 months support | £15,000 | 4 months |
| Extended | All above plus training | £21,000 | 5 months |
```

## Writing the summary
The summary is often the only part decision makers read. In half a page: their goal in one sentence, what you recommend, the outcome with a measure, the price and timeline, and the next step. Write it last, after the rest of the proposal is settled, and test that it stands on its own.

## Language that helps
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| We are a leading provider of... | You want to cut returns by 20% before peak season. |
| Our innovative methodology | A three-phase plan: audit, fix, measure |
| Competitive pricing | \u00a315,000 for the recommended option, paid in three stages |
| We guarantee success | Similar retailers saw 15 to 20% fewer returns; here is how we would track yours |

## Using the reader's words
Reuse the terms the reader used in calls, briefs or RFPs. If they say "churn" rather than "retention", or "vendor" rather than "partner", match them. Readers recognise their own problem faster when it is described in their language.

## Using an AI agent
The agent can turn call notes and an RFP into the reader's problem statement, build the scope and pricing tables, pull relevant case studies from past documents, check every RFP question is answered and score the draft against the stated criteria. The user sets prices, approves claims and signs off the final version.

## After sending
Confirm receipt, offer a short call to walk through the options and follow up once before the decision date. Track the outcome and reasons for winning or losing to improve the next proposal.

Keep a library of strong past proposals to reuse sections, updated after each win or loss.

Ask lost clients briefly why they chose otherwise.

## Edge cases and judgement calls
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Formal tender or RFP | Follow the structure and scoring criteria exactly; answer every question |
| Price sensitivity | Offer a smaller first phase rather than discounting |
| Unclear requirements | State assumptions; propose a short discovery phase |
| Competing against incumbents | Focus on outcomes and a low-risk start |
| Internal politics | Pre-share drafts with key stakeholders |
| Grant word limits | Prioritise criteria with the highest weight |

## Handoffs to related skills
- Staged writing: `writing-process`
- Summaries for executives: `executive-summaries`
- One-page versions: `memos-one-pagers`
- Project scope after approval: `project-briefs`
- Case studies and proof: the Product Marketing `case-studies-customer-proof` skill

## Worked example
A consultancy's previous proposals opened with three pages about the firm and won few deals. A new proposal for a retailer opened with the client's goal (cut returns by 20% before peak season), followed by a half-page summary with outcome, price and timeline, a three-phase approach, a three-option pricing table and one case study with a 17% reduction at a similar retailer. Risks covered data access, and the close proposed a decision by a date with a two-week discovery start. The client chose the recommended option, and the format became the firm's standard.

## Common mistakes
- Starting with company history.
- Hiding the price.
- Vague scope with no exclusions.
- Claims without evidence.
- No next step or decision date.

## Scoring the draft
Before sending, score the proposal against the reader's criteria from 1 to 5 each: understanding of the problem, clarity of the outcome, credibility of the approach, value for price, evidence and risk handling. Strengthen anything below 4.

## Self-check before you answer
- Does it open with the reader's problem and goal?
- Are scope, exclusions and price clear early?
- Is there real evidence and an honest risk section?
- Is the next step specific with a date?

---
Created by Afeez Adebayo, Marketing, SEO & Growth Expert
Website: https://afeezadebayo.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afeez-adebayo/
X: https://x.com/za_icon
Source: https://afeezadebayo.com/skills-md/productivity/workplace-writing/proposals/

Licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). You may copy, share and adapt this skill, including for commercial use, as long as you credit Afeez Adebayo and link to the source URL above. Keep this notice in any copy or adapted version.