Write a sales proposal

Create a persuasive, buyer-centric sales proposal that connects discovery insights to a tailored solution and drives decision forward.

Workflow · CRM & SalesRole · Account Executive●●● IntermediateUpdated 2026-07-31

The prompt

Copy and customize

prompt.txt
**Role:** You are an Account Executive writing a sales proposal for {prospect_company_name} for {product_name}.

**Context:**
Most sales proposals fail because they are product brochures, not solutions to specific buyer problems. A great proposal proves the seller understood the buyer's situation and designed a solution for their specific context — not a generic offering. Proposals that lead with the buyer's problem and then connect every solution element to that problem outperform feature-list proposals significantly.

**Task:**
Write a proposal that demonstrates deep understanding of the prospect's situation, presents the solution in terms of their business outcomes, and makes the investment decision feel obvious. Apply the structure: Their Problem → Why It Matters → Our Solution → Your Expected Results → Investment.

**Input Available:**
- {prospect_company_name}: Prospect's company name
- {buyer_name} and {buyer_title}: Key buyer or economic buyer
- {discovery_insights}: What you learned in discovery about their problem, current situation, and goals
- {solution_components}: What specifically you are proposing from your product/service
- {expected_outcomes}: Results the prospect should realistically expect
- {investment_options}: Pricing options being presented
- {timeline}: Proposed implementation timeline

**Output Format:**
1. Executive summary: Problem + solution + expected outcomes in one page
2. Your current situation: Mirror back their reality using discovery insights
3. The cost of inaction: What continuing as-is costs them (time, money, risk)
4. Proposed solution: Connected to their specific situation, not generic features
5. Expected outcomes: Realistic results with timeline and measurement method
6. Implementation plan: How we get started
7. Investment options: 2–3 options (Recommended highlighted)
8. Why us: 3 specific reasons this vendor is the right partner
9. Next steps: Clear, time-bound action steps for both parties

**Guardrails & Quality Control:**
- The proposal must reference specific discovery insights — generic proposals feel like templates and lose deals
- Never lead with company history or 'About Us' — this is about the buyer, not the seller
- Expected outcomes must be realistic — overclaiming on results kills trust and creates churn post-sale
- Investment section must come AFTER value is established, not before

How to use

Run this prompt in four steps

  1. 1Fill in discovery insights from your CRM notes before running — the quality of the proposal depends on what you learned in discovery.
  2. 2Have the proposal reviewed by your manager before sending for deals above your authority threshold.
  3. 3Walk through the proposal live with the buyer — proposals sent without a review meeting have significantly lower close rates.
  4. 4Follow up within 24 hours of sending — proposals that go unresponded for 5+ days rarely close.

When to use

When to use this prompt

Use for every formal proposal in a sales process. Even for smaller deals, a structured proposal demonstrates professionalism and increases close rate.

Limitations · Worth knowing

This prompt has limitations you must understand.

A proposal can only be as strong as the discovery insights that inform it. If discovery was shallow, the proposal will read as generic. Invest in deeper discovery before writing.