Your Proposal Is Not an Attachment. It Is Your Pitch.
The proposal. For many organizations, it feels like the formal conclusion of the sales process—a kind of administrative appendix after the real work is done. But if you treat your proposal that way, you're missing a major opportunity. Because this is exactly the stage where your client is often still aligning internally, wrestling with doubts, or trying to convince others.
So your proposal isn't the final chapter. It's a sales moment.
The Power of a Strong Proposal
A strong proposal reinforces the trust you've already built. Your prospect should be able to skim through it and think:
“Yes, they get exactly what I need. I can sell this internally.”
Keep in mind: proposals are often forwarded internally—to someone who has never spoken with you before. For them, this is the very first impression.
What Should Be Included?
Too often, a proposal is just a PDF with a price. Whether it's system-generated or manually created, make sure it’s not just a standalone document. Embed it in something bigger: a PowerPoint or visual proposal where the price is just one part of a broader story.
Why? If you only send a PDF, the client will likely go straight to the price. In a more complete proposal, they'll flip back through and absorb more context, nuance, and value.
A strong proposal tells a story. It’s read by humans, and emotion still plays a role in B2B decision-making.
A Strong Structure Looks Like This:
The client's context and ambition (recognition)
The challenge you’ll solve together (relevance)
Your approach and proposal (solution)
Expected results, timeline, and costs (clear and concrete)
How Do You Frame That?
In 100M Offers by Alex Hormozi, it’s all about increasing the perceived value of your offer - a critical principle when crafting a proposal. That value depends on several factors:
Perceived Value = (Dream Outcome × Likelihood of Success) / (Time + Effort)
A strong proposal does exactly this:
Clarifies the dream outcome: what concrete results will the client get?
Increases credibility: with proof, methodology, or references
Reduces friction: it feels easy, quick, and doable
So don’t just show that it works - show how quickly and effortlessly it does.
What Should Your Proposal Look Like?
People don’t read proposals - they scan them. And they often go straight to the price.
Practical tips:
Ensure scanability: use clear structure, subheadings, and white space. Build visual hierarchy so even skimming tells your story.
Highlight what matters: use callouts or boxes to emphasize key elements beyond price. Guide the reader.
Make it PDF-proof: proposals are often forwarded or printed. Make sure it still looks professional in every format.
Inspire confidence: ensure visual polish. No shifting elements, sloppy margins, or typos. Small details can greatly undermine your credibility.
Integrate price into the narrative: Don’t drop in a line-item table - frame the price as an investment within the flow of your story.
In Closing
A proposal isn’t the end of your story. It’s a final chance to prove your value.
A tool to help your client say “yes” - and resell your solution internally.
