If you're reading this, you probably have a deal in mind. Before you reach out, you should know exactly how a custom sales proposal with us comes together, what we'll need from you and what you'll get back. No surprises on either side.
Every custom sales proposal starts with the brief
Everything we build starts with a conversation about the deal. Who the buyer is, what they told you, who else is weighing in, who you're up against and what's riding on it. We'll ask for whatever you have. Discovery notes, call recordings, the RFP if there is one, your current proposal or deck and the pricing you're planning to offer.
We'll sign an NDA before any of that changes hands. Your pricing, your strategy and your buyer's details stay between us.
You get one exact price
After the brief, we tell you which build fits the deal and give you one exact number. Handshake starts at $5K and suits one buyer and one decision. Signature starts at $7.5K and adds a chapter for every person who has to sign off. Board starts at $10K and is built for formal reviews scored line by line. If the deal needs add-ons, like an ROI calculator or a printed leave-behind, they're in the number too.
You get one exact number after the brief, and nothing starts until you've agreed to it. Payment is 50 percent to start and 50 percent on delivery.
The number is built around the deal itself. A proposal for one buyer and a proposal for a five-person committee are very different amounts of work, and the price should reflect that. If something changes during the build and the scope grows, we'll talk about it with you before any work on it starts.
We write the case
Most of the work happens here, and it's the part people don't always expect. We start with the argument, and layout comes later. What's the buyer's problem in their words? What's the plan? What does each reader need to see? What's the one sentence the champion should be able to repeat in a meeting you're not in?
From there we write the full proposal. Executive summary, situation, plan, timeline, pricing, proof and next steps, plus the chapters each reader needs on a Signature or Board build. See the business proposal layout we use for the structure.
You review the draft
You'll get the full written draft to review before design starts. This is where your team checks every claim, every number and every promise. We'd much rather hear your edits now, while they're quick to make, than after the design is done. Your name goes on this proposal, so nothing goes out that you haven't signed off on.
We design and build it
Once the words are right, we design and build two versions. A live web proposal the buyer opens from a link, built to read well on a laptop or a phone. And a matching PDF for procurement, printing and the file. Both carry your brand, and both are built for this one buyer.
On the live version, readers can jump to the part they care about. Finance goes to pricing, operations goes to the rollout and the executive reads the summary. On the PDF, the same content sits in the same order, ready to print.
You send it
The proposal goes out from you, under your name. We'll help you think through the note that goes with it and the review call you should book before it leaves. More on that in following up on a proposal.
After it goes out
Deals change after the proposal goes out. A new stakeholder appears, the start date moves or the buyer asks for another option. Every proposal includes one round of updates within 30 days, and we host the live version for 12 months.
What we need from you
To do this well, we need a few things. Time with the person who knows the deal best, for the brief and the review. Honest answers about the competition and the risks. And quick turnaround on the draft review, since that's usually the step that decides how fast the whole thing moves.
What makes a good fit
We do our best work on deals where the proposal can change the outcome. Several people reading it, a real competitor and a number big enough that winning matters to your year. If the deal is small or already decided, we'll tell you so, and point you to a template that'll do the job.
Questions we hear before people start
How long does it take?
It depends on the build and how quickly your team reviews the draft. Tell us your deadline in the brief, and we'll tell you honestly whether we can meet it before you agree to anything.
Can you work from an RFP?
Yes. For a formal RFP, the Board build starts from the solicitation itself, with a compliance matrix and every required section, plus a portal-ready PDF and a live response for the people deciding.
What if we lose the deal anyway?
Some deals are lost on price, fit or timing, and no proposal changes that. When it happens, we'd like to hear why. A win/loss buyer interview is one of our add-ons, and it often teaches a team more than the win would have.
The short version
Brief, exact price, written draft, your review, design and build, then you send it. One round of updates within 30 days and 12 months of hosting come with it.
Start a proposal, or see the work first.
