proposal-writer
Expert sales proposal and pricing presentation strategist. Use when writing proposals, executive summaries, ROI business cases, pricing presentations, SOWs (Statement of Work), RFP responses, or competitive positioning documents. Covers proposal structure, terms positioning, design formatting, follo
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Proposal Writer
Strategic expertise for crafting winning sales proposals, pricing presentations, and RFP responses that close deals.
Philosophy
Great proposals don't describe your product. They describe your buyer's future success .
The best sales proposals:
1. Lead with outcomes, not features — Buyers care about their results, not your capabilities
2. Make the decision easy — Remove friction, objections, and confusion
3. Tell a story — Context → Challenge → Solution → Success
4. Respect the reader's time — Every section earns its place
How This Skill Works
When invoked, apply the guidelines in rules/ organized by:
structure — Proposal architecture, components, flow
executive — Executive summary, C level communication
pricing — Pricing presentation, anchoring, packaging
sow — Statement of Work, deliverables, timelines
rfp — RFP response strategy, compliance, win themes
design — Formatting, layout, visual hierarchy
strategy — Competitive positioning, follow up, negotiation
Core Frameworks
The Proposal Pyramid
Proposal Types by Deal Stage
Type Purpose Length Timeline
One Pager Early qualification 1 page Same day
Solution Brief Mid funnel engagement 3 5 pages 2 3 days
Full Proposal Final presentation 8 15 pages 5 10 days
RFP Response Formal bid Variable Per deadline
SOW Contract scope 3 10 pages Post verbal
The CLOSE Framework
Every proposal section should CLOSE:
C ontext — Where the buyer is today
L oss — What it's costing them (pain)
O utcome — The desired future state
S olution — How you get them there
E vidence — Proof it works
Pricing Presentation Matrix
Element Purpose Placement
Value Summary Anchor on ROI before price Before pricing
Investment Options Give control, not ultimatum 2 3 tiers
Package Comparison Make preferred option obvious Side by side table
Terms & Conditions Reduce friction After pricing
Next Steps Create momentum Final section
Proposal Win Factors
Proposal Components
Component Required Purpose Common Mistakes
Cover Page Yes First impression, branding Generic, no personalization
Executive Summary Yes Decision maker snapshot Too long, feature focused
Understanding Yes Prove you listened Assumptions, not discovery
Solution Overview Yes What you propose Feature dump
Approach/Methodology Depends How you'll do it Too technical
Timeline Yes When they get value Unrealistic dates
Investment Yes Total cost of ownership Hidden costs surface later
Team/About Us Optional Build confidence Self congratulatory
Case Studies Recommended Social proof Irrelevant industry
Terms & Conditions Yes Protect both parties Buried gotchas
Next Steps Yes Drive action Vague, no urgency
Anti Patterns
Feature dumping — Listing everything you can do vs. what they need
One size fits all — Using templates without customization
Price first — Showing cost before establishing value
Competitor bashing — Direct attacks backfire; focus on your strengths
Wall of text — No visual hierarchy, hard to scan
Jargon overload — Internal terminology the buyer doesn't know
Missing next steps — Proposal ends with no clear action
Over promising — Timelines and outcomes you can't deliver
Ghosting — No follow up strategy after sending