proposal-writer

Client Proposal Writer

Produces proposals for service businesses — web development, consulting, trades, professional services, creative agencies. The goal is a document that wins the work by showing you understood the problem, have a clear plan, and are easy to work with.

Before You Start

Gather these inputs. Ask for anything missing:

1. Client name and business — who is this for, what do they do
2. What they asked for — the brief, the problem, the conversation summary
3. What you are proposing — your recommended solution at a high level
4. Pricing — your numbers, or ask for guidance on range
5. Timeline — how long, any fixed deadlines
6. Tone — match the client relationship (new vs existing, corporate vs casual, local tradie vs enterprise)

If the user has notes from a discovery call or email thread, use those to write the "project understanding" section in the client's own language.

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Proposal Structure

Present sections in this order. Every section earns its place — cut any that do not apply.

1. Project Understanding

This is the most important section. It proves you listened. Restate the client's problem in their words, not yours. Show you understand what they are trying to achieve, not just what they asked you to build.

Too corporate:

We understand that your organisation is seeking to leverage digital transformation to enhance customer engagement across multiple touchpoints and drive sustainable growth through an integrated online presence.

Right tone:

You have been running the business for 12 years on word-of-mouth alone, and it has worked — you are booked out most weeks. The problem is that when someone searches "plumber Newcastle" you do not show up, and you are losing jobs to competitors with half your experience. You want a website that shows up in local search and makes it easy for people to call or book online.

Rules for this section:

• Use the client's language, not industry jargon
• Reference specific details from the conversation ("you mentioned", "as we discussed")
• State the business problem, not just the technical requirement
• Keep it to 2-3 short paragraphs

2. Proposed Solution

High-level description of what you will do and why this approach makes sense for them. This is the "what and why", not the detailed scope.

Connect the solution back to their problem. "Because you need local customers to find you, we will build the site on WordPress with a focus on local SEO structure from day one" is better than "We will build a WordPress website with SEO."

One to two paragraphs. Save the detail for the scope section.

3. Scope and Deliverables

Numbered list of specific items the client will receive. Each item should be concrete enough that both parties can agree on whether it was delivered.

Too vague:

• Website design and development
• SEO optimisation
• Ongoing support

Right level of detail:

1. Custom WordPress website — up to 8 pages (Home, About, Services x4, Contact, Blog)
2. Mobile-responsive design matching your brand colours and logo
3. Local SEO setup — Google Business Profile optimisation, schema markup on all pages, location-based meta titles
4. Contact form with email notifications to your nominated address
5. Online booking integration with your existing Calendly account
6. Basic analytics setup (Google Analytics 4 + Google Search Console)
7. 30-minute training session on how to update content yourself
8. 30 days of post-launch support for bug fixes and minor adjustments

What is NOT included is just as important as what is. Add an exclusions note at the bottom of this section:

Not included in this scope: Ongoing content writing, paid advertising setup or management, additional pages beyond the 8 listed above, custom functionality not described here. These can be quoted separately if needed.

4. Timeline

Phases with durations or target dates. Show the client what happens when.

Phase	Duration	What happens
Discovery and planning	Week 1	Content gathering, sitemap sign-off
Design	Weeks 2-3	Homepage mockup, revision, remaining pages
Development	Weeks 3-5	Build, integrations, internal testing
Review and launch	Week 6	Client review, revisions, go-live

If there is a fixed deadline (event, season, campaign), state it and work the timeline back from it. Flag any dependencies on the client: "This timeline assumes content and images are provided by [date]."

5. Investment

Frame pricing as an investment, not a cost. Present confidently — no hedging, no apologising for the number.

Choose the pricing format that suits the project:

Single price (simple projects):

Investment: $4,500 + GST

This covers everything listed in the scope above — design, development, SEO setup, training, and 30 days of post-launch support.

Good / Better / Best packages (gives the client choice):

	Starter	Professional	Premium
Pages	5	8	12
Design	Template-based	Custom design	Custom + brand guide
SEO	Basic on-page	Local SEO package	Local SEO + content strategy
Support	14 days	30 days	90 days
Investment	$2,500	$4,500	$7,500

Package pricing works well when the client is unsure of scope. The middle option is typically where you want them to land — price it as the best value.

Line items (transparency-focused):

Item	Investment
Design (homepage + 7 inner pages)	$1,800
Development and integrations	$1,500
Local SEO setup	$600
Training and documentation	$300
30-day post-launch support	$300
Total	$4,500 + GST

Line items invite line-item negotiation ("Can we drop the training?"). Use when the client has asked for a breakdown or when transparency builds trust.

Value-based framing (optional addition to any format):

For context: businesses in your area that rank on the first page for "plumber Newcastle" report an average of 15-20 inbound enquiries per month. At your average job value, this site should pay for itself within the first 2-3 months of consistent rankings.

Only use value framing when you can back it up with real numbers or reasonable estimates. Do not invent statistics.

6. About Us

Brief credibility section. Two to three sentences, not a company history.

Jezweb has been building websites for Australian businesses since 2009. We work primarily with trades and service businesses in the Hunter Valley and across NSW. Over 200 active clients trust us to keep their sites running and ranking.

Include one or two proof points: years in business, number of clients, relevant case study, industry-specific experience. Skip the mission statement and founding story.

7. Next Steps

Clear, single call to action. Tell the client exactly what to do next.

To get started, reply to this email with a "go ahead" and we will send through an invoice for the first payment. We will then schedule a 30-minute kickoff call to gather your content and lock in the timeline.

Or:

If you are happy to proceed, sign the attached agreement and return it by [date]. We will invoice the deposit and start the discovery phase the following week.

Do not offer three different next steps. One action, clearly stated.

8. Terms

Keep it short and plain-language. Cover the essentials:

• Payment schedule — e.g., 50% deposit to commence, 50% on completion (or milestone-based for larger projects)
• Revision limits — e.g., 2 rounds of design revisions included; additional rounds at $X/hour
• Timeline assumptions — e.g., timeline assumes client feedback within 5 business days at each review point
• Ownership — e.g., all design files and code are yours once final payment is received
• What happens if scope changes — e.g., changes beyond the agreed scope will be quoted separately before work begins

Do not write a legal contract. This section sets expectations. If the client needs formal terms, reference a separate T&C document.

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Tone Rules

Confident, not arrogant. "We will" not "We would endeavour to." State what you will do as a matter of fact.

Specific, not vague. "8 pages" not "a multi-page website." "$4,500" not "competitive pricing." "Week 3" not "in due course."

Brief, not padded. If a section can be said in two sentences, do not write four. The client is busy. Respect that.

Human, not robotic. Write like you are explaining the plan to someone sitting across the table. Contractions are fine. First person is fine.

Honest about limits. If something is not included, say so up front. If there is a risk (timeline depends on client providing content), name it. Clients trust people who are straight with them.

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Avoid List

• Jargon the client will not understand. "Headless CMS with SSR via edge functions" means nothing to a plumber. Say "a fast, modern website that is easy for you to update."
• "We're passionate about..." Nobody is passionate about building websites for a plumbing company. You are good at it and you will do a thorough job. That is enough.
• Company history padding. "Founded in 2009 by Jeremy Dawes with a vision to..." — save it for the About page. The proposal is about the client, not about you.
• Burying the price. Put the investment section where the client expects it — after scope and timeline. Do not hide it on page 7 after three pages of methodology.
• Weasel words. "Up to", "as low as", "starting from" — be direct about what it costs.
• Promising what you cannot deliver. "Guaranteed first page rankings" or "Your investment will generate $X in revenue." If you cannot guarantee it, do not write it.

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Pricing Section Examples

Too corporate:

We are pleased to present our proposed investment framework for the delivery of the aforementioned scope of work. Our pricing model reflects our commitment to delivering exceptional value while maintaining the highest standards of quality and innovation in our deliverables.

Total proposed investment: $4,500.00 (exclusive of GST)

Right tone:

Investment: $4,500 + GST

That covers everything listed above — design, build, SEO setup, training, and a month of support after launch. No hidden fees.

Payment is split 50/50: half up front to get started, half when the site goes live.

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Output Format

Deliver the proposal as clean markdown with clear section headings. If the user needs a formatted file, offer to create it as markdown they can paste into Google Docs, Canva, or their proposal tool.

For proposals that need to look polished (PDF to a corporate client), suggest the user paste the content into their branded template. The skill produces the words, not the layout.

Match the regional tone of the client. Default to Australian English unless told otherwise.