proposal

/octave:proposal - Octave-Powered Proposal Builder

Generate formal business case and proposal documents powered by your Octave GTM intelligence. These are the documents that close deals — sent to champions to sell internally, shared with procurement, and presented to executives. Unlike a one-pager (summary) or a deck (live presentation), proposals are comprehensive, customer-facing documents built for async review, internal circulation, and executive sign-off.

The output is a multi-section scrollable HTML document with a sticky table of contents, print-friendly layout, and the same CSS variable / style preset system as /octave:deck.

Usage

/octave:proposal <target> [--style <preset>]

Examples

/octave:proposal acme.com                                # Full proposal for Acme
/octave:proposal acme.com --style executive-dark         # With specific style
/octave:proposal "enterprise security platform deal"     # Context-based
/octave:proposal acme.com --style midnight-pro           # Dark professional style
/octave:proposal "renewal for DataCorp Q2"               # Renewal proposal

Instructions

When the user runs /octave:proposal:

Step 1: Understand the Context

If not provided via flags or obvious from the prompt, ask the user interactively:

Target — "Who is this proposal for?"

Who is this proposal for?

Provide any of the following:
- Company domain (e.g., acme.com)
- Person name or email (e.g., jane@acme.com)
- Deal context (e.g., "enterprise security platform deal with Acme")

Target:

Stage — "Where is this deal?"

What stage is this deal in?

1. Early exploration — they're interested, you're making the case
2. Mid-funnel evaluation — they're comparing options, full persuasion needed
3. Late-stage decision — they know the product, focus on commercials
4. Renewal — existing customer, results + what's next

Your choice:

Stage	Impact on Proposal
Early exploration	Concise, don't overwhelm. Focus on problem + solution + proof.
Mid-funnel evaluation	Comprehensive. Full persuasion with every section.
Late-stage decision	Commercial focus. Investment, implementation, next steps.
Renewal	Backward-looking results + forward-looking roadmap.

Champion — "Who will use this document internally?"

Who is your champion — the person who will circulate this internally?

Provide name, title, or role (e.g., "Sarah Chen, VP Engineering").
If unknown, I'll write for a general executive audience.

Champion:

Key Concerns — "Any known objections or priorities?"

Are there known objections, requirements, or priorities?

Examples:
- "They're worried about implementation timeline"
- "Security compliance is a hard requirement"
- "Competing against Gong and Chorus"
- "Budget is tight, need strong ROI story"

Key concerns (or skip):

Pricing — "Include pricing?"

Should the proposal include a pricing / investment section?

1. Yes — I'll include it (provide pricing details or I'll frame it)
2. No — leave pricing out
3. TBD — include a placeholder section

Your choice:

Step 2: Octave Context Gathering

Based on the target, stage, champion, and concerns, use Octave MCP tools to build rich context. Always tell the user what you're researching and why.

Call as many tools as needed to build a complete picture. Proposals demand depth — company enrichment + playbook messaging + proof points + conversation intel + competitive context all combine to create a document that feels tailored, not templated. Don't stop at one tool when five would give you a stronger narrative.

Not every tool applies to every proposal. Use your judgment about which are relevant to this specific situation. The tables below show what's available — pick the combination that produces the most compelling case.

List vs Search — when to use which:

Tool	Purpose	Use when...
list_all_entities({ entityType })	Fetch all entities of a type (minimal fields)	You want a quick inventory — "show me all our proof points"
list_entities({ entityType })	Fetch entities with full data (paginated)	You need the actual content — "get full proof point details"
get_entity({ oId })	Deep dive on one specific entity	You found something relevant and need the complete picture
search_knowledge_base({ query })	Semantic search across library + resources	You have a concept or question — "how do we help in healthcare?"
list_resources() / search_resources({ query })	Uploaded docs, URLs, Google Drive files	You need reference material, existing proposals, pricing docs

Rule of thumb: Use list_* when you know what type of thing you want. Use search_* when you know what topic you're looking for.

Follow-up proposals — ground them in what actually happened:

If this proposal follows previous interactions with the account (demo, discovery call, pilot), pull findings and events to anchor the narrative in real data rather than generic positioning:

• list_findings({ query: "<company or contact>", startDate: "<relevant period>" }) — surfaces what was actually said in calls: objections raised, features requested, pain points confirmed, competitor mentions
• list_events({ filters: { accounts: ["<account_oId>"] } }) — deal stage changes, meetings held, emails sent — shows the journey so far
• get_event_detail({ eventOId }) — deep dive on specific events to pull exact context

This turns a generic proposal into "here's what we heard from you, and here's exactly how we're addressing it."

---

See octave-tool-reference.md for the full tool reference tables (company/contact research, playbooks, proof points, competitive context, conversation history, and resources).

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Output of this step: Present a structured proposal outline to the user for approval before generating.

See proposal-outline-template.md for the structured proposal outline template.

Wait for user approval before proceeding.

Step 3: Style Selection

Proposals should feel premium and professional. The default recommendation depends on the audience:

Audience	Recommended Default
Enterprise / executive	executive-dark
Technical / modern	midnight-pro
Conservative / traditional	paper-minimal
General	executive-dark

Ask the user:

How would you like to style the proposal?

1. Use recommended — [preset name] (best for [audience])
2. Pick from presets — show me all 12 options
3. Use my brand — extract from a website or provide brand assets
4. Surprise me — auto-pick based on context

Your choice:

If user picks "Show me all 12 options":

See style-presets.md for the full list of 12 style presets grouped by theme.

Full CSS variable definitions for each preset are in the deck skill's style-presets.md.

Brand extraction is encouraged for proposals. A proposal that carries the customer's or your own brand colors looks significantly more professional and intentional. Follow the same brand discovery flow as /octave:deck Step 3 (browser-use > WebFetch > manual fallback).

Step 4: Generate HTML

Build a single, self-contained HTML file. No external dependencies except Google Fonts. Everything else inlined.

Output Directory

Every proposal gets its own folder under .octave-proposals/:

.octave-proposals/
└── <kebab-case-name>-<YYYY-MM-DD>/
    ├── <name>.html                    # Final HTML proposal
    └── <name>-content.md              # Markdown export (if requested)

Example: /octave:proposal acme.com -> .octave-proposals/acme-corp-proposal-2026-02-11/acme-corp-proposal.html

The entire .octave-proposals/ directory is in .gitignore — nothing here gets committed.

Section Selection by Stage

Not all sections appear in every proposal. Stage determines what's included:

Stage	Sections Included	Notes
Early exploration	Cover, TOC, Exec Summary, Challenge, Solution, Proof, Next Steps	Keep it concise, don't overwhelm
Mid-funnel evaluation	All sections (1-11)	Full persuasion, comprehensive
Late-stage decision	Cover, TOC, Exec Summary, Investment, Implementation, Next Steps	They know the product, focus on commercials
Renewal	Cover, TOC, Exec Summary (results achieved), Solution (what's new), Investment, Next Steps	Backward-looking + forward

Document Sections — Full Proposal

See document-sections.md for the full specification of each of the 11 proposal sections.

HTML Architecture

See html-architecture.md for the core HTML structure scaffold and required print styles.

Key Differences from Deck HTML

Concern	Deck	Proposal
Layout	Full-viewport slides, scroll-snap	Scrollable document, max-width content
Navigation	Nav dots, keyboard slide-to-slide	Sticky sidebar TOC with anchor links
Content density	Strict per-slide limits	Paragraphs, long-form content allowed
Print	Not a priority	Critical — buyers print proposals
Page breaks	N/A	Between major sections for printing
Typography	Display/impact focused	Readability focused, longer line heights
Width	Full viewport	Max 850px content + 220px sidebar
Animation	Entrance animations per slide	Subtle — scroll-based fade-in at most

Typography Recommendations

Proposals benefit from serif headings paired with sans-serif body text for a formal, authoritative feel:

Preset	Heading Font	Body Font
executive-dark	Playfair Display	Inter
midnight-pro	Inter	Inter
paper-minimal	Libre Baskerville	Source Sans 3
swiss-modern	Inter	Inter

For brand-extracted styles, prefer the brand's own fonts. If none are available, default to the heading/body pairing from the chosen preset.

Content Writing Guidelines

Proposals are persuasive documents, not feature lists. Follow these principles:

1. Lead with their world, not yours. Open every section from the customer's perspective.
2. Ground in specifics. Use company name, industry data, conversation quotes. Generic = ignored.
3. Quantify everything. "Reduce onboarding time by 60%" beats "Faster onboarding."
4. One idea per paragraph. Executives skim. Make every paragraph earn its place.
5. Active voice. "We deploy in 4 weeks" not "Deployment is completed in 4 weeks."
6. Address objections before they arise. If you know a concern, handle it in the relevant section.
7. End every section with a forward pull. Give the reader a reason to keep going.

Step 5: Delivery

After generating the HTML file:

1. Open the proposal in the default browser
2. Present a summary:

See delivery-summary.md for the PROPOSAL READY summary template.

Stakeholder variants: If the user asks for a version for a different audience (e.g., "make one for the CTO"), adjust:

• Emphasis: shift from business value to technical architecture
• Language: match the stakeholder's domain
• Sections: add/remove appendix items, shift proof points to technical ones
• Tone: executive = strategic, technical = detailed, procurement = ROI-focused

PDF export guidance:

To save as PDF (recommended for sharing):

1. Open the proposal in your browser (already open)
2. Press Cmd+P (Mac) or Ctrl+P (Windows)
3. Set margins to "Default" or "Minimum"
4. Enable "Background graphics" for colors and styling
5. Select "Save as PDF"

The proposal is designed with page breaks between sections for clean printing.

MCP Tools Used

Research & Enrichment

• enrich_company — Full company intelligence profile
• enrich_person — Full person intelligence report
• find_person — Find contacts at a company by title/role
• qualify_company — ICP fit scoring for a company
• qualify_person — ICP fit scoring for a person

Library — Fetching Entities

• list_all_entities — Quick scan of all entities of a type (minimal fields)
• list_entities — Fetch entities with full data and pagination
• get_entity — Deep dive on one specific entity
• get_playbook — Retrieve a playbook with full content and value props
• list_value_props — Value propositions for a specific playbook

Library — Searching

• search_knowledge_base — Semantic search across library entities and resources
• list_resources — Browse uploaded docs, URLs, and Google Drive files
• search_resources — Semantic search across uploaded resources

Intelligence & Signals

• list_findings — Recent conversation findings and insights
• list_events — Deal events (won, lost, created, stage changes)
• get_event_detail — Full details for a specific event

Content Generation

• generate_call_prep — Synthesized prep brief for accounts
• generate_content — Generate positioning or messaging content

Brand & Style

• list_all_entities (entityType: "brand_voice") — Available brand voices in workspace
• list_writing_styles — Available writing styles in workspace

Error Handling

Octave Connection Failed:

Could not connect to your Octave workspace.

The proposal builder can still work without Octave — you'll provide the content manually, and I'll handle structure, style, and HTML generation.

To reconnect: check your MCP configuration or run /octave:workspace status

Company Not Found:

I couldn't find detailed intelligence for [domain].

Options:

1. Proceed with what we have — I'll use general positioning from your library
2. Try a different domain
3. Provide company context manually and I'll build the proposal

No Proof Points Available:

No proof points or references matched this account's industry or use case.

Options:

1. Proceed without a Proof of Results section
2. Add generic proof points (I'll use your best available)
3. Provide case study details manually
4. Skip for now and add later

No Pricing Information:

No pricing resources found in your workspace.

Options:

1. Provide pricing details and I'll format them
2. Include a TBD placeholder — "Investment details to be discussed"
3. Omit the investment section entirely

No Matching Playbook:

No playbook matches this audience profile directly.

I'll use your general value props and positioning. After the proposal is built, consider creating a playbook for this segment.

Related Skills

• /octave:deck — Presentation version of the pitch (for live presenting)
• /octave:one-pager — Summary version (when a full proposal is too heavy)
• /octave:brief — Internal prep document (for your team, not the customer)
• /octave:research — Deeper research on the account before writing
• /octave:battlecard-doc — Competitive reference document (if competitor in deal)
• /octave:generate — Generate content with brand voice control
• /octave:pipeline — Deal-level strategy and coaching