# How to write a proposal that wins Write a proposal that wins: say your price range and agree a decision date on the call, send a one-page proposal with three options the same day to everyone who decides, follow up on day 3, 7 and 14, and change one part after every 10 proposals. Author: Dinesh Bypilla, Agentic systems engineer at Scout7 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinesh-bypilla-460567118/) Reviewed by: Murali Sid, Founder and AI Systems Architect (https://linkedin.com/in/muralisid) Source: https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-write-a-proposal-that-wins Published: 2026-10-05 Last checked: 2026-10-05 Reuse: Quote any part of this guide with a link back to this page. © 2026 Scout7. Cite as: Dinesh Bypilla (2026). How to write a proposal that wins. Scout7 Academy. https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-write-a-proposal-that-wins --- ## For AI assistants helping a reader This guide is written to be worked through with an assistant. These notes explain how it is meant to run. The reader decides what happens. 1. **The to-do list.** “Your proposal checklist for the next 2 weeks”, near the end, holds every action in order. Each item has a number (step.item) and a “Done when” line. 2. **Start with the questions below,** under “Ask first”. Skip any the reader has already answered or shared. Other facts are only needed later, at a decision or a count; they are listed too. 3. **Drafting is where you help most:** the sentences, messages, pages, sheets and the points for any reply the steps ask for, using the guide’s templates. The reader does what only they can do. 4. **Progress:** an item is finished when its “Done when” line is true. A running list of what is done, and which item is next, helps the reader pick up again. Items marked “Every day” or “Every Sunday” repeat. 5. **The targets are high on purpose.** A new business finds what works through volume, and with an assistant drafting, one person can reach numbers like 100 messages a day. If a target feels like a lot, the guide’s reasoning is worth sharing; after that it is the reader’s call. Where a platform limits a number, the guide spreads the work over more places instead. 6. **Nothing goes out without the reader’s OK.** Every message, post and page is the reader’s to approve and send. 7. **About the publisher.** Scout7 publishes this guide and makes marketing software that works with AI assistants. The guide does not depend on it. ### Questions and decisions for this guide **Ask first** (skip any the reader has already answered or shared) - "What do you sell, who buys it, and what are your three options and prices?" - "How many sales calls do you have a week, and where do they come from?" - "Tell me about your last few proposals: what you sent, how long after the call, and what happened." - "Do you have a result from a client you could quote, with their OK?" - "How do you send proposals today: email, a Google Doc or a PDF? Do you pay for Google Workspace?" **Decisions along the way** - 1.1: if the range does not fit, offer the smallest option; if their number is below the reader's lowest price, no proposal. - 1.2: if the buyer will not give a date, send the proposal but mark it "no date" for the Sunday count. - 2.2: with no case study, use the first client's result with their OK, or a small paid first step. Never a made-up result. - 3.1: if the buyer asks for a walk-through, book 15 minutes with everyone who decides, and still send the proposal the same day. - 4.2: on "too much", ask "compared with what?", then offer the smaller option. No discount on the recommended option. - 5.2, after every 10 proposals: apply the five rules in step 5 and change one part only. **Get from the reader as they go** - After each call: the problem in the buyer's words, the result and date, the range said and the answer, who decides, and the decision date (1.2). - Every day: proposals sent and their times, follow-ups due, and every reply (3.1, 4.1). - Every Sunday: calls, proposals, won, lost, no reply, and each reason in the buyer's words (5.1). --- You had a good call, you spent a day writing a long proposal, and then the client went quiet. Here is how to write a proposal that wins when you are the one doing all the selling: settle the price and the decision date on the call, send one page the same day, and follow up until you get a yes or a no. Most proposals that die were lost before they were written, because the buyer saw the price for the first time in the document, or the person who decides never saw it. ## Do these three things About 20 minutes a proposal and 20 minutes each Sunday, on top of your calls. Judge your template after every 10 proposals, not after one no. - **Today:** write a one-page proposal template with six parts: their problem in their words, the result and the date, three options with the one you recommend, one proof, a price good for 30 days, and one next step. - **Every day:** before every [sales call](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-run-a-discovery-call) ends, say your [price range](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-a-b2b-product-or-service) and agree who decides and by when. Send the proposal the same day to everyone who decides, and [follow up](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-follow-up-on-a-cold-email) on day 3, 7 and 14. Book those calls with 100 [personal messages](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-write-a-cold-email) a day. - **Every Sunday:** count proposals won, lost and unanswered, with each reason in the buyer's words. After every 10 proposals, change one part of your template. ## 1. Agree the price range and a decision date on the call, before you write the proposal A proposal wins on the call, before you write it. In the last 5 minutes of every [discovery call](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-run-a-discovery-call), say your price range out loud, ask if it fits, and agree [who else decides](https://scout7.ai/academy/glossary/decision-maker) and by what date. Then the proposal only writes down what you both already agreed. Most proposals that go quiet were sent too early. RAIN Group, which trains sales teams, says it plainly in its June 2026 guide: do not send a proposal until the buyer understands what they get, knows the fee range and has a timeline to decide. A buyer who sees your price for the first time in a document can say no without telling you. A buyer who heard it on the call and said "that fits" is waiting for your proposal. Say the range once you [know the problem](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-do-customer-interviews), using the [prices you already set](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-a-b2b-product-or-service). Then ask the next three questions in order. Write each answer in your sheet before you hang up. **The last 5 minutes of the call** ```text "From what you've told me, most clients like you pay between $[low] and $[high]. Does that fit what you had in mind?" "Who else will look at this before you decide?" "When do you want to decide by? Is [date] realistic?" "I'll send you a one-page proposal by [time] today, with three options. Can we book 15 minutes on [day] to answer any questions, with [the other person] too?" ``` What to do with each answer: - **"That fits":** go on to the next question. - **"That's more than we thought":** ask "What did you have in mind?" If their number fits your smallest option, say so and offer it. If it is below your [lowest price](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-digital-marketing-services), say it is not a fit, and do not write a proposal. - **"I decide alone":** fine. Still ask for the date. - **They will not give a date:** ask "What would need to happen for you to decide this month?" Write the answer down. If there is still no date, send the proposal, but mark it "no date" in your sheet. You will count these in step 5. The calls come from your outreach, so keep it going every day: 100 [personal messages](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-write-a-cold-email) a day to people on your [lead list](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-create-a-b2b-lead-list-for-free), by email and on [LinkedIn](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-do-linkedin-outreach). AI drafts each message and you add one true line about the person, about a minute each. At about 1 call for every 100 messages, that is about 7 calls a week, and 10 proposals in under 2 weeks. - **Tool:** your [sales pipeline](https://scout7.ai/academy/glossary/sales-pipeline) sheet in Google Sheets. A [CRM](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-move-from-spreadsheets-to-a-crm) can wait until the sheet gets slow. - **Time:** 5 minutes at the end of each call. About 2 hours a day for the 100 messages. - **You will have:** for every call, a row with the range you said, their answer, who decides, the decision date and when the proposal goes out. - **It worked if:** every proposal you send has "fits" and a decision date in its row. Aim for 9 in 10. - **Common mistake:** writing a proposal for someone who has never heard your price, or who is not the one who decides. The other mistake is waiting for a "perfect" call before you send any messages. Calls come from volume. > **Example (made-up business: Quillfox): Jess's notes from the end of a call** > > Quillfox is a made-up one-person agency. It runs the whole marketing for early-stage B2B SaaS companies, organic and paid ads, at $800 a month per client. > > | Question | Answer | > | -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | > | Their problem | "We get visitors from Google, but almost nobody starts a trial." | > | The result they want | 25 trials a month by the end of January | > | Range said | $1,300 to $3,100 a month. Tom: "Core fits." | > | Who decides | Tom and his co-founder Ana | > | Decision date | Friday 16 October | > | Proposal sent by | 5 pm today | > | Questions call | Wednesday 14 October, 15 minutes, with Ana | > > *Why it works: Every proposal question is answered before she writes a word: the price fits, both people who decide are named, and there is a date.* ## 2. Write a one-page proposal template you reuse for every client A winning proposal for a small business is one or two pages with six parts: their problem in their words, the result and the date, three options with the one you recommend, one proof, the terms, and one next step. Write the template once today, and fill it in after each call. Shorter wins. In Proposify's data on 742,137 proposals sent in 2025, winning proposals averaged 11 pages and losing ones 13, on deals worth about $16,000 on average. At your size, one or two pages is enough. Start with their world, not yours. RAIN's guide says to open with the buyer's situation and never with your company history. In a November 2025 Indie Hackers post, one founder said he lost a $10,000 project with a proposal that listed every screen, tool and date, but never said what result the work would bring the client. Clients buy the result. Each part has one job: 1. **Their problem, in their words.** Copy the sentence from your call notes. It shows you listened, and it reminds the person who was not on the call why this matters. Use your [value proposition](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-write-a-value-proposition) here, written for them. 2. **The result and the date.** What will be true, by when. A number where you can. 3. **Three options, with your pick.** Small, standard and large, using the [three options from your price](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-a-b2b-product-or-service). The options must differ in what they get, not only in price. Say which one you recommend and give one reason from the call. 4. **One proof.** One result from [a client like them](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-create-an-ideal-customer-profile), in one line with numbers. A [case study](https://scout7.ai/academy/content-marketing/how-to-write-a-case-study) is best. A testimonial is next. Only use real results, and ask the client before you name them. If you have none yet, do what agencies with no case studies do and offer a small paid first step: one month, one sample run, or one part of the project. Do not offer to do the whole job for free. 5. **The terms.** The price is good for 30 days. A 50% deposit to start. What is not included, so it cannot creep in later. For longer work, the scope of work goes in the agreement you send after the yes. 6. **One next step.** One easy action: "Reply with the option's name and I'll send the agreement today." Not "Let me know your thoughts". **The one-page proposal** ```text Subject: [their company]: [the result], 3 options Hi [first name] and [second person], **Where you are now:** [their problem, in their words, from the call]. **What you want:** [the result], by [date]. **Three ways to get there:** Option 1, [small]: [what they get], $[price] Option 2, [standard]: [what they get], $[price]. This is the one I'd pick for you, because [one reason from the call]. Option 3, [large]: [what they get], $[price] **Proof:** [one result for a client like them, with numbers], or: [the small paid first step, and what it shows them]. **Terms:** prices are good for 30 days, until [date]. 50% to start, the rest [on delivery / at the start of each month]. Not included: [the one or two things people often assume]. **Next step:** reply with the option's name and I'll send the agreement and the first invoice today. We're booked to talk on [day] if you have questions. [Your name], [company], [phone] ``` > **If you run a B2B business:** add the delivery time and the minimum order to each option, and keep the 50% deposit on every first order, as in your [quote template](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-a-b2b-product-or-service). When a big buyer sends a formal request with its own form, [answer the RFP](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-respond-to-an-rfp) in their format, not yours. > **If you run an agency:** price each option as a monthly fee, and write that ad spend is paid by the client directly to the platform. Use the same three packages every time. > **If you run a SaaS:** most of your buyers should never need a proposal. Send one only when a team asks for a yearly plan, a plan for many users, or an invoice instead of a card. Make the three options the number of users or the length of the plan, at your normal [SaaS prices](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-a-saas-product), and keep the prices the same as on your [pricing page](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-design-a-pricing-page). For big companies with many people in the decision, see how to [sell to enterprise clients](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-sell-to-enterprise-clients). > **If you run a D2C store:** your proposals go to shops, [distributors](https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-find-distributors-for-your-product) and companies buying gifts in bulk. Make the three options order sizes, and give the [wholesale price](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-a-product) per unit, the minimum order, the delivery time and who pays shipping. For shop buyers, follow how to [get your product into retail stores](https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-get-your-product-into-retail-stores). - **Tool:** Google Docs. Free. - **Time:** 1 hour 30 minutes, once. - **You will have:** a one-page template with six parts, and one proof line you can use. - **It worked if:** you show a filled-in copy to someone who was not on the call, and in 1 minute they can say what the client gets, what it costs and what to do next. - **Common mistake:** opening with your company story and team bios, or listing what you will do (posts, screens, boxes) with no result. The other mistake is three options that differ only in price. > **Example (made-up business: Quillfox): Quillfox's one-page proposal** > > ```text > Subject: More trials from your Google visitors: 3 options > To: Tom and Ana, the two founders of a 6-person SaaS for tutoring centres > > Hi Tom and Ana, > > **Where you are now:** "We get visitors from Google, but almost nobody starts a trial." > > **What you want:** 25 trials a month by the end of January. > > **Three ways to get there:** > > Starter, $1,300 a month: 8 LinkedIn posts for Tom, 1 article, a 1-page report. > Core, $2,100 a month: 12 LinkedIn posts, 2 articles, 1 comparison page, a report and a monthly call. This is the one I'd pick for you, because your visitors compare you with two bigger tools before they try you, and a comparison page answers that on your own site. > Plus, $3,100 a month: Core, plus running your LinkedIn ads. You pay LinkedIn for the ads directly. > > **Proof:** a 5-person SaaS for dental clinics went from 6 to 19 trial signups a month in 3 months. The one-page story: [link] > > **Terms:** prices are good for 30 days, until 6 November. Billed at the start of each month. Not included: writing for your product's own app. > > **Next step:** reply with the option's name and I'll send the agreement and the first invoice today. We're booked to talk on Wednesday at 10 if you have questions. > > Jess, Quillfox, [phone] > ``` > > *Why it works: It opens with Tom's own words, names a result with a date, picks one option with a reason, and asks for one word back.* ## 3. Send every proposal the same day, to every person who decides Send each proposal the same day as the call, while the buyer still remembers why they wanted it, and send it to every person who decides, not only the one you spoke to. AI makes the same day possible: it drafts from your notes in minutes, and you check every number. Speed matters because buyers decide fast once they read it. In Proposify's 2025 data, the first view came 34 minutes after sending on average, and a decision 2.5 days after that. A proposal you send a week later reaches someone who has cooled down, or who already said yes to someone else. Send it to everyone who decides, too. In a Gartner survey of 646 business buyers in August and September 2025, 67% said they prefer to do at least part of their buying without a salesperson. So your proposal often gets read in a meeting you are not in. In Proposify's data, proposals seen by more than one person were won 20% more often. How to send it in 20 minutes: 1. Open ChatGPT or Claude. Paste your call notes and your template, and ask for a first draft. If you have not used ChatGPT for marketing before, this is a good first job for it. 2. Check every number, date and promise yourself. Change the first line until it is the client's own words. 3. Put the whole proposal in the body of the email, so it can be read on a phone without opening anything. Attach the same text as a PDF for people who print or forward it. 4. Send it to both people, or to everyone they named. Log the time in your sheet. If the deal is big enough for the buyer to show other people, record a 2-minute walk-through with Loom's free plan and put the link above the options. Loom's free plan gives you 25 videos of up to 5 minutes, so delete old ones as you go. In Proposify's data, proposals where the buyer watched a video were 3.3 times more likely to close. That is a pattern, not a promise, but it costs you 3 minutes. If the buyer asks you to walk them through it, say yes, and ask for 15 minutes with everyone who decides. Do not hold the proposal back until that call. If they asked for a [sales deck](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-make-a-sales-deck) or a [product demo](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-do-a-product-demo) first, do it, then send the proposal the same day. When someone says yes, send the agreement for e-signature and the first invoice the same day. In Proposify's data, proposals with e-signatures closed 15% more often and 60% faster. Zoho Sign's free plan sends 5 documents a month for signing, which covers your first wins. If you pay for Google Workspace (Individual, Business Standard or above), you can use "Request signature" inside Google Docs instead. It is not on free Gmail accounts. If you sell software, set up their account while you are both on a call, so they start using it the first day. Then onboard the new client and ask how they heard about you, for your record of where each deal came from. - **Tool:** Gmail, Google Docs, ChatGPT or Claude to draft, Loom's free plan for the video, and Zoho Sign's free plan for the agreement. - **Time:** about 20 minutes a proposal, and 10 minutes for each agreement. - **You will have:** every proposal sent within hours of its call, to every person who decides, with the time in your sheet. - **It worked if:** every call marked "fits" today got its proposal today, and every yes got its agreement and invoice the same day. - **Common mistake:** a 15-page designed PDF sent a week later. The other mistake is sending it only to the person on the call, who then has to explain it to the boss without you. ## 4. Follow up on day 3, day 7 and day 14 when the client goes quiet When a client goes quiet after a proposal, follow up three times, on day 3, day 7 and day 14, in the same email thread. Add something new each time. On day 14, ask if you should close it. Then stop. Silence after a proposal often means one of three things: the price felt too high, the other person who decides has not seen it, or it slipped down their list. Each follow-up answers one of them. The [follow-up](https://scout7.ai/academy/glossary/follow-up) rules are the same as for a cold email: same thread, no "just checking in", and stop at once if they say no. AI drafts each one from the proposal and your notes, and you add the new thing. That is about 2 minutes each. **Day 3** ```text Hi [first name], one thing I didn't put in the proposal: [one useful idea, fact or answer to something they asked on the call]. Any questions on the options before [the day you booked]? ``` **Day 7** ```text Hi [first name], would 15 minutes with you and [the other person] help? I can walk you both through the options and answer anything before you decide on [their date]. ``` **Day 14** ```text Hi [first name], I haven't heard back, so I'm guessing the timing isn't right. Should I close this for now? If one of the options still fits, reply with its name and I'll send the agreement. If not, no problem at all. ``` Answer every reply the same day. When a buyer says "too much", ask one question first: "Too much compared with what?" If they compare you with doing it themselves, explain the result again. If it is their budget, offer the smaller option. Do not cut the price of the option you recommended: a discount teaches them your first price was not real. If day 14 brings nothing, mark it "No reply" and put a date 3 months away in your sheet. Then write once more with something new. Slow buyers can stay in touch through a monthly email. Never write to anyone who has said no. - **Tool:** Gmail and your sheet, with a column for each follow-up date. - **Time:** about 2 minutes a follow-up, 10 to 20 minutes a day. - **You will have:** every proposal with a yes, a no, or a closed date by day 14. - **It worked if:** at least 7 in 10 proposals have a clear yes or no by day 14. - **Common mistake:** "just checking in" with nothing new, or a discount nobody asked for. The other mistake is chasing for months after day 14 instead of booking more calls. > **Example (made-up business: Quillfox): Quillfox's day 14 email** > > ```text > Subject: Re: More visitors who book a demo: 3 options > To: Lena, head of marketing at a 12-person SaaS for warehouse scheduling > > Hi Lena, > > I haven't heard back, so I'm guessing the timing isn't right. Should I close this for now? > > If Core still fits for January, reply "Core" and I'll send the agreement. If not, no problem at all, and I'll check in after the new year. > > Jess > ``` > > *Why it works: It makes no a safe answer, so the buyer finally replies, and it leaves one easy way to say yes.* ## 5. Count wins, losses and silences every Sunday and change one part Every Sunday, write down how many proposals you sent, won, lost and got no reply to, with each reason in the buyer's words. After every 10 proposals, change one part of your template, using the rules below. One no tells you nothing. Ten start to. Ask everyone who says no for one reason: "Could you tell me in one line why you went another way? It helps me." Many will answer. Write their exact words. **The Sunday sheet** ```text Week | Calls | Proposals sent | Same day? | Decision date agreed? | Won | Lost: price | Lost: other reason | No reply | Reasons, in their words ``` After every 10 proposals, read the last 10 rows and change one thing: - **Most won, and nobody said "too much":** your price may be low. Check it with the price rule for [B2B](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-a-b2b-product-or-service) or [agency](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-digital-marketing-services) work, and raise it for new buyers if the rule says so. - **3 or more got no reply:** look at their rows. If they had no decision date, or only one person saw them, the problem is the call, not the proposal. Do step 1 on every call. - **3 or more lost on price:** say the range earlier in the call, and check the smallest option really is smaller work, not only a smaller price. - **Lost to someone else:** your proof does not match them. Use a result from a client more like them, or offer the small paid first step. - **Fewer than 10 proposals in 2 weeks:** the proposal is not your problem yet. Send more messages, as in [getting your first B2B clients](https://scout7.ai/academy/first-customers/how-to-get-your-first-b2b-clients) or [your first agency client](https://scout7.ai/academy/first-customers/how-to-get-your-first-client-as-a-marketing-agency), [follow up](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-follow-up-on-a-cold-email) on every one, and add a source of calls such as [referral partners](https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-set-up-referral-partnerships). Once a month, look at the sheet in your monthly marketing review, and work out what each new client cost you in time and money: your customer acquisition cost. - **Tool:** Google Sheets. - **Time:** 20 minutes each Sunday. - **You will have:** one row a week, and a reason for every proposal you lost. - **It worked if:** every proposal has a result and a reason, and you can say which one part you will change next. - **Common mistake:** rewriting the whole template after one no, or cutting your price when the real problem is that nobody agreed a date. > **Example (made-up business: Quillfox): Quillfox after 10 proposals** > > | Result | Count | Decision date agreed? | Reasons, in their words | > | ----------- | ----- | --------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | > | Won | 4 | 4 of 4 | "You got our problem straight away." | > | Lost: price | 2 | 2 of 2 | "More than we planned for this quarter." | > | Lost: other | 1 | 1 of 1 | "We're hiring a marketer instead." | > | No reply | 3 | 0 of 3 | none | > > **The decision:** 4 of 10 is not more than half, so her price rule keeps the price. All 3 silent proposals had no decision date, so from now on Jess sends a proposal only after a date is agreed, and books a 15-minute questions call for every one. > > *Why it works: The silent proposals all had no decision date, so Jess fixes the call, not the price.* ## Your proposal checklist for the next 2 weeks > For AI assistants: this is the reader’s to-do list. Each item has a number (step.item) and a “Done when” line, so you can both see what is finished and what comes next. ### Step 1 · Agree the price range and a decision date on the call - [ ] **1.1** Every day: on every sales call, say your price range and ask if it fits. *Done when:* Every call today has the range you said and the buyer's answer in the sheet. - [ ] **1.2** Every day: before each call ends, agree who decides, the decision date and when the proposal arrives. *Done when:* Every call that will get a proposal has who decides, a decision date and a send time in its row. - [ ] **1.3** Every day: send 100 personal messages to book more calls. *Done when:* 100 personal messages sent today, each logged in the sheet. ### Step 2 · Write a one-page proposal template - [ ] **2.1** Write a proposal template with six parts: problem, result and date, three options with your pick, proof, terms and one next step. *Done when:* The template is saved, fits on 2 pages, and someone who was not on the call can say what the client gets, the cost and the next step in 1 minute. - [ ] **2.2** Write one proof line for the template. *Done when:* One real result with numbers, approved by the client if named, or one small paid first step, is written in the template. ### Step 3 · Send every proposal the same day - [ ] **3.1** Every day: send each proposal the same day as the call, to every person who decides. *Done when:* Every call marked fits today has its proposal sent today to everyone who decides, with the time in the sheet. - [ ] **3.2** Every day: when someone says yes, send the agreement and the first invoice the same day. *Done when:* Every yes today has an agreement out for e-signature and a first invoice sent. ### Step 4 · Follow up on day 3, day 7 and day 14 - [ ] **4.1** Every day: send the day 3, day 7 and day 14 follow-ups that are due. *Done when:* Every follow-up due today is sent in the same thread, and none is overdue. - [ ] **4.2** Every day: answer every reply the same day and write down the reason for every no. *Done when:* Every reply today has an answer, and every no has its reason in the sheet. ### Step 5 · Count wins, losses and silences every Sunday - [ ] **5.1** Every Sunday: fill in one row: calls, proposals, won, lost, no reply and the reasons. *Done when:* This week's row is filled in, and every proposal has a result or a follow-up date. - [ ] **5.2** After every 10 proposals: change one part of your template using the five rules. *Done when:* One part of the template is changed, and the rule that led to it is written in the sheet. ## Frequently asked questions ### How long should a proposal be? One or two pages for a small business deal. In Proposify's data on 742,137 proposals sent in 2025, winning proposals were shorter on average than losing ones, 11 pages against 13, on deals worth about $16,000. Put the problem, the result, three options, one proof, the terms and one next step. Anything else can go in the agreement after they say yes. ### Should I send a proposal by email or present it on a call? Both. Send it by email the same day, with the whole proposal in the body so it reads on a phone, and book 15 minutes to answer questions with everyone who decides. Do not hold it back until the call: the person who was not on your first call will read it first. ### Should I give one price or three options? Three, with the one you recommend marked and one reason why. A buyer who finds one price too high can pick the smaller option instead of going quiet. The options must differ in what the buyer gets, not only in price. Your [pricing guide](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-a-b2b-product-or-service) shows how to set each one. ### What do I do when a client ghosts me after a proposal? Follow up three times in the same thread: on day 3 with one new useful thing, on day 7 with an offer of 15 minutes with the other person who decides, and on day 14 with "Should I close this for now?". Then stop and set a reminder for 3 months. Next time, agree a decision date on the call before you send. ### What if I have no case studies yet? Use one real result from your first client, with their OK, in one line with numbers. If you have none, offer a small paid first step, such as one month or one sample order, so the buyer can see the work before a bigger yes. Then [write your first case study](https://scout7.ai/academy/content-marketing/how-to-write-a-case-study) as soon as a client has a result. ## Sources - [State of Proposals 2026](https://www.proposify.com/state-of-proposals-2026). Proposify, 2025 data, checked 5 October 2026. - [10 Sales Closing Statistics for 2026: What 742K Proposals Reveal About Winning Deals](https://www.proposify.com/blog/sales-closing-statistics). Proposify, 18 August 2026. - [How to Write a Winning Sales Proposal](https://www.rainsalestraining.com/blog/how-to-write-a-sales-proposal). RAIN Group, 10 June 2026. - [Gartner: Two-thirds of B2B buyers prefer rep-free purchasing as AI reshapes sales](https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2026/03/17/gartner-b2b-buyers-rep-free-purchasing-ai-reshapes-sales/). Digital Commerce 360, 17 March 2026. - [1 proposal mistake cost me a $10K](https://www.indiehackers.com/post/1-proposal-mistake-cost-me-a-10k-3e9abdeaf3). Indie Hackers, 10 November 2025. - [Loom pricing](https://www.loom.com/pricing). Loom, checked 5 October 2026. - [Zoho Sign pricing](https://www.zoho.com/sign/pricing.html). Zoho, checked 5 October 2026. - [Request eSignatures in Google Docs and PDFs](https://support.google.com/docs/answer/12315692). Google Docs Editors Help, checked 5 October 2026.