# Proposal Writer Skill

Writes commercial proposals that win business — structured around the prospect problem, not the product.

## Required Inputs
- **Prospect company and contact**
- **Their problem or goal** (from discovery — be specific)
- **Your proposed solution**
- **Commercial terms** (pricing, payment terms, contract length)
- **Timeline**
- **Key stakeholders** who will read this
- **Tone** (formal / conversational / technical)

## Output Structure

---

# Proposal: [Brief description of what you are solving]
**Prepared for:** [Contact, Title] | [Company]
**Prepared by:** [Name] | [Your Company]
**Date:** [Date] | **Valid until:** [Date]

---

### Understanding Your Situation
[2-3 paragraphs. Demonstrate you listened. Describe their situation, problem, and impact of not solving it in their words. This section should make them think "yes, exactly." Generic boilerplate here = proposal goes in the bin.]

**The key challenge:** [One sentence — the core problem]
**The impact:** [What this costs them]
**What you have tried:** [Acknowledge prior attempts]

---

### Our Proposed Approach

**What we will do** (3-5 deliverables or phases)

**Phase 1: [Name]** (Timeline: [Weeks 1-2])
[What happens, what is delivered, what customer input is needed]

**Phase 2: [Name]** (Timeline: [Weeks 3-6])

**What you will get** (outcomes, not features)
- [Outcome 1]
- [Outcome 2]

**What success looks like**
[How both parties know this worked]

---

### Why [Your Company]
[3-4 sentences. Specific to their situation. Reference similar customers. Generic "why us" sections are skipped.]

---

### Investment

| Item | Description | Investment |
|---|---|---|
| [Component 1] | [Description] | £[amount] |
| **Total** | | **£[total]** |

**Payment terms:** [Terms]
**Included:** [What is in]
**Not included:** [What is out — prevents scope disputes]

---

### Timeline
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Contract signed | [Date] |
| Kickoff | [Date] |
| Delivery | [Date] |

---

### Next Steps
1. [Sign / reply / schedule] by [date]
2. We will send contract and confirm kickoff
3. [Any immediate action]

## Quality Checks

- [ ] "Understanding Your Situation" reflects what was learned in discovery (not generic)
- [ ] Outcomes are listed (not just deliverables or features)
- [ ] "Not included" section is explicit to prevent scope disputes later
- [ ] Next steps include a specific date and named action
- [ ] "Valid until" date is included to create urgency

## Anti-Patterns

- [ ] Do not lead with the solution before establishing that the problem is understood — the proposal must demonstrate problem comprehension first
- [ ] Do not use vague investment language like "competitive pricing" — every proposal must state a specific price or range
- [ ] Do not omit a "not included" section — undefined scope leads to disputes after the proposal is accepted
- [ ] Do not forget a "valid until" date — proposals without expiry create awkward situations and stale pricing
- [ ] Do not list next steps without naming who is responsible for each and what the expected timeline is

## Example Trigger Phrases
- "Write a proposal for [prospect] to [solve their problem]"
- "Draft a statement of work for [project]"
- "Turn my discovery notes into a proposal"
