Your sales proposals should show a future in which your product or service solves your prospective customers’ problems.
Unfortunately, it’s easy to fall into the trap of making your sales proposal too long, vague or generic.
Understanding what it takes to write an effective proposal can make winning new business faster and easier.
This guide will walk you through the steps to writing impactful sales proposals, what to do after sending one and how Pipedrive can help in the process. We’ll also share a sales proposal template for drafting a professional, convincing document every time.
Key takeaways for creating sales proposals
A sales proposal is a document that helps you win new clients by outlining their problem and demonstrating how your solution solves it.
The best sales proposals are well-researched, clearly structured, tailored to the buyer’s situation and backed by social proof.
After you send a proposal, the deal will move forward, fall through or go quiet. Timely follow-up makes the biggest difference in what happens next.
Use Pipedrive to create, send, track and follow up on proposals in one place. Try it free.
What is a sales proposal?
A sales proposal, also known as a business proposal, project proposal or executive summary, is a document you use to pitch your services or products to potential customers.
Sales proposals are useful for sales reps, consultants, agencies and anyone looking to promote their offerings to a target market.
A good sales proposal will help you:
Show you understand your prospect’s needs. It proves that you’ve researched customer needs based on your previous conversations or their request for proposal (RFP).
Convince your prospect that you offer the best solution. A great proposal links your prospect’s pain points with the benefits of your offer.
Inspire your prospect to take action. It gives your buyer all the information they need to make a decision, including clarity around budget, deliverables and next steps (e.g., a specific call to action or CTA).
Ultimately, a winning sales proposal conveys the value of working with you. It’s authentic, clear and tailored to your prospect’s needs and expectations.
Sales proposal template
Each proposal should be unique to the prospective client and the solution you’re offering, but that doesn’t mean you must start from scratch every time.
A sample sales proposal, example PDF or template with the key building blocks can give you an excellent foundation to work from.
Get a free download of Pipedrive’s sales proposal template with example content.
Download your guide to perfecting your sales proposals
Depending on your market, you may need to include industry-specific information in your proposal. Our template includes sample add-ons that let you use it as a real estate or consulting proposal template.
How to write a sales proposal: 6 simple steps
A good sales proposal shows you understand the buyer’s situation, explains why your solution fits and spells out what happens next.
Here’s how to put together a sales business proposal that’s easy to read and helps prospects move forward with your company.
1. Research your prospect deeply
If you don’t fully understand your target customers’ needs, your proposal will sound generic, no matter how well written it is.
Beyond knowing your prospect’s industry and company size, you need to understand what they’re trying to fix, why it matters now and how they make decisions.
Research their:
Objectives | What problems and challenges do they want to solve? |
Budget | Is there any room for negotiation or is it a fixed amount? |
Stakeholders and decision-makers | Who do you have to tailor your message to and how should you deliver it? |
Urgency | Is this a burning issue or something they’re taking slowly? |
Look for patterns in your discovery calls, emails and any RFP they’ve shared.
Is the prospect worried about losing deals? Lacking visibility? Spending too much time on manual work? Those themes should shape your proposal.
Add more context to your prospect’s story by gathering details like:
Recent news about their company (especially on funding rounds or significant hires)
Content they’re sharing on social media
Conversations they’re having on social media
Interviews they’ve given
Conferences and trade shows they attend
Online groups (e.g., Facebook groups, Slack communities, LinkedIn groups and X chats) they’re active in
While you probably won’t use these insights directly in your proposal, they can make your writing more specific. They’ll help you understand more about why the client is looking for a new solution and let you emphasize things that matter to them.
For example, if you see a prospect complaining online about reporting taking too long, you can tweak your proposal to lead with faster access to insights over other features.
As you gather information, note the words and phrases your potential customers use to describe their situation. Include these in your proposal to make buyers feel heard.
2. Analyze your top customers
Looking at your history with your best customers can give you insights into how to approach new clients.
Your top customers are those who have:
Been with you the longest
Spent the most money with you
Made the most repeat purchases
Referred the most business to you
Look into these customers’ journeys with your company to see what worked.
Review customer service logs, emails and sales call notes in your CRM for information on their objectives, budget, urgency and pain points.
What concerns did they have? What moved them to the next stage of your sales process?
Look at the proposals you wrote for these top clients. While you shouldn’t use the same proposal word for word, a template based on them can provide a strong starting point.
3. Identify your unique selling proposition
A unique selling proposition (USP) is a statement that differentiates your products and brand from the competition by speaking directly to the problems you solve.
It’s not just a tagline on your website. It’s the backbone of all your communications, including branding, marketing, PR, customer service and sales conversations.
For example, say you’re a real estate agent preparing a property proposal. You want to communicate:
Your advantage over other agents
A process or experience unique to you
Credibility based on results you’ve achieved
Instead of a vague statement of your qualifications, you’d write something that shows your strengths, such as:
I help more first-time home buyers than any other real estate agent in [city/country]. More than [X%] of our clients are first-time buyers.
I use my bespoke [X-step] system to sell your house at full market value in [time period].
A strong USP helps your business stand out, establishes credibility and gives future customers confidence in your solution.
Remember to frame your USP around the specific problem your prospect is trying to solve. For example, a SaaS company’s USP might be fast setup. In a proposal, that could mean getting started quickly for smaller teams and smooth onboarding and rollout for larger teams.
Note: Your selling proposition may be unique to your brand but looking at successful companies’ USPs can provide helpful inspiration. Consider the tools your business swears by or the products you use at home and see how they pitch their solutions.
3. Outline your sales proposal
A well-structured proposal is easier to evaluate, share and approve, which speeds up your prospect’s decision-making.
Create an outline that flows logically from problem to solution to action. The goal is to draw focus to important sections and avoid repetition.
Most sales proposal formats include these standard building blocks:
- Title page with company name
- About us (company background)
- Goals and challenges
- Proposed solution and approach
- Scope and deliverables
- Pricing
- Timelines with key dates
- Case studies and testimonials
- Terms and conditions
- Next steps (solution selection, space for signature and date)
Not every proposal needs every section, but the structure should reflect how the buyer thinks through decisions. Start with context, explain the solution, then address cost and risk.
Using a sales proposal template makes this process easier. You can customize the content for each prospect while sticking to a proven framework.
4. Draft the proposal using business writing best practices
Strong writing helps buyers understand your proposal quickly, makes it easy to navigate and inspires action.
Websites, social media ads, billboards and other forms of marketing all rely on clear, powerful writing. The same is true for writing proposals.
Here are five writing best practices to keep in mind:
Break up your text. Headings, bullets, short paragraphs and legible fonts make it easier for readers to skim your sales pitch and pick out information they care about.
Use storytelling principles. When each part leads naturally to the next, buyers can effortlessly follow your thinking and justify the pricing.
Only make it as long as it needs to be. Avoid unnecessary words and filler text as they can draw focus away from your key message and delay decision-making.
Use active voice. Make your copy more engaging and immediate (e.g., “see the results” instead of “the results can be seen here”) to build confidence and drive action.
Use high-quality graphics. When used strategically, visuals can amplify your message and explain complex ideas faster than plain text.
AI writing tools like Grammarly and ProWritingAid can help you sharpen the language, catch small typos and keep messaging clear throughout your proposal.
5. Include case studies and testimonials
Providing use cases or proof from existing customers who have seen success with you in the past reassures prospects that your solution works.
Evidence is especially important when the decision feels risky or involves multiple stakeholders. Case studies and testimonials help build that confidence by demonstrating how your product or service helped similar clients achieve strong results.
Choose customer stories that mirror the prospect’s situation as closely as possible. Focus on:
The problem the customer faced
How your solution addressed the problem
What results the customer achieved
The more specific your results are, the better. For example, explaining how a team saved five hours a week by reducing manual work is more convincing than simply saying “saved time”.
Similarly, testimonials are more effective when they’re specific.
A quote like “we used to spend every Friday afternoon pulling reports, but now it takes ten minutes” gives prospects a better idea of how your solution fits into day-to-day work than “this tool made our work easier”.
Where you place proof matters too. You could include a dedicated section in your proposal or add a short testimonial near pricing to reinforce value when buyers are evaluating cost.
6. Make it easy to move the deal forward
Once prospects know what you’re offering, they need to know what steps to take next.
Simplify the process and include as few steps as possible to avoid stalling the client at this crucial stage.
For instance, if clients need to sign a contract, consider an automated selection that lets them e-sign instantly.
What is a request for proposal (RFP)?
Often, when you write a business sales proposal, it’s a response to a request for proposal (RFP sales).
An RFP is a written document a company creates when looking for a service provider to work with. It’s a description of a problem or project and an invitation to submit a proposal for your solution.
A helpful RFP will outline the details of the problem or project, such as:
Background
Scope and goals
Timeline for proposal submission and review
Proposal evaluation criteria
Budget
Timeline for deliverables
On top of project specifics, a detailed RFP will also briefly cover the company’s background, including their main offerings and target market.
Think of a request for proposal as a map. It shows you how to approach the prospect and ensures you provide only the information they need.
On the surface, it may seem limiting because you’ll want to share everything about your product, but it’s important to include only the most necessary information.
Your bid proposal (the document you write in response) should address how your product or solution will meet all the needs outlined in the RFP. Include relevant information to your proposal, such as:
The key features of your offering
Your approach and methodology
Key people and their background and expertise
Relevant success stories from past customers
Your prospect will use a request for proposal to compare vendors (i.e., every company competing to win their business) objectively. So, how do you start writing a great sales proposal?
How to write your sales proposal in 5 steps
If you’re still wondering how to create an effective business proposal, follow these five steps.
Step 1: Understand what your prospect is looking for
What does your prospect want to achieve? What problem are you solving? Make sure you’re crystal clear on the need by studying the RFP and asking direct questions during your lead qualification conversations
Consider all the pain points your prospect is experiencing and any steps they’ve taken to address them. Answer any other helpful questions. For instance:
Was there a sense of urgency in your prospect’s RFP sales or their conversations with you?
Who is the decision-maker? Is there more than one? What are their roles?
How will solving this problem impact your prospect? (e.g., it’ll increase their revenue or reduce risk)
Have they specified the type of solution they’re looking for? (e.g., software, consulting or outsourcing)
Step 2: Dive into deeper research
The first step was all about clarifying information from your prospect.
The second step is about gathering details you find on your own. Aim to add more context to their story, which you can use to send more targeted messages.
Find details like:
Recent news about their company (especially on funding rounds or significant hires)
Content they’re sharing on social media
Conversations they’re having on social media
Interviews they’ve given
Conferences and trade shows they attend
Online groups (e.g., Facebook groups, Slack communities, LinkedIn groups and X chats) they’re active in
While you probably won’t use these insights directly in your proposal, they can make your writing more specific. They’ll help you understand more about why the client is looking for a new solution and let you emphasize things that matter to the prospect.
Step 3: Outline your sales proposal
No matter how specific your prospect’s needs are, your proposal will include most or all of these standard building blocks:
Title, front page and cover letter
Your company name
About us (company background)
Challenges and goals/outcomes
Proposed solutions
Pricing
Timeline with key dates
Case studies
Client testimonials
Terms
Next steps (solution selection, space for signature and date)
Start with an outline so you’ll know where to begin filling in relevant research and information about your solution.
Step 4: Draft your sales proposal
Turn the bullet points from your outline into the subheaders for your proposal. Draft the text for each subheader, drawing from your research and the RFP.
The goal is to make your proposal clear and succinct. For most scenarios, two to three pages are enough. However, include any information you think will help you make your case.
Step 5: Edit and proofread
Let your first sales proposal draft breathe for a couple of hours or a day if time allows. Returning to it with fresh eyes may help you notice things you’ve forgotten to include or opportunities for more clarity.
Use these editing guidelines to revise your sales proposal and tailor it to your prospective clients:
Order your pricing from high to low
Replace or eliminate jargon or complex statements
Shorten sentences when possible
Note where visuals could add value
Use a consistent tone of voice throughout (don’t go from formal to casual)
Confirm that the order of sections makes sense and flows naturally
Finally, ensure your sales proposal is professional, easy to read and error-free:
Run it through a tool like Hemingway Editor to fix instances of passive voice and hard-to-read sentences
Run it through a checker like Grammarly for grammar mistakes and typos
Ask a colleague to read your proposal to help spot any errors or inconsistencies
Aim to make it easy for prospective clients to see how and why your solution is the best. These steps will help you produce a clean draft that clearly communicates your solution.
You want your proposal to be professional and present your company in a way that inspires confidence.
Smart Docs is an add-on that’s included with Premium and higher plans. It lets you:
Use customizable proposal templates
Auto-fill proposals with deal and contact information
Send proposals without switching tools
Collect legally binding e-signatures
Smart Docs reduces manual work and keeps your proposals consistent while still allowing reps to personalize each document.
It also removes friction at the approval stage, since buyers can sign immediately instead of downloading, printing or scanning files.
3. Track deal stages and follow up automatically
Pipedrive prevents your sales proposals from getting stuck by letting you track your pipeline at a glance and automate follow-ups.
You can:
See exactly when a proposal is sent
Set reminders to follow up automatically
Trigger next steps when a deal moves to a new stage
Identify stalled deals by looking at the visual pipeline
Following up at the right time can often help you shorten the sales cycle and win deals that might otherwise disappear into inboxes.
4. Analyze performance to improve future proposals
Over time, Pipedrive’s insights and reports help your sales team understand what works and what doesn’t when it comes to proposals.
Pipedrive in action: Swedish B2B consultancy Sellto moved sales proposals into Pipedrive using the Smart Docs add-on, replacing more than 10 tools in the process.
By auto-filling proposal data and managing documents in one place, the team cut customer and document management costs by 58% and made its sales process three times more efficient.
What happens after you send your proposal?
After you send your sales proposal, one of these three things will happen:
Your prospect accepts the proposal and becomes a customer
Your prospect rejects the proposal
You don’t hear back at all from your prospect
Here’s what you need to do in each scenario, whether you’re pitching to a startup, small business or large enterprise.
The prospect accepts your proposal
If the client accepts, congratulations!
Honor your proposal’s details (timelines and key dates, such as onboarding start dates). Let your new customer know your next step and what you need from them to move forward.
The prospect rejects your proposal
If the client doesn’t accept your proposal, analyze their response.
If it’s appropriate, ask why they declined. Consider these options:
Are they looking for something that would require a compromise?
Did your proposal exceed their budget?
Are they looking for a different format?
Do they need more time to decide?
If the objections are negotiable, arrange a sales call or follow up over email to discuss terms that will work for both you and your prospect.
If you’ve had a definitive “no” and don’t receive a clear reason, review your sales process and the final proposal or scope of work (SOW) you shared and look for improvement opportunities.
The prospective client ghosts you
If you don’t hear back after you send your proposal, follow up persistently.
There’s a chance your prospect is out of the office or dealing with other priorities.
If you’re convinced they’re a great fit and you haven’t been told “no”, use our list of follow-up email templates to keep the conversation moving. Follow up frequently in the first few weeks and then check in at least once a quarter.
If you still don’t hear back, add this potential customer to your cold leads list. Be ready to offer your solution again if they continue to have the same challenges or find they need your unique offerings in the future.
Final thoughts
Creating a winning sales proposal comes down to listening closely to potential customers and explaining how and why your product is the best solution to their problem.
If your sales proposal ticks every box in this guide, you’ll improve your chances of winning your prospect over. Use our free template for sales proposals to streamline the process and close deals.
For more efficient proposal creation and follow-up, use Pipedrive to compose, send and track documents. Start your free trial today.
