Proposal writer: turn a customer enquiry into a one to two page proposal

A proposal takes an evening to write, most of it spent on the text around the price. The proposal writer skill turns the customer’s enquiry and your offer into a one to two page draft, checks it need by need, and marks every claim you haven’t approved before it reaches the customer.

What it does

• Lists each of the customer’s needs in their own words, then checks your offer covers it. A need the offer doesn’t cover goes to “Open points”.
• Writes every proposal in the same structure: Your need, Our approach, Included, Not included, Price, Timing, Terms and Next step.
• Uses only facts you approved, such as years in business, references the customer agreed to, certifications, warranties and lead times. Where a sentence needs a fact you didn’t give, it writes [CHECK: what’s needed].
• Copies prices exactly from your quote and does no maths of its own. With no price yet, it writes [PRICE] and suggests the quote builder. With no total, it writes [TOTAL].
• Adds a “Requirement check” and an “Open points” list for you, separate from the proposal.
• Keeps it to two pages, with short sentences, no superlatives and no buzzwords such as “innovative” or “tailor-made”. Words like “guaranteed” or “fixed price” appear only if you approved that exact claim.
• Uses Swiss defaults: CHF with an apostrophe (12’400.00), VAT at 8.1% stated as included or excluded, dates like 09.10.2026, Swiss German spelling with “ss”, Swiss French (septante, nonante), and “Sie”, “vous” or “Lei”. Default terms: valid 30 days, payment 30 days net.

It prepares drafts only. It never sends a proposal, agrees a price or discount, or commits your business to anything.

When to use it

• A new customer or a larger job needs more than a price: an Angebot, offer letter or pitch.
• A public tender or a customer request lists requirements you must answer one by one.
• You have notes from a site visit or a call, and a quote, but no evening to write it up.
• You want to check an existing proposal for promises you can’t back.

To work out the price first, use the quote builder.