Writing Proposals That Include Actionable Next Steps

Vague next steps don’t win deals. Instead of, “Let’s schedule a demo” Try: “We’d love to show you how we help drive [priority outcomes] through [required capabilities] - I think you’ll especially like [key differentiator]. What else would you want us to cover?” Instead of, “Let’s set you up with a trial” Try: “We’ll get you in the platform so you can see [required capability]. It seems we’ll know it’s successful if you experience [goal after state], any other criteria you’d use to determine success?” Getting specific next steps means you have to do great discovery before moving on in your sales cycle. If you can’t define specific next steps, you’ll leave your prospect in stage one while you move the opportunity to stage two. And prospects stuck in stage one while you think the opportunity is stage two is the first step towards closed/lost.

At my last company, we were required to fill out a field “NSTW” prior to every call. Hated having to do the admin work. But it trained my brain. NSTW: Next Step to Win This is your ideal outcome / next step from the conversation, plus 1-2 backup options. Now, I do it in every deal in my own notes and add it to a Mutual Success Plan. I'll jot out all steps we've done so far to show mutual time invested. Then I'll add the next 2-3 ideal steps in the process. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗽, 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝘆:  "Hey Shane - I spent some time last night building a mutual success plan to keep us fully aligned and wanted to get your thoughts on something if that's cool." Plant this seed at the beginning of your call and come back to it at the end. Critical: Do not show more than 2-3 next steps to avoid overwhelming. It’s a compass for what success looks like, not a full roadmap. Great backdrop (sharing your screen) for your discovery of their decision process too. MSP template: https://lnkd.in/gfHt5y-d

How I landed a new client with a killer proposal: When I first started freelancing, I had no idea that I had to send out proposals. Let alone what a proposal entailed. Now I’m landing clients thanks to loads of research and doing courses like Eman Ismail’s Like a Boss. A proposal is all about creating a document that sells you. If you’re winging it (like I was) or relying on your natural charm, let me save you some time (and potential lost clients). 𝟭. 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲 You’re not just listing services. You’re selling yourself and addressing every potential objection before it even comes up. Think of it as your highlight reel: 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗢 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮: • 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻: What’s the client struggling with? • 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Why does it matter? • 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: How you’ll fix it. • 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲: What success looks like. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲: • Introduction (brief but punchy: who are you and why should they care?) • Project scope (clear deliverables = no future headaches) • Your process (show them you’ve got a plan) • Client expectations (set boundaries kindly, but firmly) • Timeline (when you’ll deliver, and when they need to deliver their part) • Pricing and options (tiers and upsells. Make it hard for them to say no) • Guarantees (if you offer one, flaunt it) • Next steps (e.g., “Sign here, pay the invoice, and we’re off!”) 𝟮. 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Even if you’ve already had a great chat with the client, write the proposal assuming they’ll forward it to someone who knows nothing about you. This keeps it simple, clear, and persuasive for any decision-maker. • Sprinkle in testimonials or a mini case study for credibility. • Offer 2-3 pricing tiers so their options are between you, you, and you. • Build a reusable template you can tweak for future proposals. Efficiency is your friend. 𝟯. 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 A good proposal doesn’t just sell, it also creates urgency. Keep the momentum going with these steps: • 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆: Tell your prospect when they’ll receive the proposal and stick to it. • 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗶𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: I recommend 7 days. Mention it in the proposal and your follow-ups. Urgency drives action. • 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆: As the expiry date nears, send polite but confident reminders, such as: “Hey, just a heads-up, this offer expires in two days!” • 𝗝𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹: Clarify any in-depth questions on a call to avoid playing email tag. A killer proposal is part strategy, part psychology, and part presentation. Once you nail all three, you’ll be landing the kind of clients you’re actually excited to work with. 

Here’s how I write sales proposals that close deals. [it's not some complicated playbook - you can do it] You've done your discovery. You know how you can be helpful. What do you do next? Don't give them a “here’s what we offer” or “here’s everything we can throw at it.” But instead show them: “here’s how we solve your exact problem.” It is not the time to pitch. Now is when you reflect on the discovery. So the buyer sees their own words in the solution. Here’s how: 1. I restate the problem in their words. - “You said your team is great at relationships, but inconsistent with follow-up.” - “You said you're getting leads, but they aren’t converting.” I want them nodding before they even hit page 2. 2. I clarify what success looks like to THEM, not me. - “You said if you could fix this, you’d see X% more close rate and get your weekends back.” That goes right into the intro. This isn’t about what I offer, it’s about what THEY want. 3. I keep the offer tight and tailored. - 2–3 specific things I’d do. That’s it. - Each one maps back to the exact problem they named. 4. I include pricing options + a next step. - “Based on what we discussed, here are 3 levels of support I can offer." - “Let’s hop on a quick call, just to align and confirm the scope, then we can get started!” No long-winded, bullet-pointed slides. (this kills me) No menu of options and asking them to pick. Just confidence you can help & next steps. TL;DR Here's my Hot Tip: --> Start by making it more about the buyer and what THEY need than about your business and "what you offer."