How to write a proposal — with a real one, and the five blanks it left
A proposal that gets signed does three things a quote does not: it states the scope in phases, it says plainly what you need from the client, and it names in advance where scope usually creeps. That last section is the one people leave out, because writing it means telling a client which of their habits will cost them money. Below is a real proposal produced from a single request, delivered as a Word file, with the blanks it left marked so you can see exactly how much filling in is still yours.
How to do it
- Break the work into phases, not tasks Three or four phases with a named outcome each. A task list invites line-by-line negotiation; a phase list invites a decision about the whole.
- Write the 'what I need from you' section first It is the section that protects the timeline, and writing it first tells you which of your assumptions are actually dependencies.
- Name where scope creeps, in advance Say which changes are included and which start a new conversation. Doing this before the work is a courtesy; doing it after is a dispute.
- Leave the price as a marked gap Write the document once and price it per client. Mark the gap so obviously that you cannot send it unfilled.
The exact request
I've got a first call done with a client who wants their 80-page product catalogue redesigned. Write me the proposal I send afterwards: scope of work in phases, what I'll do, what I need from them, assumptions, and where scope usually creeps. Leave the price as a clearly marked gap so I can fill it in. .docx please.
What came back
What it cost
| Proposal document run | $0.131122 |
| Total | $0.131122 |
What it got wrong
- The request asked for one clearly marked gap and the file came back with five. As well as the price, the client name, the date, your own name and the timeline range are all left bracketed. That is arguably the right call for a document you send after every first call — but it means five fills, not one, before it goes out.
- It is written for the business in the request above: a single designer taking on an 80-page catalogue. The phase structure travels; the specifics do not.
- Nothing in it is legal review. It is a proposal, not a contract.
Questions people ask
What sections does a client proposal need?
Scope of work broken into phases, what you will do, what you need from the client, assumptions, and where scope typically creeps. The file below has all five. The scope-creep section is the one worth not skipping, because it is the only one that saves an argument later.
How long does it take?
This one took about sixty seconds and cost $0.131122 on the Smart tier. The receipt is on this page.
Opens with this request already filled in. You pay for the run, not a plan.