Proposals and Presentations That Close

The $200K Proposal Written in 90 Minutes

In the previous lesson, we explored discovery calls and needs analysis. Now let’s build on that foundation. A sales director at a mid-size consulting firm told me about the biggest deal she’d ever closed. The client needed a proposal by Friday morning. She got the brief Wednesday afternoon.

Old process: panic, pull an all-nighter, cobble together slides from old proposals, hope for the best. New process: feed discovery call notes and client research into AI, generate a customized proposal framework, refine it with her expertise, and deliver a polished document by Thursday lunch.

The client told her it was the most tailored proposal they’d received. They signed the following week.

The secret wasn’t AI writing the proposal for her. It was AI handling the structure, research, and first draft so she could focus on the strategic thinking and personal touches that actually won the deal.

The Proposal That Doesn’t Get Read

Before we build better proposals, let’s understand why most proposals fail:

They’re about you, not them. Pages of company history, team bios, and feature lists before a single mention of the prospect’s problem.

They’re generic. Same template, different logo. The prospect can tell.

They’re too long. 40-page decks when 10 pages would do. Length doesn’t signal value—it signals disrespect for the reader’s time.

They bury the good stuff. Pricing on page 37. ROI mentioned once in passing. The prospect has to dig for the information they actually need to make a decision.

The Prospect-First Proposal Structure

Effective proposals follow this structure—and notice what comes first:

1. Executive Summary (1 page)

The entire proposal distilled into one page. If the decision-maker reads nothing else, they should understand:

• What problem you’re solving (in their words)
• How you’ll solve it (high-level approach)
• What results to expect (specific, measurable)
• What it costs (ballpark)
• Recommended next step

Write an executive summary for a proposal:

CLIENT: [Company, contact, role]
PROBLEM: [Their pain points from discovery call]
SOLUTION: [Your product/service]
EXPECTED RESULTS: [Outcomes they care about]
INVESTMENT: [Price range]
TIMELINE: [Implementation timeline]

Write this from the client's perspective—lead with their
challenge, use their language, and make results specific.
One page maximum.

2. Current Situation (1-2 pages)

Mirror back what they told you during discovery. This demonstrates you listened and builds trust.

Based on my discovery call notes, write a "Current Situation"
section for a proposal:

DISCOVERY NOTES: [Paste your organized call notes]

The section should:
- Describe their current challenges in their words
- Quantify the impact where possible
- Reference specific examples they shared
- Subtly establish the cost of inaction

Pro tip: Use exact phrases from the discovery call. When prospects see their own words in your proposal, they feel understood.

3. Recommended Solution (2-3 pages)

Now—and only now—talk about what you’re proposing. But frame it as a solution to their specific problems, not a feature list.

Quick check: Read your solution section. Does every paragraph connect back to something the prospect told you? If not, rewrite it.

4. Expected Results (1 page)

Specific, measurable outcomes tied to their goals:

Generate an Expected Results section:

CLIENT PAIN POINTS: [From discovery]
OUR SOLUTION: [What we're proposing]
COMPARABLE RESULTS: [Results from similar clients]

Format as:
- 3-5 specific, measurable outcomes
- Timeline for each (30-day, 90-day, 12-month)
- Connect each to a pain point they mentioned

Example:

5. Investment and Options (1 page)

Present three tiers. This isn’t manipulation—it’s giving the prospect choice and anchoring value.

Create a three-tier pricing section:

BASE PRICE: [Your standard price]
PROSPECT CONTEXT: [Their size, needs, budget signals]

Generate three packages:
- Starter: Core solution for their primary pain point
- Professional: Full solution with the features they mentioned wanting
- Enterprise: Everything plus premium features

For each tier, list what's included and the specific
prospect pain points it addresses.

6. Implementation Plan (1 page)

A clear timeline that reduces uncertainty:

Create an implementation timeline for [Solution]:

CLIENT CONTEXT: [Size, urgency, technical environment]
START DATE: [When they want to begin]

Include:
- Phase breakdown with specific milestones
- Who's responsible for what (their team vs. yours)
- Risk mitigation for common challenges
- Quick wins they'll see in the first 2 weeks

7. Social Proof (1 page)

Case studies and testimonials from similar companies. Ask AI to help select and frame them:

I need to select case studies for a proposal to
[prospect company type].

My available case studies:
[List 5-10 case studies with brief descriptions]

Which 2-3 are most relevant to this prospect?
For each, write a brief summary that emphasizes
the aspects most relevant to this specific prospect's situation.

Generating the Full Proposal Draft

For the complete first draft, use this master prompt:

Generate a complete sales proposal:

PROSPECT: [Company, contact, industry, size]
DISCOVERY FINDINGS: [Paste organized call notes]
SOLUTION: [Product/service details]
PRICING: [Your pricing structure]
CASE STUDIES: [Relevant examples]
TIMELINE: [Expected implementation]

Structure:
1. Executive Summary (1 page)
2. Current Situation (their challenges)
3. Recommended Solution (tied to their needs)
4. Expected Results (specific, measurable)
5. Investment Options (3 tiers)
6. Implementation Plan
7. Social Proof
8. Next Steps

Tone: professional, consultative, confident.
Use their language where possible.
No generic filler or corporate fluff.

Presentation Decks

Sometimes you need slides, not a document. The same principles apply, with visual considerations:

The 10-Slide Framework:

Use AI to generate slide content:

Create a 10-slide presentation outline:
[Same context as the proposal prompt]

For each slide, provide:
- Headline (7 words or fewer)
- 3-4 bullet points
- Suggested visual or data point
- Speaker notes (what to say, not read)

Review and Polish

AI generates the draft. You make it great. Here’s your review checklist:

• Every section connects back to discovery findings
• Prospect’s own language appears throughout
• Results are specific and measurable, not vague
• Pricing is clear with no hidden surprises
• Implementation timeline is realistic
• Case studies are relevant to their situation
• The document is scannable (executives skim)
• Next steps are clear and specific

Exercise: Build a Proposal Framework

Using your PayFlow prospect (or a real one):

1. Generate an executive summary using discovery notes
2. Create a three-tier pricing section
3. Build the expected results table
4. Draft a 4-week implementation timeline
5. Time yourself—aim for under 45 minutes for the full framework

Key Takeaways

• Lead with the prospect’s problems, not your features—they already have your feature list
• Mirror discovery call language throughout the proposal to build trust
• Three pricing tiers shift the decision from “should we buy?” to “which option?”
• Every section should connect to something the prospect told you
• AI handles the structure and first draft; you add strategic thinking and personal touches
• A great proposal shouldn’t surprise anyone—it should confirm what was discussed

Next: handling objections and negotiation with confidence.

Up next: In the next lesson, we’ll dive into Objection Handling and Negotiation.