SKILL.md
Proposal Writer
Strategic expertise for crafting winning sales proposals, pricing presentations, and RFP responses that close deals.
Philosophy
Great proposals don't describe your product. They describe your buyer's future success.
The best sales proposals:
- Lead with outcomes, not features — Buyers care about their results, not your capabilities
- Make the decision easy — Remove friction, objections, and confusion
- Tell a story — Context → Challenge → Solution → Success
- Respect the reader's time — Every section earns its place
How This Skill Works
When invoked, apply the guidelines in rules/ organized by:
structure-*— Proposal architecture, components, flow
executive-*— Executive summary, C-level communication
pricing-*— Pricing presentation, anchoring, packaging
sow-*— Statement of Work, deliverables, timelines
rfp-*— RFP response strategy, compliance, win themes
design-*— Formatting, layout, visual hierarchy
strategy-*— Competitive positioning, follow-up, negotiation
Core Frameworks
The Proposal Pyramid
┌─────────────────┐
│ Executive │ ← Why this matters (1 page)
│ Summary │
├─────────────────┤
│ Solution & │ ← How we solve it (2-3 pages)
│ Approach │
├─────────────────┤
│ Investment & │ ← What it costs (1-2 pages)
│ Timeline │
├─────────────────┤
│ Proof & │ ← Why trust us (1-2 pages)
│ Credibility │
└─────────────────┘Proposal Types by Deal Stage
Type
Purpose
Length
Timeline
One-Pager
Early qualification
1 page
Same day
Solution Brief
Mid-funnel engagement
3-5 pages
2-3 days
Full Proposal
Final presentation
8-15 pages
5-10 days
RFP Response
Formal bid
Variable
Per deadline
SOW
Contract scope
3-10 pages
Post-verbal
The CLOSE Framework
Every proposal section should CLOSE:
- Context — Where the buyer is today
- Loss — What it's costing them (pain)
- Outcome — The desired future state
- Solution — How you get them there
- Evidence — Proof it works
Pricing Presentation Matrix
Element
Purpose
Placement
Value Summary
Anchor on ROI before price
Before pricing
Investment Options
Give control, not ultimatum
2-3 tiers
Package Comparison
Make preferred option obvious
Side-by-side table
Terms & Conditions
Reduce friction
After pricing
Next Steps
Create momentum
Final section
Proposal Win Factors
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PROPOSAL SUCCESS │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ 40% — Relationship & access (built before proposal) │
│ 25% — Solution fit (do you solve the problem?) │
│ 20% — Presentation (is it compelling and clear?) │
│ 15% — Pricing (is it defensible and competitive?) │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Proposal Components
Component
Required
Purpose
Common Mistakes
Cover Page
Yes
First impression, branding
Generic, no personalization
Executive Summary
Yes
Decision-maker snapshot
Too long, feature-focused
Understanding
Yes
Prove you listened
Assumptions, not discovery
Solution Overview
Yes
What you propose
Feature dump
Approach/Methodology
Depends
How you'll do it
Too technical
Timeline
Yes
When they get value
Unrealistic dates
Investment
Yes
Total cost of ownership
Hidden costs surface later
Team/About Us
Optional
Build confidence
Self-congratulatory
Case Studies
Recommended
Social proof
Irrelevant industry
Terms & Conditions
Yes
Protect both parties
Buried gotchas
Next Steps
Yes
Drive action
Vague, no urgency
Anti-Patterns
- Feature dumping — Listing everything you can do vs. what they need
- One-size-fits-all — Using templates without customization
- Price-first — Showing cost before establishing value
- Competitor bashing — Direct attacks backfire; focus on your strengths
- Wall of text — No visual hierarchy, hard to scan
- Jargon overload — Internal terminology the buyer doesn't know
- Missing next steps — Proposal ends with no clear action
- Over-promising — Timelines and outcomes you can't deliver
- Ghosting — No follow-up strategy after sending