FAQs
FAQs
How long should a proposal be? As short as it can be while removing every reason to hesitate. For most B2B engagements that is one to three pages: the outcome, the scope (in and out), the tiered options with prices, the timeline, and a clear next step. Length signals nervousness more often than thoroughness. If the buyer needs a fifty-page document to decide, the selling did not happen on the calls where it should have.
Should I put the price in the proposal or wait for them to ask? Always put it in, and make it easy to find. A price the buyer has to chase you for reads as something you are ashamed of, and that shame transfers to the number. The price should also be no surprise, because you discussed the range on a call before writing. The document confirms it, it does not reveal it.
What is a fair payment structure? For new clients, a deposit up front (often a third to a half) with the balance tied to milestones or completion protects both sides: you are not funding the work from your own pocket, and the buyer sees money tied to delivered value. For ongoing work, monthly in advance is standard. Avoid full payment on completion for anything substantial, it puts all the cash-flow risk on you and gives the buyer no reason to stay engaged.
How do I handle a buyer who wants a discount? First, never discount the same scope, it tells them the price was fiction. Ask what budget they are working with, then build an option that fits it by removing scope, not by cutting the rate. If they simply want the same work for less, that is usually a fit problem, not a price problem, and a buyer who only buys on discount tends to be your least profitable and most demanding client.
Do guarantees actually help close, or do they just expose me to risk? A well-designed guarantee closes more than it costs, because it shrinks the buyer's perceived risk and the downside rarely triggers when you qualify well. The key is to guarantee something you control, such as the work delivered to a defined standard, rather than an outcome dependent on factors outside your hands. A reasonable guarantee on a process you trust is a confidence signal. A reckless one on a result you cannot control is a liability.
Should I use proposal software or just send a document? Use a tool if it removes friction: trackable links that tell you when the buyer opened it, e-signature, and a pay-now button all shorten the path from yes to signed. The tool is a means, not the point. A clean document with a clear next step beats a slick template that buries the decision. Pick whatever lets the buyer say yes in the fewest clicks, and do not let the software's structure pad your proposal back into a long document.