Writing Proposals That Get Results

I looked at over 100 proposals worth over $500K as a B2B buyer. I only remember a few. Here are 4 ways you can set yourself apart (and why most proposals never get looked at): 1. Built for the buying committee - not just the champion Most proposals assume one person makes the decision. That’s rarely true. The best ones were written with execs in mind. Mobile-friendly, easy to skim, and structured like a story, not a spec sheet. The kind of doc I could forward without rewriting a single thing. (like Qwilr!) 2. Helped me sell internally The proposals that stood out made me look good. They included visual slides I could screenshot into a board deck. Framed the problem. Showed the cost of inaction. Made the ROI feel obvious. They gave me language to use with my CFO, not just the vendor’s pitch. 3. AEs tracked engagement and followed up with a purpose Great sellers didn’t “check in.” They followed up based on what I actually did. They knew when I viewed the proposal, which sections got read, and what was skipped. Every email felt relevant—because it was. They weren’t guessing what mattered. They had data. 4. AEs pre-empted objections I hadn’t even voiced yet Before legal asked for terms, I had a friendly breakdown of the key clauses. Before procurement jumped in, I had a clear explanation of how pricing scaled. It felt like the AE knew my internal process better than I did - and helped me get ahead of it. TAKEAWAY: Most proposals are written to present. The best proposals are built to sell. Qwilr turns your proposal into a selling tool—one that’s interactive, trackable, mobile-ready, and designed for the whole buying committee. It helps your champion make the case. And it helps you win deals - even when you’re not in the room. If you want to stand out, build proposals that do more than inform. Build proposals that close.

The biggest lie in sales is that every proposal needs to be completely custom Sales leaders are burning out their teams with this myth. I've analyzed hundreds of losing proposals, and sellers who try to customize everything end up customizing nothing well. Here's what actually works ⬇️ The best proposals aren't built from scratch, they're assembled from proven components. Think about it like LEGO blocks. You have a finite set of pieces (your solution capabilities), but you can build infinite combinations based on what the customer actually needs. Most sellers think customization means writing new content for every deal. Wrong. Real customization means strategic omission. When you focus only on the 2-3 challenges your prospect actually cares about, you create laser-focused proposals that feel tailor-made. Meanwhile, your competitors are drowning prospects in 47-slide decks covering every possible use case. The psychology is SO simple … when everything seems important, nothing feels important. Smart sellers build modular proposal systems: 👉 Component A: How we solve workflow automation 👉 Component B: How we solve data accuracy 👉 Component C: How we solve reporting delays For each deal, they select only the relevant components. That way proposals feel completely custom while taking 70% less time to create. Your buyers don't want to see everything you can do. They want to see exactly how you solve their specific priorities. I dive deeper into this modular approach and share my complete 5-step proposal framework in the latest Innovative Seller episode. Tune in to learn how to scale proposal creation without sacrificing impact.

Why Most Validation Proposals Miss the Mark — and How to Win Every Time 🥊 In pharma procurement, I’ve seen it time and again: validation proposals fall flat because they don’t speak the client’s language. As a validation lead, I made sure my proposals did more than just list services — they directly addressed the client’s biggest challenges. Here’s the secret: 1. Start with their pain points. Understand what keeps them up at night — compliance risks, tight timelines, costly delays. 2. Offer clear solutions. Show how your approach solves those problems efficiently and reliably. 3. Back it up with data, outcomes, and realistic timelines. Clients need proof they can trust you to deliver. This approach doesn’t just win projects — it builds lasting partnerships. If you want your proposals to stand out, stop selling services. Start solving problems.

Most companies treat government proposals like a check-the-box exercise: write to the requirements, follow the compliance matrix, and hope past performance carries the weight. But the companies that consistently win? They do more than just respond. They challenge. In the commercial world, the Challenger Sale methodology is about leading with insight… teaching the customer something new, reframing their problems, and showing them a better way. And guess what? That same approach works in GovCon. Here’s how: Teach, don’t just tell. Most proposals regurgitate requirements. A Challenger approach educates evaluators by reframing the problem and introducing a fresh perspective. Show them risks they haven’t considered. Tailor the solution. Agencies want a partner who understands their unique mission, constraints, and goals. Generic, boilerplate responses won’t cut it. A Challenger-style proposal connects the dots between the agency’s mission and your approach in a way that feels tailor-made. Take control of the narrative. The best proposals shape the conversation. A Challenger proposal positions your company as the lowest-risk, highest-value choice… not just another compliant bidder. It proactively addresses potential concerns, sets the evaluation criteria in your favor, and builds a compelling case that others can’t match. Too many companies play it safe in GovCon proposals. But the ones who win? They challenge the status quo, differentiate with insight, and make the evaluator’s decision easy. Are you just responding, or are you challenging?

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."