Proposal Draft From Call Notes
Proposal document delivered to prospect with engagement tracking. CRM record updated with proposal sent date, pricing, terms, and review status. Slack alert to AE on prospect engagement.
Before you start
- Approved proposal template
- Pricing guardrails and discount approval policy
- Call recording or detailed notes
- Discovery and demo call transcripts/notes
- Prospect's stated requirements and constraints
- Approved pricing for their tier and use case
The steps
- Extract requirements and decision criteria — From call transcripts, pull: stated business outcomes, must-have features, integrations needed, security requirements, timeline, and named decision criteria. Use prospect language verbatim where possible — proposal language should mirror their language.
- Map requirements to product offering — For each requirement, map to a specific product capability (with feature name and any relevant integration). If a requirement isn't met out of the box, note the workaround or roadmap item. Never imply we have something we don't.
- Calculate pricing per tier — Apply pricing based on seats, usage volume, or modules selected. Stay within approved guardrails. If a discount is needed, document the justification and route to the AE manager for approval before including in the proposal.
- Draft the proposal narrative — Structure: (1) restate their goal in 2 sentences using their words, (2) recommended solution with capability-to-requirement mapping, (3) success criteria and how we'll measure them, (4) implementation timeline, (5) pricing and contract terms, (6) why us (1-2 lines, not a sales pitch).
- Add proof points specific to their context — Insert 1-2 customer references aligned to their industry/size. Include specific metrics from those references. If references aren't available for their exact context, use the closest match and note the comparison honestly.
- Send for AE review before delivery — Route to the AE for review. AE checks: pricing accuracy, capability claims, customer references, and overall narrative. Do not deliver to the prospect without AE sign-off — proposals are commitments.
- Deliver and track engagement — Deliver via PandaDoc or similar with engagement tracking enabled. Set deadlines for review. Notify AE when prospect opens, time spent on each section, and whether they share with others. Follow up after 3 business days if unsigned.
If it goes wrong
Proposal claims a feature we don't have yet
Hard-fail the draft. Always check capability claims against a maintained 'what we have today' doc. Never let aspirational language slip into proposals.
Customer redlines contract — proposal stalls in legal
Pre-share a standard MSA at the proposal stage so legal review starts in parallel with sales review. Don't discover legal blockers at signature time.
Prospect opens proposal once and disappears
Send a personal Loom 24h after first open: 5-min video walking through the proposal with focus on their top requirement. Reasserts value when they're losing momentum.
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