You just got off the phone with a potential client. They want a proposal by tomorrow. Normally this takes you 3 hours of staring at a Word document. Here's how to go from a few bullet points to a professional proposal in 15 minutes.
| Tool | What It Does | Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude or ChatGPT | Generates professional proposal text from bullet points | Free | Sign up → |
| Canva | Formats proposals into professional-looking documents | Free | Sign up → |
What to do: Open Claude and prompt: “Create a professional service proposal template for a [your business type]. Include sections for: Executive Summary, Scope of Work, Timeline, Pricing, Terms, and About Us. Keep the language confident and clear. Leave [brackets] where I’ll fill in client-specific details.”
Why you’re doing it: You’ll reuse this template for every proposal. Create it once, customize it for each client in minutes.
What to expect: A complete proposal structure in 30 seconds. Save it as your master template.
What to do: For each new proposal, copy the template and prompt AI: “Fill in this proposal template for [client name]. Here’s what they need: [bullet points from your call]. Price: [your quote]. Timeline: [your estimate].”
Why you’re doing it: AI takes your bullet points and turns them into polished, professional language. Three minutes instead of three hours.
What to expect: A complete, ready-to-send proposal. Review to make sure scope and pricing are accurate.
What to do: Paste the proposal into a Canva proposal template or a clean Google Docs document. Add your logo, brand colors, and client’s name. Export as PDF.
Why you’re doing it: A well-designed proposal signals you’re professional and worth the price. First impressions matter.
What to expect: 10 minutes to format and export. Canva has beautiful proposal templates in the free tier.
What to do: Email the PDF with a brief note. Set a reminder to follow up in 3 days if you haven’t heard back.
Why you’re doing it: Speed wins deals. The first provider to send a professional proposal often wins the job.
What to expect: Quick sends win. Don’t sit on finished proposals.
This workflow is Beta — Based on Best Available Knowledge. This is a document creation workflow using AI for drafting. Alternatives for proposal management include Proposify, PandaDoc, and HoneyBook (all paid, more features for tracking and e-signatures).