A well-crafted business proposal can mean the difference between winning or losing a deal.
Yet too many sales reps fall into common traps – sending generic, static proposals with little insight into buyer engagement.
What if your proposals could work for you – helping you prioritize warm leads, tailor follow-ups, and accelerate deals?
With the right approach, proposals become more than just documents. They become strategic sales tools that guide prospects toward a confident "yes."
In this article, we share seven essential tips to help you send business proposals that help you stand out and close more deals.
But first.
Where most sales reps go wrong
Even with the best intentions, many sales reps make avoidable mistakes that weaken their proposals and slow deals down. These issues lead to lost opportunities, disengaged prospects, and unnecessary bottlenecks.
Here’s what to avoid.
1. Treating proposals as just another document
A proposal is more than a summary of your offering – it’s a chance to engage, persuade, and reinforce value. Reps who treat proposals as formalities rather than sales tools miss opportunities to stand out.
2. Failing to engage multiple decision-makers
Too often, proposals are sent to one contact, assuming they’ll advocate for the deal. But in B2B sales, multiple stakeholders influence decisions. If your proposal doesn’t address their concerns, the deal could stall.
3. Relying on manual follow-ups
Many reps send a proposal and wait for a response, without knowing if the prospect is interested. Without engagement insights, follow-ups feel like guesswork, leading to missed opportunities or untimely outreach.
7 tips for sending a business proposal
Here’s seven tips to help you when sending your next business proposal. These small adjustments can make a big impact on engagement, response rates, and ultimately, closed deals.
1. Personalize every proposal
Your prospects don’t want a generic sales pitch.
They want to see how your solution solves their specific problems. A personalized proposal builds trust, making it easier to close the deal.
How you can do it:
- Customize content based on industry, company size, and unique challenges.
- Add a personalized video message to create a more human connection.
- Reference their specific goals and pain points so they see your solution as the perfect fit.
For example, instead of just listing CRM features, show how your platform will help a startup scale without losing track of leads or deals.
Read: How SalesScreen doubled their enterprise win rate using personalized proposals 🎉
2. Use templates to save time
Creating proposals from scratch wastes time and leads to inconsistencies in messaging and branding. Standardized templates ensure every proposal meets quality expectations.
How you can do it:
- Store top-performing templates in a centralized content library.
- Auto-fill details based on previous conversations or CRM data.
- Maintain a consistent structure, making slight modifications for customization.
For example, a proposal template with a customizable pricing section lets reps adjust figures while keeping branding and messaging aligned.
3. Keep it clear, concise & visually appealing
A wall of text is overwhelming.
If your proposal isn’t visually engaging, prospects may skim over critical sections…
…or worse. Stop reading entirely.
How you can do it:
- Use short sections and bullet points to break up content.
- Incorporate charts, visuals, and graphs to emphasize key points.
- Get straight to the value – don’t bury the benefits in long paragraphs.
Instead of a long paragraph about ROI, include a simple before-and-after cost savings chart.
4. Track engagement to follow up smarter
A proposal doesn’t close a deal on its own. If you’re not tracking engagement, you’re missing signals that could tell you exactly when and how to follow up.
How you can do it:
- Use proposal tracking software to see who opens, views, and shares your document.
- Identify high-interest sections and focus your next conversation on those topics.
- Set up real-time notifications so you can follow up when engagement is high.
For example, if a prospect spends five minutes on pricing but skips the features section, your follow-up should focus on value and ROI, not product specs.
5. Streamline internal approvals to avoid delays
Internal roadblocks slow deals down.
When approvals take too long, prospects may lose interest – or competitors may step in first.
How you can do it:
- Use automated approval workflows to notify decision-makers instantly.
- Keep all approvals in sales proposal software, eliminating long email threads.
- Implement eSignatures so contracts can be signed immediately.
Instead of waiting days for finance or legal approval, an automated workflow notifies the right people, tracks progress, and eliminates bottlenecks.
6. Make it easy for prospects to take action
Even the best proposal won’t convert if the next step isn’t clear.
A confusing or weak call-to-action (CTA) can leave prospects uncertain.
How you can do it:
- Use a clear, action-driven CTA, like scheduling a follow-up or signing the proposal.
- Provide multiple engagement options, such as live chat, comments, and quick approvals.
- Offer e-signatures to eliminate unnecessary friction and speed up the process.
Rather than ending with "Let me know what you think," use a direct CTA: "Click here to schedule a call and finalize next steps."
7. Integrate proposal software with your CRM
Manually copying CRM details into proposals wastes time and increases the risk of errors. A seamless integration keeps everything in sync.
How you can do it:
- Auto-populate proposals with CRM data, including deal terms and prospect details.
- Sync engagement insights back into the CRM, so reps always know deal status.
- Automate proposal workflows to keep deals moving.
With GetAccept’s Salesforce integration, sales teams can send, track, and update proposals without ever leaving their CRM.
Conclusion
A business proposal is your chance to engage, persuade, and accelerate the deal.
Sending a static PDF and hoping for the best won’t cut it.
The most successful reps track engagement, iterate, and follow up with precision. With proposal software, you can automate workflows, prioritize warm leads, and create personalized proposals that drive action.
Ready to upgrade your proposal process?
