Business Proposal Template Free (Download & Use Today)

Why Most Free Proposal Templates Suck

I've sent hundreds of proposals over the years, and here's what I learned: most free templates online are either too generic to be useful or so complicated that you'll spend three days filling them out.

The proposals that win aren't the prettiest ones. They're the ones that clearly show the prospect you understand their problem, have a specific solution, and can be trusted to deliver. That's it.

I'm giving you a template that works, but more importantly, I'm going to show you what to put in it and what mistakes kill your close rate. Because a template is worthless if you don't know how to use it.

Check out my video here:

Download the Free Business Proposal Template

The template I use is dead simple. It fits on a few pages and covers everything a prospect needs to make a decision. You can grab a similar structure from my one-page contract template if you want something even more streamlined, or check out the proposal AI templates if you want multiple variations.

Here's what the template includes:

• Cover page: Your company name, their company name, date, and project title
• Executive summary: Two paragraphs max explaining what you're solving and how
• Problem statement: Show you understand their pain
• Proposed solution: Exactly what you'll do, broken into phases if needed
• Deliverables: Specific outcomes they'll get
• Timeline: When things happen
• Investment: What it costs and payment terms
• Next steps: How to move forward

That's it. No fluff about your company history. No mission statements. No pages of case studies they won't read.

What Your Cover Page Should Include

The cover page is simple, but it sets the tone for everything that follows. Include your company name, logo if you have one, the prospect's company name, the date, and a clear title that describes what you're proposing.

Don't overthink this. The title should be straightforward: "Marketing Services Proposal for ABC Manufacturing" or "Web Development Project for XYZ Startup." The goal is immediate clarity, not creativity.

Some people add a professional photo or branded background. That's fine if it fits your brand, but don't let design eat up hours of your time. A clean, simple cover page with good typography works just as well as something designed in Canva.

The cover page exists to make you look professional and help the prospect file and reference the document later. That's it.

What Actually Goes in Each Section

The executive summary is where most people blow it. They write about themselves instead of the prospect. Wrong move. Start with their problem: "Your current lead generation process is bringing in 50 leads per month, but only 3% are converting because they're not qualified." Then explain your solution in one sentence: "We'll implement a targeted outbound system that delivers 100 qualified prospects per month who match your ideal customer profile."

The problem statement should prove you've done your homework. Reference specific things from your discovery call. If they mentioned their sales team is wasting time on unqualified leads, say that. If they're struggling to break into enterprise accounts, call it out. This section makes them feel understood.

Your proposed solution needs to be specific. Don't write "We'll help you generate more leads." Write "We'll build a list of 500 VP-level decision-makers at companies with 50-200 employees in the manufacturing sector, verify their contact information using an email validation tool, and launch a personalized outbound campaign with custom messaging for each segment."

See the difference? One is vague consultant-speak. The other is a clear plan they can visualize working.

How to Write an Executive Summary That Actually Gets Read

Your executive summary needs to work for two audiences: the person you talked to, and everyone else who'll read this proposal without context. That means it needs to stand alone.

Start with the prospect's current situation and the specific problem they're facing. Use numbers when possible. "You're currently spending $15,000 per month on paid ads that generate 200 leads, but only 8 are converting into customers."

Then state what you're proposing to do about it, in one or two sentences. "We'll replace your paid ad spend with a targeted outbound system that identifies your exact buyers, reaches them directly, and books qualified sales calls."

Finally, include a one-sentence credibility statement. "We've implemented this system for 47 B2B companies in the last three years, generating an average of 12 new customers per month within 90 days."

That's your executive summary. Three short paragraphs. The whole thing should take 60 seconds to read.

Here's what I tell my clients: your executive summary should read like a medical chart presentation. I use this format: "Company X does [thing], they're having [specific problem] with their website, and here's what we're going to fix." One client used this approach for web development proposals and it immediately differentiated them from competitors who just listed services. The goal is to show you've diagnosed their situation before you prescribe the solution.

Writing a Problem Statement That Proves You Understand

The problem statement is where you demonstrate that you actually listened during the discovery call. This isn't the place to guess or assume. Use their words.

If they said "We're drowning in unqualified leads," write that exact phrase. If they mentioned "Our sales team wastes 60% of their time on cold calls that go nowhere," reference that specific stat.

This section should be 2-4 paragraphs that walk through their current situation, the impact it's having on their business, and why it matters. The more specific you are, the more they'll trust that you understand what they're dealing with.

I've had prospects tell me that reading the problem statement in my proposal made them feel like I "got it" better than anyone else they talked to. That's because I wrote down exactly what they told me, using their language, not mine.

The Deliverables Section Wins Deals

This is where you get concrete. List exactly what they're getting. Not "A comprehensive lead generation strategy" but:

• 500 verified prospect contacts in your ICP
• 5 email sequences with A/B tested subject lines
• Custom landing page for inbound conversions
• Weekly reporting dashboard with open rates, reply rates, and meeting bookings
• 30-day campaign execution with optimization

Notice how specific that is? They can picture receiving each thing. They can evaluate if it's worth the investment. Vague deliverables make prospects nervous because they don't know what they're buying.

If you're offering a service that doesn't have tangible deliverables, create a project timeline instead. Break the work into phases with clear milestones. "Week 1: Discovery and strategy session. Week 2: Campaign setup and list building. Week 3: Launch and monitoring. Week 4: Optimization based on results."

The goal is to eliminate uncertainty. When someone reads your deliverables, they should know exactly what they're paying for and what success looks like.

Building Your Company Profile Without Boring Them

Most proposals have a section about the company. Here's the problem: no one cares about your founding story or your mission statement. They care about whether you can solve their problem.

Keep your company section short. One or two paragraphs max. Focus on relevant experience and results, not history. "We've helped 50+ B2B companies in manufacturing, logistics, and industrial services build outbound sales systems that generate predictable revenue. Our clients average 15 qualified sales meetings per month within 60 days of launch."

That tells them what they need to know: you've done this before, for companies like theirs, and it worked. Everything else is noise.

If you want to include team bios, only include people who'll actually work on their account. Don't list your entire company. And keep each bio to 2-3 sentences focused on relevant expertise.

Pricing: The Part Everyone Gets Wrong

Most people either hide their pricing or apologize for it. Both are mistakes. Put your price in the proposal clearly. If you have multiple options, offer 2-3 tiers so they can choose their level of investment.

Example:

• Foundation: $3,000 - 250 leads, 3 email sequences, 2-week campaign
• Growth: $6,000 - 500 leads, 5 email sequences, 30-day campaign, landing page
• Scale: $12,000 - 1,000 leads, 10 email sequences, 60-day campaign, landing page, weekly optimization calls

This gives them control and makes the middle option look reasonable. Basic pricing psychology, but it works.

One more thing on pricing: make your payment terms clear. Net 30? 50% upfront? Monthly retainer? Don't make them guess. If you need more guidance on structuring contracts and payment terms, check out my guide on how to write a contract.

How to Structure Pricing Tiers That Guide Decisions

Offering pricing tiers isn't just about giving options. It's about guiding the prospect toward the solution that actually solves their problem while making them feel in control.

Your lowest tier should be functional but limited. It solves the basic problem but doesn't include all the bells and whistles. Your middle tier should be your recommended option - the one that delivers the best results. Your highest tier should be for prospects who want premium service, faster delivery, or more support.

Most people will choose the middle option. That's by design. But having the high tier makes the middle tier look more reasonable, and having the low tier makes the whole thing feel accessible.

Name your tiers something meaningful. Not "Basic, Standard, Premium" but "Starter, Growth, Scale" or "Foundation, Accelerator, Enterprise." The names should suggest progression and value.

Timeline and Next Steps

Your timeline should show when things happen. Week 1: List building and email setup. Week 2: Campaign launch. Week 3: First round of optimizations. Week 4: Full results and handoff. Whatever makes sense for your project, but give them dates or timeframes.

The next steps section is critical because it tells them exactly how to say yes. "To move forward, reply to this email with your approval and we'll send over the contract and invoice. Work begins as soon as we receive the deposit."

Don't leave it open-ended. Don't write "Let me know if you have questions." Tell them the exact action to take.

I like to include a specific call to action with a light deadline. "If you're ready to move forward, let me know by end of week and we can start the following Monday." This creates gentle urgency without being pushy.

Including Case Studies and Social Proof

Social proof matters, but most people include too much of it in the wrong places. Don't dedicate five pages to case studies. Instead, weave proof points throughout your proposal.

In your problem statement, reference a similar client: "We worked with a manufacturing company in Ohio facing the same challenge - they were generating leads but couldn't convert them. Within 60 days of implementing our system, they booked 23 qualified sales calls and closed 4 new customers worth $87,000."

In your deliverables section, mention results: "Our email sequences typically achieve 40-60% open rates and 8-15% reply rates, compared to industry averages of 20% and 2%."

If you want a dedicated case study section, limit it to one or two short examples that directly relate to their situation. Include the problem, what you did, and the specific results. Keep each case study to 3-4 sentences.

Common Mistakes That Kill Proposals

I've reviewed hundreds of proposals from people I've worked with, and these are the patterns that tank close rates:

Making it about you instead of them. No one cares about your company's founding story or your mission statement. They care about their problem and whether you can solve it. Keep your proposal focused on them.

Being vague about what you'll actually do. If a prospect can't explain your solution to their boss after reading your proposal, you've failed. Be specific. Use numbers. Name the tools and tactics you'll use.

Sending proposals too early. If you haven't had a real conversation about their problem, budget, and decision-making process, your proposal is going to sit in their inbox forever. Qualify first, propose second.

Making it too long. I've seen 40-page proposals that no one will ever read. If you can't explain your offer in 3-5 pages, you don't understand it well enough. Simplify.

Not following up. Send the proposal, then follow up 2 days later. If no response, follow up again 3 days after that. Most deals die in silence, not from objections. Stay on it.

Using generic language. Words like "synergy," "innovative," "cutting-edge," and "best-in-class" mean nothing. Use specific, concrete language that describes exactly what you'll do and what they'll get.

Not addressing objections. If you know they're worried about cost, ROI, or implementation time, address it in the proposal. Don't wait for them to bring it up. Show that you've thought through their concerns.

When to Use a Proposal vs. Just a Contract

Here's a question I get a lot: do you always need a full proposal, or can you just send a contract?

It depends on the complexity and size of the deal. If you're selling a $2,000 service and you've already explained everything on a call, just send a simple contract. Don't overcomplicate it. A one-page agreement might be all you need.

But if you're pitching a $10,000+ project to multiple stakeholders, you need a proposal. Why? Because your main contact needs to sell it internally. They'll forward your proposal to their boss, their CFO, or their team. Your proposal is your sales pitch to people you'll never talk to.

In those cases, the proposal does the selling for you. It needs to stand alone and convince people who weren't on the call.

Another factor: if you're competing against other vendors, a proposal helps you stand out. It shows you took the time to understand their situation and craft a specific solution. A contract alone doesn't do that.

Here's my rule: if the deal is under $5k and you've already discussed scope, skip the proposal and just send a contract. I worked with one web development agency that was wasting days creating elaborate proposals for $2k-3k website projects. We cut proposals entirely for anything under their minimum, and their close rate actually went up because they looked more confident and decisive.

Formatting and Design Best Practices

Your proposal doesn't need to be a design masterpiece, but it should look professional. That means consistent fonts, clear hierarchy, and enough white space that it doesn't feel overwhelming to read.

Use one or two fonts max. A clean sans-serif for headings and body text works fine. Don't go crazy with colors - stick to your brand colors if you have them, or just use black text on white background with one accent color for headings.

Break up long paragraphs. Nobody wants to read a wall of text. Keep paragraphs to 3-4 sentences. Use bullet points for lists. Add subheadings to make it scannable.

If you're including charts or graphs, make sure they're simple and easy to understand at a glance. A cluttered chart is worse than no chart at all.

Most importantly, make sure your proposal is easy to read on both desktop and mobile. A lot of decision-makers review proposals on their phone. If your PDF is formatted weirdly or has tiny text, you're making it harder for them to say yes.

How to Find Prospects Who Actually Need Proposals

A good proposal means nothing if you're sending it to the wrong people. Most of my business comes from outbound - I identify prospects who match my ideal customer profile and reach out directly.

The process is straightforward: build a list of companies that fit your criteria, find the right decision-makers, get their contact info, and start conversations. If you're building prospect lists manually, you're wasting time. Tools like ScraperCity's B2B database let you filter by industry, company size, and job title to build targeted lists fast.

The better your list, the more proposals you'll send to people who are actually qualified and interested. Bad lists mean you're wasting time writing proposals for prospects who were never going to buy.

Once you have your list, your outreach needs to qualify prospects before you send a proposal. That means getting on a call, understanding their situation, confirming they have budget and decision-making authority, and making sure your solution actually fits their needs.

If you're sending proposals to people who haven't been qualified, your close rate will be terrible. Qualify first, propose second.

When I'm hunting for web design clients, I look for companies already linking to outdated tools or competitors in my space. I once helped a client target everyone who had backlinked to an older domain tool - they just reached out saying "Hey, noticed you've written about [old tool] before, I built an alternative that does X better." Simple, direct, and it generated dozens of qualified conversations with people who already understood the value.

Personalizing Your Template for Each Prospect

Here's the thing about templates: they're a starting point, not a copy-paste solution. Every proposal you send should feel like it was written specifically for that prospect.

Change the problem statement to reflect their exact situation. Adjust the deliverables to match what they need. Reference specific things they told you in your discovery call. If they mentioned a competitor they want to beat, name that competitor in the proposal.

Personalization takes 15 extra minutes per proposal, but it's the difference between a 20% close rate and a 50% close rate. Don't skip it.

I keep a master template with all the standard sections, but every time I use it, I customize at least 40% of the content. The structure stays the same. The specifics change based on who I'm talking to.

Using Proposal Software vs. Simple Documents

You don't need expensive proposal software to close deals. I've closed six-figure contracts with Google Docs exported as PDFs. But proposal software does offer some advantages if you're sending a high volume of proposals.

Tools like PandaDoc and Proposify let you track when prospects open your proposal, how much time they spend on each section, and whether they shared it with anyone else. That data helps you time your follow-ups better.

They also make it easy to reuse content blocks, maintain brand consistency, and get electronic signatures without going back and forth with contracts.

But here's the truth: the software doesn't close the deal. The content does. I've seen people spend $100/month on proposal tools and still have terrible close rates because their proposals suck. Fix the content first. Add fancy software later if you need it.

Tools That Make Proposals Easier

You don't need expensive proposal software to do this well. A Google Doc or Word template works fine. But if you want to track when prospects open your proposal or make it interactive, tools like PandaDoc or Proposify can help.

Personally, I keep it simple. I use a Google Doc template, customize it for each prospect, export it as a PDF, and send it via email. Clean, professional, and I'm not paying monthly fees for features I don't need.

The proposal tool doesn't matter nearly as much as the content inside it. Focus on that first.

If you want to add some visual polish without spending hours in design software, Canva has business proposal templates you can customize quickly. Just don't let design become a procrastination tool. Better to send a simple, clear proposal today than a beautiful one next week.

How to Handle Pricing Objections in Your Proposal

If you know price is going to be a concern, address it proactively in your proposal. Don't wait for them to object. Show them the math.

Example: "This investment of $8,000 will generate an estimated 30 qualified sales meetings. Based on your current close rate of 20%, that's 6 new customers. At an average customer value of $5,000, that's $30,000 in new revenue from this campaign alone."

You're not defending your price. You're showing them the return. That shifts the conversation from cost to value.

Another approach is to compare your solution to their current situation. "You're currently spending $12,000 per month on paid ads that generate 40 leads and 2 customers. Our system costs $6,000 per month and typically generates 25-30 qualified leads and 5-8 customers. You'll spend less and get better results."

The key is making the ROI obvious. Don't make them do the math. Do it for them.

Following Up After You Send the Proposal

Sending the proposal isn't the end of the sales process - it's the beginning of the close. Here's what I do every time:

I send the proposal with a short email: "Attached is the proposal we discussed. I've outlined exactly what we'll do, the timeline, and the investment. Take a look and let me know if you have any questions. I'll follow up in a couple days."

Two days later, I follow up: "Hey [Name], just wanted to make sure you got the proposal and see if you have any questions. Happy to jump on a quick call to walk through anything."

If I don't hear back, I follow up again 3-4 days later. Sometimes people are just busy. Sometimes they're waiting for internal approvals. Sometimes they've moved on. You won't know unless you follow up.

Most proposals that close require at least one follow-up, often two or three. Don't take silence personally. Just stay on it.

If they're not responding after three follow-ups, send one final message: "Haven't heard back, so I'm assuming the timing isn't right. Let me know if you want to revisit this down the road." Then move on. Don't chase forever.

My follow-up sequence is dead simple: send the proposal, wait 7 days, then send "Hey [name], any interest?" with the original email threaded below. That's it. One client running this for website development saw that most responses came from either the first touch or that 7-day bump - nothing else. Don't overthink it. If they're not interested after two touches, they're not interested.

What to Do When They Ask for Revisions

Sometimes prospects will come back with revision requests. They want to add something, remove something, or change the scope. This is normal.

First, get on a call. Don't negotiate via email. You need to understand what's really driving the request. Is it budget? Timeline? A stakeholder who wasn't part of the original conversation?

If they want to add scope, adjust your price accordingly. Don't give away extra work for free just to close the deal. That sets a bad precedent and tanks your margins.

If they want to reduce scope to hit a lower price point, make sure they understand what they're giving up. "We can remove the landing page and reduce the campaign from 60 days to 30 days to hit your $5,000 budget, but that will cut your expected results roughly in half."

Be flexible, but don't cave on value. If they're pushing for massive discounts or scope creep, they might not be the right client.

Dealing with Multiple Decision Makers

Complex B2B deals often involve multiple decision makers - the person you talked to, their boss, the finance team, maybe an operations lead. Your proposal needs to work for all of them.

That's why the executive summary is so important. It gives everyone the high-level overview without requiring them to read the whole thing.

But you should also anticipate different concerns from different stakeholders. The person you talked to cares about solving their immediate problem. Their boss cares about ROI and risk. Finance cares about budget and payment terms. Operations cares about implementation and timeline.

Address each of these concerns somewhere in your proposal. You don't need separate sections for each stakeholder, but make sure the information is there.

If you know who the other decision makers are, ask your main contact what concerns they might have. Then address those concerns directly in your proposal.

How to Qualify Prospects Before Sending Proposals

The biggest mistake people make is sending proposals too early. They have one call with a prospect, get asked for a proposal, and send it immediately. Then they wonder why it sits in limbo for weeks.

Before you send a proposal, you need to qualify the prospect on five things:

Problem: Do they have a problem you can solve, and is it urgent enough that they'll actually take action?

Budget: Can they afford your solution? Have they allocated budget for this, or will they need to find it?

Authority: Is the person you're talking to the decision maker, or do they need approval from someone else?

Timeline: When do they need this solved? Are they looking to move forward now or just exploring options?

Fit: Is your solution actually a good fit for their situation, or are they trying to force a square peg into a round hole?

If you can't answer yes to all five of these, don't send a proposal yet. Have another conversation. Get the information you need. Otherwise, you're wasting time on proposals that will never close.

I qualify prospects before sending proposals by asking: "For your project XYZ, it looks like you need somebody who is strongest in [skill 1, 2, and 3]. Let's book a call to talk further?" This filters out tire-kickers immediately. If they won't take a 10-15 minute call to discuss specifics, they're not serious enough to warrant a custom proposal. One client applied this to Upwork inquiries and stopped wasting time on proposals that went nowhere.

Templates for Different Types of Proposals

The basic structure I outlined works for most business proposals, but different industries and deal types might need slight modifications.

For service-based proposals (marketing, consulting, design), focus heavily on deliverables and process. Prospects want to know exactly what they're getting and how you'll deliver it.

For product-based proposals, include more technical specifications and implementation details. If you're selling software, include sections on onboarding, training, and support.

For project-based work (construction, development, manufacturing), your timeline and milestones become more important. Break the project into clear phases with specific deliverables and payment triggers for each phase.

For retainer or ongoing service proposals, emphasize the monthly deliverables and the long-term value. Show what they'll get each month and how the relationship will evolve over time.

The core principles stay the same: understand their problem, propose a specific solution, show clear value, make it easy to say yes. Just adjust the emphasis based on what matters most for that type of deal.

What Happens After You Send It

Sending the proposal isn't the end of the sales process - it's the beginning of the close. Here's what I do every time:

I send the proposal with a short email: "Attached is the proposal we discussed. I've outlined exactly what we'll do, the timeline, and the investment. Take a look and let me know if you have any questions. I'll follow up in a couple days."

Two days later, I follow up: "Hey [Name], just wanted to make sure you got the proposal and see if you have any questions. Happy to jump on a quick call to walk through anything."

If I don't hear back, I follow up again 3-4 days later. Sometimes people are just busy. Sometimes they're waiting for internal approvals. Sometimes they've moved on. You won't know unless you follow up.

Most proposals that close require at least one follow-up, often two or three. Don't take silence personally. Just stay on it.

Using CRM Systems to Track Your Proposals

If you're sending more than a few proposals per month, you need a system to track them. Otherwise, things fall through the cracks.

I use a simple CRM to track every proposal I send. I log the date sent, the value, the expected close date, and the follow-up schedule. Then I set reminders to follow up at the right times.

This keeps me from forgetting about proposals and lets me see patterns. If I notice that proposals to a certain industry are closing at 60% while others are at 20%, I know where to focus my prospecting efforts.

You don't need expensive CRM software for this. Close works well if you want something designed for sales teams. But even a simple spreadsheet with proposal tracking can work if you're disciplined about updating it.

The key is having one place where you can see all your proposals, their status, and what action you need to take next.

Converting Proposals to Contracts

Once a prospect accepts your proposal, you need to convert it into a contract. Some people try to combine the proposal and contract into one document. I don't recommend that.

The proposal is a sales document. It's designed to persuade and explain. The contract is a legal document. It's designed to protect both parties and clarify terms.

Keep them separate. Once they accept your proposal, send a simple contract that covers the legal essentials: scope of work, payment terms, timelines, termination clauses, liability, and any other legal protections you need.

You can pull the scope and deliverables directly from your proposal, but add the legal language your lawyer recommends. If you don't have a contract template, check out my agency contract template as a starting point.

Make it easy to sign. Use DocuSign or a similar e-signature tool so they can sign and return it in two minutes. The faster you get a signed contract, the faster you get paid and start work.

How to Build a Proposal Library

After you've sent 20-30 proposals, you'll start noticing patterns. Certain sections get reused a lot. Certain case studies work well for specific types of prospects. Certain pricing structures close better than others.

Build a library of these reusable components. Create a document with your best problem statements, solution descriptions, case studies, pricing tiers, and deliverables lists. Organize them by industry or problem type.

Then, when you need to create a new proposal, you're not starting from scratch. You're pulling proven components from your library and customizing them for the specific prospect.

This cuts proposal writing time from 2-3 hours down to 30-45 minutes. You're still personalizing every proposal, but you're working from a foundation of content you know converts.

Update your library regularly. When you write a great section for one proposal, save it. When a case study starts feeling stale, replace it with a newer one. Treat your proposal library as a living document that evolves based on what's working.

Learning from Lost Deals

When a proposal doesn't close, find out why. Most salespeople just move on to the next prospect. That's a mistake. Every lost deal has a lesson.

Reach out to prospects who didn't move forward and ask for honest feedback. "Hey, I noticed we didn't end up working together. No problem at all, but I'm always trying to improve my proposals. Can you share what made you decide to go a different direction?"

Most people will tell you. Maybe you were too expensive. Maybe they went with a competitor who offered something you didn't. Maybe the timing wasn't right. Maybe your proposal didn't address a key concern.

Whatever the reason, that feedback helps you improve your next proposal. If you keep hearing the same objection, address it proactively in future proposals. If prospects keep going with competitors who offer a specific feature, consider adding that feature or explaining why you don't include it.

Lost deals aren't failures. They're data points. Use them to get better.

Final Thoughts

A free business proposal template is useful, but only if you know how to fill it out. Focus on being clear, specific, and prospect-focused. Show them you understand their problem, explain exactly what you'll do, and make it easy for them to say yes.

The template is the easy part. The hard part is having real conversations with qualified prospects, understanding their needs, and building trust. Do that right, and your proposals will close at rates that make your competitors wonder what you're doing differently.

Most people never even get to the proposal stage because they can't get meetings. If you're sending proposals, you're already ahead of the game. Now focus on making those proposals impossible to ignore.

If you want more hands-on help with your entire sales process, from building prospect lists to closing deals, Galadon Gold covers all of this. But start with the template, customize it for your prospects, and track what works. That's how you build a sales system that actually generates revenue.