proposallisted

# Proposal ## Purpose Turn an established deal into a proposal the buyer recognizes as *theirs* — built around their stated problem and desired outcome, scoped to what they actually need, priced clearly, and ending in a single next step. Not a template with their logo on it. ## Inputs - The buyer's stated problem and desired outcome (their words) - The solution and scope you're proposing (what's in, what's out) - Pricing, and any commercial terms (term length, payment, start date) - Who the proposal is for (economic buyer, champion) and what they care about ## Method 1. Pull the buyer's own priorities first. A proposal is a mirror, not a brochure — lead with *their* stated problem and desired outcome in *their* language before you describe anything you sell. 2. Build the proposal on this seven-part spine, in order: 1. **Problem** — the buyer's situation and the cost of the status quo, in their words. 2. **Desired outcome** — what success looks like to *them*, stated as their goal. 3. **Solution** — how your offering produces that outcome. Tie each capability to a pain or value driver they named. Cut anything that maps to neither. 4. **Scope** — exactly what's included, deliverables, and what's explicitly *out*. Ambiguity here is where deals stall in legal and procurement. 5. **Pricing** — clear line items, the total, and the value metric behind it. Anchor against the cost of inaction from step 1, not against competitors. 6. **Terms