How to Create Proposals Faster with Templates

We all know that writing proposals can feel like a never-ending task — especially when you're juggling multiple clients or projects. 

But here's the good news: proposal templates are a game-changer. 

With pre-built templates, you can create proposals faster without starting from scratch every time. Plus, they help you stay organized and consistent. 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how using templates can save you time and make proposal creation a breeze!

What is a business proposal?

A business proposal is a document designed to persuade potential clients to engage with your business. Unlike a business plan, which outlines a company’s overall strategy and goals, a business proposal focuses on a specific idea, product, or service and its value proposition.

It aims to address the needs and problems of potential clients, offering tailored solutions that demonstrate how your business can meet their requirements. Crafting an effective business proposal is crucial for securing new customers and driving business growth.

Why proposal templates save time?

Imagine cutting down hours spent building a proposal from scratch. That’s what proposal templates offer — a quick way to create consistent, professional documents without reinventing the wheel each time. Free business proposal templates are also available to further streamline the process.

Templates have all the key sections (like project scope, pricing, and terms) ready to go, so all you need to do is customize the details.

By streamlining the repetitive work, templates help you focus on what matters: personalizing your pitch and closing the deal faster.

Common proposal template components

Every winning proposal needs these essential sections. Templates ensure consistency while saving you time:

• Introduction: Introduce your business and highlight the client’s pain points. Make it compelling—your goal here is to grab attention.
• Executive summary: Clearly define the problem, your proposed solution, and why it’s the best fit. Keep it short and impactful.
• Project scope: Break down deliverables, timelines, and milestones. A well-structured scope reassures the client that you’ve thought through every detail.
• Pricing: Display your pricing transparently. Use tables to break down costs and show value.
• Terms & conditions: Cover essential details like payment terms, timelines, and client responsibilities. Templates allow you to quickly reuse this section while keeping it professional.

Including practical business proposal examples can illustrate effective formats and essential sections, enhancing the overall quality and presentation of your proposal.

With templates, these components are already organized and formatted, so you can focus on personalizing the content. This not only boosts your speed but also ensures a polished, professional proposal every time.

How to create a proposal template in minutes?

Creating templates that are both efficient and adaptable is key to fast proposal generation.

To address different business needs, you can create specific templates like a 'consulting proposal template' that includes essential elements such as project summaries, timelines, and specific goals.

Here’s how you can use Propoze to build powerful custom templates.

Step 1: Define core sections of your proposal template

Identify the sections that will remain consistent across all proposals. These might include:

• About us: A section to present your business’s mission and background.
• Team overview: Highlight the specific team members involved in the project.
• Project scope: Outline deliverables, expected outcomes, and key milestones.
• Pricing breakdown: Transparent, easy-to-understand pricing tables or descriptions.

A research proposal template often includes sections like 'About Us' and 'Our Team' to enhance the credibility of the proposal by effectively introducing the company and its members.

Here’s a pro tip: Keep your core sections as general as possible so that minor adjustments can be made without disrupting the structure. By organizing these core sections into a template library, you can access them easily for different clients.

Now, we don’t do this like this in Propoze really, we do proposal a bit differently. But it’s best if we show it.

Core sections you’ll find in Propoze are:

• Service section
• Heading section
• Rich text section
• File & media section

Now, let’s give it a try.

We’ll create a proposal template for app development services. And each time we get a new inquiry for app development services, we’ll just open this template and modify it for our client’s needs.

First, we’ll divide the proposal into several main sections, each referring to a group of services we’re offering:

• Project Start section
• Mobile Development section
• QA & Support section

In the image above, you can see how we used both the Heading section. Before the heading section, we defined some basic information about the client and the proposal:

• Client name
• Currency
• Proposal validity date

Next, we need to define the services that we’ll have under the Project Start section.

Right after the Heading section, we’ve added the Service section and defined its description. We’ve selected our Units, defined the Quantity, and set the Unit price.

This all resulted in a subtotal of $1,600 for Project Planning service.

And, as you can guess, this proposal continues in this format.

Finally, once you have defined all the elements of your proposal template, you’ll find the pricing section at the very bottom of the proposal. You can play around with additional discounts if you’re looking to create templates for offers that are discounted right from the start.

Just consider a digital marketing business that sends dozens of similar proposals.

By automating variables like project timelines and pricing, the team can send personalized, branded proposals in minutes, ensuring consistency without sacrificing quality.

But before they do that, here’s how they can personalize their proposal with their own branding.

Step 2: Personalize your proposal template with custom fonts and colors

Branding isn’t just about colors and logos. It’s about making sure every client gets the same polished, professional impression of your business. And templates are a super easy way to keep everything consistent. 

Here’s what you can do with templates:

• Brand colors and fonts: Stick to your company colors and fonts, so your proposals always feel like "you." It’s a small touch, but it makes a big difference.
• Logo placement: Make sure your logo is front and center on the cover, but don’t overdo it. 
• Contact info: Always have up-to-date contact details at the ready. 

Here’s how to take care of personalization with Propoze.

Once you’re in your proposal builder, click on the icon in the upper left corner. This will open a sidebar in which you can: 

• Access your table of contents
• Customize your proposal appearance

This time, we want to customize the proposal, so we’ll click on “Appearance”. This opens a new view of the proposal — we get to see the proposal in its public state — the same one your clients will look at. 

Here, we can do a few impactful changes that will make the proposal feel really yours. 

1) Play with proposal presets

Want to use the default mode? Or you’re looking for a modern dark mode feel in your proposals? 

With Propoze, you can go for any of these. Just choose your preset of choice and you’re good to go.

2) Customize your proposal template colors and typography

Looking to match your proposals look and feel to you brand’s? Say no more; we deliver.

Take full control of your proposal title and accent colors and typography. It doesn’t get easier than this. 

Step 3: Streamline personalization with templates

Propoze makes personalizing proposals a breeze by offering highly customizable templates. You don’t need complex automation to deliver tailored proposals quickly. 

Here’s how:

• Simple editing process: Propoze allows you to reuse core sections of your templates while easily editing client-specific details like project names, timelines, or objectives.
• Tailored flexibility: Each proposal can be fine-tuned by swapping out details in a few clicks, saving you from manual rewriting but still delivering a personalized feel.
• Professional appearance: By maintaining consistent branding (logos, colors, fonts) across your proposals, you project professionalism, no matter how quickly you create them.

Just imagine a boutique digital marketing agency. The agency works with clients across different industries — each needing custom digital strategies. 

Using Propoze’s templates, the agency can keep core elements like service offerings and terms intact, but quickly adjust sections like deliverables or campaign goals for each client. This allows the agency to send tailored proposals in half the time without sacrificing the personal touch each client expects.

For example, if the agency is pitching to an e-commerce company, they can tweak the deliverables to focus on social media ads and email marketing. 

The next day, when pitching to a B2B tech firm, they simply adjust the template to highlight SEO services and content strategy, all while keeping the framework consistent.

How to write a business proposal

Writing a business proposal might seem daunting, but breaking it down into manageable steps can make the process more straightforward and effective. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you create a compelling business proposal that wins new business.

Step 1: Create a compelling title

The title page of your business proposal is the first thing a potential client will see, so it needs to be engaging and informative. A compelling title page should include:

• Company name and logo: Ensure your branding is clear and professional.
• Proposal title: Make it specific and relevant to the client’s needs.
• Date: Indicate when the proposal was created.
• Contact information: Provide clear details on how the client can reach you.

Step 2: Craft the executive summary

The executive summary is a crucial part of your business proposal. It provides a concise overview of the entire document, highlighting the value proposition and encouraging the reader to continue. A well-crafted executive summary should include:

• A brief overview of the proposal: Summarize the main points.
• The benefits of the proposed solution: Clearly state how your solution addresses the client’s needs.
• A Summary of key points: Highlight the most important aspects of your proposal.

Step 3: Write a detailed problem statement

The core of any business proposal is the problem statement. This section should clearly define the issue the client is facing and set the stage for your proposed solution. A detailed problem statement should include:

• A clear description of the problem: Explain the issue in detail.
• The impact of the problem on the business: Highlight the consequences of not addressing the problem.
• The benefits of solving the problem: Show how your solution will improve the client’s situation.

By following these steps, you can create a business proposal that is not only persuasive but also tailored to the specific needs of your potential clients. This approach ensures that your proposals are both effective and efficient, helping you secure new business and grow your company.

Tips for improving your proposal process efficiency

Optimizing your proposal process can significantly reduce the time it takes to get proposals into clients’ hands.

All while maintaining quality. Well-structured business proposals are crucial in the sales process, ensuring client engagement and satisfaction.

Here are key strategies to streamline your workflow and boost your proposal efficiency.

1) Streamline the proposal approval process

According to Loopio’s research, companies that reduce the number of people involved in approvals and assign clear roles reduce proposal turnaround time by 30% on average​.

We can safely say that reviews and approvals often cause delays. But you can streamline this process — and here’s how to do it. A formally solicited business proposal can benefit significantly from a streamlined approval process, as it is crafted in response to an official request and tailored to meet specific requirements.

Pre-approved content: For standard elements (like legal clauses or company profiles), set them as pre-approved so they don’t need to be reviewed for each proposal.

Role-based approvals: Instead of sending the entire proposal to multiple people, assign each section to relevant decision-makers. For example, finance reviews pricing, while project managers approve timelines.

2) Maintain a centralized proposal library

One of the most effective ways to reduce proposal creation time is to have a robust, regularly updated proposal library.

Having various business proposal templates available for different industries is crucial. This allows you to reuse pre-approved content, saving you hours of drafting time:

• Industry-specific templates: Keep templates for different industries (e.g., healthcare, SaaS, e-commerce) with ready-made sections like case studies, service offerings, and pricing models.
• Dynamic case studies: Store multiple versions of your success stories categorized by industry, which can be quickly inserted into proposals depending on the client.

Research shows that businesses with well-organized proposal libraries reduce time spent on proposal creation by an average of 63%, while also increasing proposal accuracy by 21%​!

And luckily, you can easily organize all your proposals in Propoze! You’ll be able to archive your past proposals, create an unlimited number of templates, and find any document you need in just seconds.

3) Build a continuous feedback loop for improvement

A feedback loop doesn’t just improve your current proposal — it ensures every future proposal is better. Feedback from prospective clients is crucial in refining your proposals to better meet their needs and expectations.

Here’s how you can include feedback into your process:

• Internal reviews: Hold post-proposal debriefs with your team. Identify where bottlenecks occurred and adjust your templates, processes, and approval flows accordingly.
• Client feedback: After submitting, ask for feedback from the client — specifically on clarity, ease of reading, and structure. Did they feel the proposal answered their key questions quickly? What did they find confusing or unnecessary?

According to industry research, companies that regularly refine their proposal process based on internal and client feedback see up to a 25% improvement in overall proposal quality​.

Now, implementing a feedback loop seems like a no-brainer.

This needs to be the very foundation of your proposal process. The continuous improvement and refinement of your proposal upon new findings. You’ll be surprised just how much these small details and minor changes can impact your entire sales.

4) Set clear deadlines for each stage

Creating hard deadlines for proposal creation, review, and submission ensures the process stays on track and minimizes last-minute rushes.

• Time block proposal work: Dedicate specific times each week for drafting and reviewing proposals. Focused time blocks boost efficiency and reduce distractions.
• Track proposal progress: Use tools like Propoze’s proposal tracking features to monitor the status of each proposal, keeping everyone accountable and aware of deadlines.

Let’s tie this all up with a real-world example of an agency trying to improve their proposal process.

Consider a marketing agency that handles proposals for a wide range of industries, from hospitality to SaaS. Here’s how they streamlined their process:

• Industry-focused proposal library: By maintaining a library of case studies and pre-written solutions organized by industry, the agency could pull relevant sections in seconds, cutting down drafting time by 50%.
• Streamlined approvals: The agency assigned team leads to approve specific parts—creative for design, strategy for deliverables—reducing overall approval time.
• Client feedback: After every proposal submission, the agency gathered feedback from clients on clarity and presentation. This allowed them to make minor tweaks that improved future proposal acceptance rates by 20%.

This efficient approach helped the agency submit customized, detailed proposals in 40% less time, giving them the edge over competitors who were slower to respond. 

5) Leverage boilerplate proposal content

Reusing boilerplate content is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to speed up your proposal creation process without sacrificing quality. By reusing elements that remain consistent across most proposals, you avoid starting from scratch every time.

Unsolicited business proposals, which are often generic and lack personalization, can particularly benefit from reusable content.

By incorporating thorough market research and understanding customer pain points, these proposals can be tailored to address the specific needs of potential buyers:

1. Identify reusable sections

Start by pinpointing the sections that don’t change much between clients. Common examples include:

• Company overview: Your mission, vision, and basic company description will likely remain the same across all proposals.
• Team bios: Unless a different project team is involved, bios and team structure are easy to reuse.
• Standard terms and conditions: Legal clauses, payment terms, and contract conditions can often be reused with minor tweaks.

2. Build a boilerplate library

Create a centralized library of pre-approved boilerplate content that your team can access. 

This library should be updated regularly to reflect the most current company information and be organized for easy access. 

For example, you can categorize content by industry, project type, or proposal section.

• Case studies and testimonials: Keep a collection of success stories that highlight your company’s expertise, segmented by industry or service.
• Service descriptions: Store descriptions of your core services, so you can pull in relevant details depending on the client’s needs.

And luckily, this is one of the upcoming features of Propoze! We’ll help you cut down the proposal drafting process drastically with a built-in section library. 

3. Customize where It matters

While boilerplate content saves time, you’ll still need to personalize parts of each proposal to address the unique needs of each client. 

Use boilerplate for the backbone of your proposal, but customize sections like the executive summary, project scope, and pricing to reflect the client’s specific goals and challenges.

Remember: Customizing just 20% of your proposal — while keeping the rest consistent — can save up to 50% of drafting time, making your process faster without compromising on personalization​. 

4. Review and update regularly

Your boilerplate content isn’t set in stone. Review it periodically to ensure it’s still relevant and aligns with your company’s current positioning. 

Include new data, success stories, and client feedback to keep your proposals fresh and effective.

What does proposal speed mean for sales?

The quicker you get your proposals out, the faster you can land deals and keep your clients happy. 

Let’s break down why speeding up your proposal creation process can seriously boost your sales and client satisfaction.

1) Faster proposals = Faster client responses

When you submit a proposal quickly, it sends a clear message: you're efficient, organized, and ready to do business. 

Speed shows clients that you’re prioritizing their project, and that’s something they appreciate. 

The faster you respond, the more likely you are to get a quick reply. 

In fact, many clients prefer to move forward with the first vendor who provides a strong proposal that meets their needs — especially when they’re weighing multiple options.

Picture this: you’re competing with three other companies. While they’re still drafting, you’ve already sent a clean, well-prepared proposal that clearly addresses the client’s concerns. Not only are you the first to arrive in their inbox, but you’ve also demonstrated professionalism and reliability from the start. 

This can be the difference between closing a deal and missing out.

2. Speed builds trust and keeps clients happy

Clients want to know that you’re on top of things. If your proposal arrives quickly, it shows them that their project is important to you. 

This simple act of responding promptly builds trust — clients can relax knowing they’re working with a company that won’t leave them hanging. 

The truth is, if you’re quick to respond during the proposal stage, clients naturally expect that you’ll be just as fast when it comes to delivering on the actual project.

For example, imagine being a client needing to hit a critical deadline. A fast proposal response from you doesn’t just ease their stress, it reassures them that your team can handle the work. Building this kind of trust early on sets the stage for a strong, long-term relationship. 

Clients feel valued when their time is respected, which can lead to repeat business and even referrals.

3) Shorter sales cycles = More deals in the pipeline

When you streamline your proposal process, you’re not just getting one deal done faster — you’re freeing up time for more opportunities. 

Shortening your sales cycle means you can handle more proposals at once, giving your team the bandwidth to pursue additional leads without sacrificing quality. Each time you cut down the time it takes to send out a proposal, you’re opening the door for more deals to flow through your pipeline.

Think about it: the quicker your team moves from proposal to client discussions, the more deals they can close. This extra time can be used to strengthen relationships with other prospects, follow up on leads, or even improve your service offerings. 

A shorter sales cycle not only speeds up deal-making but gives your team the chance to focus on other growth-driving activities.

4) Speed helps clients make quicker decisions

Clients are often juggling multiple bids and proposals, trying to make decisions quickly to keep their projects on track. 

A slow proposal on your part can cause delays in their planning process, leading to frustration or, worse, choosing another vendor who was faster to deliver. When you provide a proposal swiftly, you help keep their momentum going, which clients greatly appreciate.

Imagine a client trying to meet an internal deadline. They’ve asked three vendors for proposals, but your fast delivery allows them to move forward with their decision without missing a beat. In contrast, a delayed proposal could throw off their schedule or force them to move forward with a competitor simply because they don’t have time to wait. 

Speed positions you as an enabler of their goals, making their decision easier and faster.

5) Fast proposals show you run a tight ship

Speed reflects efficiency, and clients notice this. 

A fast proposal process tells potential clients that your business is well-organized and capable of handling the demands of their project. It demonstrates that your team is not only prepared but proactive — qualities that many clients look for in a business partner.

Imagine sending a proposal within 24 hours of your client request. Not only does it show that your team is agile, but it also gives the impression that you can handle tight deadlines with ease. 

In competitive industries, this can set you apart from other vendors who take too long to submit, and it gives the client confidence in your ability to deliver when it matters most.

Why proposal templates are key to faster, more consistent proposals

Let’s be real — creating proposals from scratch every time can be a huge time sink. That’s where proposal templates come in to save the day!

Using templates isn’t just about cutting corners. It’s about working smarter. Templates let you reuse the core structure of your proposals so you can focus on what matters: tailoring the details for each client.

It’s consistency without the chaos, helping you get proposals out faster, more efficiently, and with fewer mistakes.

By having a ready-to-go template, you don’t have to worry about missing sections or reformatting every time.

Plus, it keeps everything on-brand, so you always look polished. And let’s not forget—the faster you send out that professional, well-crafted proposal, the faster you can move on to what you really love — working on new projects and closing more deals.

If this sounds like a dream, you’re in luck! Propoze makes this entire process even easier. With our platform, you’ll have access to a wide range of templates that are super customizable, ensuring you maintain your unique style while speeding up the entire proposal process.

Ready to streamline your proposals and wow your clients? Give Propoze a try with our free trial today and see how much time you can save!

Additionally, there are many free business proposal templates available that can help you create effective proposals, enhancing clarity and professionalism in your client pitches.