Write a proposal first draft
A practical way to use AI for this job in a small business, with a prompt you can copy.
Proposals take forever. You know the job inside out, but turning that into a professional document means a Sunday afternoon of formatting and second-guessing.
The prompt
Write a proposal for [client] for [project]. Their problem: [problem]. What I'll do: [scope]. Timeline: [timeline]. Price: [price]. What's not included: [exclusions]. Structure: summary, the problem, my approach, timeline, investment, next steps. Plain English, under 2 pages.
Replace everything in [square brackets] with your own details. Don't paste in anything you wouldn't want stored by the AI provider.
Steps
- Fill in the facts, especially exclusions.
- Run the prompt.
- Put it into your proposal template.
- Read it as the client would.
A worked example
A Launceston web designer has a call with a winery about a new site. Afterwards he pastes his call notes into Claude with the prompt: client goals, pages needed, timeline, budget range, and what's not included. Claude returns a structured draft with an overview, the problem, the proposed solution, timeline, investment and next steps.
He adds his real prices (stated as including GST), swaps in two examples of past work, and removes a section promising 'ongoing SEO' that he didn't offer. It's done in 75 minutes instead of an afternoon.
Where it goes wrong
AI pads proposals with buzzwords and promises. It might add services you don't offer or outcomes you can't guarantee. Delete anything you wouldn't say out loud to the client. It also invents timelines; set your own based on your workload.
Time saved
A first draft usually takes 2 to 3 hours from scratch. With good notes and AI, expect 45 to 90 minutes including your edits. These are my estimates for a typical small business, not measured results.
What it costs (AUD)
Free plans work. If you write lots of proposals, a paid plan's Projects feature lets you store your standard terms and past examples.
The free plans of ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini handle this fine. If you end up using AI every day, the paid plans are roughly: ChatGPT Plus approx. A$30 a month, Claude Pro approx. A$29 a month billed monthly (US$20, or about A$24 a month if you pay yearly), and Google AI Pro approx. A$33 a month through the App Store. Prices approx., October 2026. Some are billed in US dollars, so your bank may add a foreign transaction fee. Check the vendor's pricing page before you buy.
Australian notes
State clearly whether prices include GST. If you're registered for GST, your invoices will need to meet the ATO's tax invoice requirements later, so be consistent from the proposal onwards. Spell out what's not included to avoid scope arguments.
Privacy: the Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) cover most businesses turning over more than $3 million, plus some smaller ones such as health providers. Even if you're under the threshold, treat customer details with care: strip names, phone numbers and addresses before you paste anything into an AI tool.
My verdict
Big time-saver. Exclusions save arguments later, so don't skip them.
Common questions
Should I use a template?
Yes. Once you have one good proposal, give it to AI as the example to follow.
How long should a proposal be?
For most small business jobs, two to four pages. Long enough to be clear, short enough to be read.
Can AI set my prices?
No. Pricing is your call, based on your costs and your market.
Do this today
Write down the goals, scope, timeline and exclusions for your next proposal as dot points. Run the prompt and see how close the first draft gets.
More sales use cases
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