Sales proposal example and tips to win over clients in 2026

If you want to win new business in today’s competitive market, a strong sales proposal is critical. Organizations can’t grow without consistently converting opportunities into closed deals, and a well-crafted proposal is often the deciding factor.

But here’s the truth: most proposals don’t fail because of price. They fail because they lack clarity, personalization, or a compelling reason to act. So how do you make a sales proposal that is sure to win business? 

Here at Method CRM, we’ve been working with QuickBooks-based businesses since 2010, and we know how important sales are. This article breaks down what a winning proposal looks like, what the necessary documents look like, and how to make sure your CRM is being utilized to pump out winning proposals on a regular basis. 

Table of Contents

• What is a sales proposal? 🤔
• Sales proposal vs. business proposal vs. project proposal 🆚
  • Why it matters in the sales process
  • Who typically uses sales proposals?
• What should a winning sales proposal include? 🏆
  • Title page and cover letter
  • Executive summary
  • Company background
  • Deliverables
  • Pricing
  • Case studies or examples
  • Call to action (CTA)
• An example of a sales proposal (with commentary) 📄
• Why use Method for sales proposals? 🚀
• Tips to improve your sales proposals 📈
• Final thoughts 💡
• Frequently asked questions

What is a sales proposal? 🤔

A sales proposal is an outline for a potential client (digital or written) detailing the problems that are being solved, the solutions you can provide, what the client will be receiving in terms of deliverables, and so on. It usually outlines the time it will take to complete the proposition as well as the cost. The sales proposal is often one of the final steps before closing a deal. In a common sales workflow, the process often looks like this: a proposal is provided, it’s approved, it’s signed, the contract stipulations are executed, invoicing occurs, and payment is received.

 Proposal → Approval → Signature → Invoice → Payment 

For example, let’s say you have a manufacturing plant that’s making inlines for roller skates. A large roller skate manufacturer lost their current supplier and requested a phone call with you. You discuss basic terms on the phone, notes are taken, and now it’s time to put those notes into an outline, in the form of a sales proposal.

Sales proposal vs. business proposal vs. project proposal 🆚

In the business world, proposals come in all shapes and sizes. The three most common ones are as follows.

Writing proposals manually can be labor-intensive. Tightening the proposal workflow is one of the fastest ways to speed up turnaround and protect momentum. 

Why it matters in the sales process

A sales proposal is where your prospect makes an assessment of whether or not you have understood their needs sufficiently and if your solution is worth the price. 

For example, let’s take an area distributor who is asking to have customized production runs created with faster lead times and variable order quantities. If the proposal addresses these requirements, prices the production accurately, and provides enough information about what is possible from an operational standpoint, the proposal is more likely to receive internal approval.

Who typically uses sales proposals?

Sales proposals are used by anyone dealing with complexity in the sales process. If you’re offering multiple services, custom pricing, recurring work, or need to coordinate across teams, a sales proposal is essential. This includes sales teams, consultants, and anyone involved in supply chains or complex transactions. Essentially, if you’re selling something with multiple moving parts, you’ll likely be using a sales proposal.

Proposals don’t have to be disconnected documents. With the right configuration, they can connect directly to your workflows, your approvals, and your accounting data. This means when a proposal is approved, the next step is already in motion.

This is where Method comes into play. Instead of forcing your team into a rigid sales process, it mirrors how your work moves from quote to payment. That flexibility matters most when you have multiple moving parts and zero room for error.

What should a winning sales proposal include? 🏆

So, what should a winning sales proposal include? Let’s keep it simple at first, with bells and whistles to be added later.

Title page and cover letter

The title page includes all of the key information about you and your company (the proposer), the contact information for the prospect that is being approached, the date of the document, and the title of the proposal. In addition to the title page, there will be a brief cover letter that explains the reason for creating this proposal and how it supports the joint business objectives. 

Executive summary

A good executive summary provides a quick overview of the major problems faced, describes the proposed solutions to those problems, states what improvements can be expected to the business as a result of implementing the proposed solution, and tells the reader what they need to do to move forward with the decision-making process. For example, an executive summary might tell the reader that the current systems and processes that exist have resulted in lost revenue due to inefficiencies in communication and collaboration; propose a central workflow to improve efficiency; state that employees can expect to save a certain amount of time per day/week/month, etc.; and suggest a plan for a phased implementation.

Company background

This section establishes credibility. You don’t need a full company history, just the details that reduce risk for the buyer:

• Your experience
• Your focus area
• Relevant certifications
• What makes your process reliable

This is also a great place to include past successes and client testimonials if you have them to hand.

Deliverables

Confirm the deliverables! This is for both the client, as mentioned above, and your team as well.

Pricing

Your pricing strategy should reflect how buyers plan their budgets and be as clear and comprehensive as possible. The pricing strategies most commonly used by businesses are itemized, tiered, packaging, time-based, and usage-based, as well as combinations of these. When offering options to your buyer, it is important to clearly label those options and identify which option is best suited for which buyer.

Case studies or examples

Your track record is the most important sales tool you have in business, and including examples of how you have solved similar problems or helped similar businesses is crucial. This can also include visual representations, such as charts and graphs.

Call to action (CTA)

Avoid ending with a vague CTA. Instead, be specific and set a firm next step. Confirm a time for a call or propose a deadline for proposal approval. If scheduling a call, narrow down the options by offering specific days to guide their decision and encourage a prompt response.

An example of a sales proposal (with commentary) 📄

Below is a realistic sales proposal example you can adapt for your business, which is customizable to fit your needs when dealing with potential customers. After each section, you’ll see a short note explaining why it works. As you read, notice how each part maps to the workflow you run internally, customer details, opportunity context, deliverables, pricing, approvals, and next steps.

This is a basic structure that you can copy, but the best results might be developing your own sales proposal from the ground up with a solution like Method. 

Why use Method for sales proposals? 🚀

With the Method Proposals pack, proposals are part of an integrated workflow and link directly to the customer’s opportunity and customer record. This allows customers to accept the proposed work and automatically create an invoice without having to retype the data, thereby reducing the risk of inconsistencies and manual entry errors. 

Further, Method’s real time, two-way sync with QuickBooks keeps customer and financial data aligned. With Method’s customization services, when a proposal is approved, the invoice can be created automatically without rekeying information, reducing reconciliation issues and manual errors. Because Method is customizable, proposals can be configured to reflect how your business actually sells, including pricing structures, deposits, recurring billing, and approval processes. You can also automate reminders, follow ups, and status updates inside Method, so deals do not stall in someone’s inbox.

Tips to improve your sales proposals 📈

So are your proposals up to par? Consider the following checklist if you aren’t moving past the sales proposal stage in your process.

Quick checklist: before you send a proposal

• Does the executive summary state the outcome in plain language?
• Are deliverables specific enough to prevent scope confusion?
• Is pricing easy to understand at a glance?
• Is the timeline realistic and tied to milestones?
• Is the CTA unmissable (what happens next, and how)?

Final thoughts 💡

A sales proposal is the first step in converting a potential opportunity into a profitable relationship. With Method, you can move beyond manual processes and use data and automation to create more effective, tailored proposals faster. This means fewer mistakes, quicker turnaround times, and more business.

Let’s face it: Sales drive the bottom line and by mastering the art of the sales proposal, you can stay ahead of the competition and consistently win business that helps your organization thrive.

Frequently asked questions