The problem, stated plainly, before the price gets anywhere near it.
Eight sections, in the order a client actually reads them — not a legal document, but the headings and the questions each one needs answered so a real proposal doesn't start from a blank page. Have it reviewed by whoever handles contracts before it goes out. Free to download, copy or adapt. No sign-up.
Not a legal document. Have this reviewed by whoever handles contracts before it goes out.
Download the Full Skeleton →1 · Cover & Context
Who this is for, prepared by whom, and the one line explaining why it exists.
Client name, date, prepared by: One sentence on why this proposal exists — what conversation led here:
2 · Problem Statement
The problem in the client's own words, and the real cost of leaving it alone.
The problem in the client's own words, not reframed into agency language: What happens if nothing changes — the real cost of inaction:
3 · Proposed Scope
What's in, named specifically, and what's explicitly left out.
In scope — named specifically, not "full-service": Explicitly out of scope — the thing most likely to get assumed otherwise:
4 · Approach & Timeline
The plan in plain language, with real dates attached to it.
The approach, in plain language, in three to five steps: Timeline — start date, key milestones, end date or renewal point:
5 · Deliverables
What arrives, specific enough that "done" isn't a debate later.
What gets delivered, in a list specific enough that "done" isn't a debate: Format each deliverable arrives in (report, dashboard, working account):
6 · Investment & Payment Terms
The number, how it's structured, and what's billed separately.
Total investment, and how it's structured (retainer, project, hybrid): Payment schedule and terms: What's included versus billed separately (ad spend, third-party tools):
7 · Assumptions & Dependencies
What this proposal assumes is already true, and what the client owes the timeline.
What this proposal assumes is already true or already in place: What the client needs to provide, and by when, for the timeline to hold:
8 · Terms, Signatures & Next Step
Where the full agreement lives, and the single action that moves this forward.
Standard terms reference (link to full agreement, if separate): Signature lines — client and agency: The single next action required to move this forward:
Free to use, adapt and share. No attribution required. Not legal advice.
30 Minutes. A Fresh Perspective on Your Account.
Bring us a live account and we will take a closer look at what you are actually running. We will identify where your biggest opportunities and inefficiencies may be hiding, what could be costing you more than it should and where we would focus first. You keep the findings. No sales pitch. No obligation. No strings attached.
Book a Call, No Pitch →