Guides · Updated 2026-11-12

How to Write Client Proposals With AI (Freelancers & Small Agencies)

A proposal is where a good call turns into a clear offer, or into a week of rewriting. Free AI assistants (ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot) are good at putting your notes into a fixed structure. They are bad at your rates, your capacity and what the client actually said. If you leave a gap, they fill it with generic agency language.

Short answer: keep a one-page note of your voice, the services you sell and the prices you charge. After a discovery call, paste anonymised notes into a proposal prompt that asks for a problem restatement, scope, deliverables, timeline, two or three pricing options, assumptions and exclusions, and next steps. Fact-check every price, date and claim against the notes before you send it. Follow up on a simple schedule if it stays unsigned. For the wider picture (briefs, reporting, outreach and IP), read our AI guide for agencies and freelancers. For a plan that fits the rest of your week, take the free 2-minute quiz.

Replace anything in [brackets] with your details. The prompts work in the free versions of ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot. Prices in the examples are in US dollars and are sample figures you replace with your own rates. This is general information for freelancers and small agencies, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review your contract template once. The proposal is the plain-English offer. It is not a substitute for that contract.

What to give the AI, and what to leave out

Start each chat with this instruction, then paste one prompt from below:

Write in plain English for a freelancer or small agency. Use only the notes and the pricing rules I give you. If a fact is missing, write [MISSING] and do not guess. Do not invent case studies, results, client names, testimonials, discounts or guarantees. Prices stay in US dollars. Sound like the person who was on the call, not a pitch deck.

Do not paste confidential client data into a consumer AI tool. Strip names and identifiers first, and read is ChatGPT safe for customer data? before you paste call notes, briefs or files.

From discovery-call notes to a proposal

Do this the same way after every call so the draft is comparable and you are not inventing a new format under time pressure.

1. During the call, take notes in a fixed shape. Problem in their words, what they asked for, who their customer is, the deadline they named, the budget they named, who decides, assets they already have, and anything they said is out. Leave a blank as blank. A blank is [NOT STATED], not a guess you fill in later to sound complete.
2. Five minutes after the call, fill only what you heard. Add open questions. Do not upgrade "they might want photos" into a line item.
3. Anonymise before you paste. Use [Client] and [their customer]. Remove emails, phone numbers, addresses, logins and anything you would not want in a vendor's training set.
4. Paste the voice, services and pricing rules once, then the proposal prompt with the notes.
5. Run the exclusions prompt on that draft so assumed extras are written down.
6. Fact-check, then send from your own email. You choose the words that go to the client. Put the follow-up dates on your calendar when you send it.

A notes block you can keep in your doc or CRM, with no personal data in it:

Client label: [role and business type, e.g. owner of a single-location retailer] Problem, in their words: [paste] What they asked for: [paste] Their customer: [who the work is for] Deadline they named: [date, or NOT STATED] Budget they named: [USD, or NOT STATED] Decision maker: [role] Assets they already have: [copy, photos, logo files, or none mentioned] Already out of scope: [paste, or none] Open questions: [paste, or none]

Voice, services and pricing rules (paste once)

Save this at the top of the chat, or in a notes doc you paste at the start of every proposal. Change it when your offers or rates change, not for every client.

You write proposals for [your business name], a [freelancer / small agency] doing [services, for example brand design, five-page websites and monthly content] for [who you serve]. Voice: [plain / warm / direct], short sentences, US English, prices in US dollars. We sound like the person who was on the call. Words we use: [two or three, for example clear, practical, on time]. Words we avoid: [passionate, bespoke, elevate, unlock, synergy, cutting-edge, journey].

Services we actually sell:

• [Offer name]: [USD], includes [deliverables], timeline [duration], revisions [number]
• [Offer name]: [USD], includes [deliverables], timeline [duration], revisions [number]
• [Offer name]: [USD], includes [deliverables], timeline [duration], revisions [number]

Payment: [for example 50% to start, 50% before files are handed over]. This proposal is valid for [14] days. We do not start work before the first invoice is paid. Never add a case study, a percentage result, a client name, a testimonial, a discount or a guarantee that is not written in these rules or in the call notes. If a price or a date is missing, write [MISSING].

The three offers are your real packages. If you only sell two, list two. The sample prices later in this article ($1,800, $3,200 and $4,800) are placeholders for one website job so you can see the shape. They are not a rate card and not a claim about what agencies charge.

The proposal prompt

One prompt, seven sections. Fill it from the notes and from the pricing rules, not from memory of "what a proposal usually says".

Using the voice and pricing rules above, draft a client proposal from these discovery-call notes. Use only those notes and those rules.

Notes:

• Client label: [role and business type]
• Problem, in their words: [paste]
• What they asked for: [paste]
• Their customer: [who the work is for]
• Deadline they named: [date or NOT STATED]
• Budget they named: [USD or NOT STATED]
• Decision maker: [role]
• Assets they already have: [list or none mentioned]
• Already out of scope: [list or none]
• Open questions: [list or none]

Write these sections, in this order, with those headings:

1. Problem restatement. Two or three sentences using their situation. No slogan and no compliment about their brand.
2. Scope. One short paragraph on the approach, tied to that problem. Name the work you will do.
3. Deliverables. Bullets. One concrete output per bullet (a page, a file, a form, a round of revisions). Do not add an output they did not ask for and that is not in my pricing rules.
4. Timeline. Work starts after written approval and the first payment. Use only dates or durations from the notes and the pricing rules. If a date is missing, write [MISSING].
5. Pricing options. Two or three tiers taken from my pricing rules. For each: name, price in US dollars, what is included, timeline and how many revision rounds. If they named a budget, say which option is closest to it. Do not invent a fourth package or a discount.
6. Assumptions and exclusions. What must be true for this price (they supply copy and photos on time, one point of contact, feedback within [number] business days). Then what is not included.
7. Next steps. They reply with the option name, you send the first invoice, and the proposal expires on [date].

Keep it under 700 words. Do not add an "about us" section, a logo wall or a promise of leads, revenue or rankings.

Scope creep and exclusions

The out-of-scope list is what protects the price. Run this after the draft, before you send.

Read these call notes and this proposal draft. List tasks a client in this situation often assumes are included, such as extra pages, extra revision rounds, a rush, new copy from scratch, photography, a logo, ads, training, hosting, maintenance or extra meetings. Then rewrite the exclusions as one plain line each. Only list work that is not already a deliverable. Keep anything the notes already put out of scope. Do not add a new paid service and do not soften a limit. Notes: [paste]. Draft: [paste].

Read the list yourself. If a line is something you are willing to do inside the price, move it into deliverables and say so. If you would charge for it, leave it in exclusions and, if you want, add your real add-on price from your pricing rules. Do not let the draft invent an add-on price.

A usable exclusions block, after you have checked it against a website job, looks like this:

• New photography, illustration or a logo
• Copy written from scratch (the draft uses text the client provides)
• More than the revision rounds named in the chosen option
• Ads, email setup, hosting, domains and ongoing updates after launch
• Extra pages or languages not listed in the deliverables

Follow-up emails for an unsigned proposal

Silence is common. Three short notes are enough. Send them from your own inbox. Stop when they reply, when they ask you to stop, or when you have sent the closing note.

Write three follow-up emails for an unsigned proposal. Summary: [one line, the option they leaned toward, price in USD]. Sent on: [date]. Valid until: [date]. My name: [name].

1. About 3 days after sending. Ask if any section is unclear. Do not add a new offer or a discount. Under 70 words.
2. About 7 days after sending. Restate the option they leaned toward and the expiry date. Offer a 15-minute call. Under 80 words.
3. The day after the proposal expires, or about 14 days after sending if you set no expiry. Say you will pause the proposal unless they want to continue. No guilt and no discount. Under 60 words. Do not claim they opened the email, that a start date is scarce, or that other clients are waiting. Do not invent a result from similar work.

If they reply with a change of scope, go back to the proposal prompt with the new notes. Do not "just add it" in the email thread without changing the price or the exclusions.

Fact-check before you send

Read the draft against the notes and your pricing rules, not against how polished it sounds.

• Prices and dates. Every dollar amount and every week count must match a rule you typed or a number the client stated. A rounded "about $3,000" stays in the problem section as their words. It does not become your fee unless you chose that fee.
• Deliverables. Each bullet is something you can hand over. "Strategy", "support" and "optimisation" need a concrete output or they come out.
• Claims. No case studies, no "we increased sales", no client names, no "page one on Google", no "guaranteed leads". If you have a real example you are allowed to share, you add it yourself, with the facts you can point to. The chat does not invent one.
• Assumptions. Who provides copy, access and feedback, and by when. If the notes did not cover it, ask the client instead of filling the gap.
• Confidentiality. The version you paste into the tool should already be anonymised. The version you send can use their name, because you type that in yourself.

A last prompt, once the draft looks finished:

Compare this proposal to my call notes and pricing rules. List every price, date, deliverable, case study, result, client name, testimonial, discount or guarantee in the draft that is not in the notes or the rules. Do not rewrite the proposal. Notes: [paste]. Rules: [paste]. Draft: [paste].

Fix that list yourself. Then paste the proposal into your doc or PDF and send it.

A short before and after

Notes used: single-location retailer. Enquiries arrive by email and get missed. They asked for a 5-page site, a contact form that emails the owner, and page titles. They will supply the existing copy and photos. No new photography. Deadline they named: about 6 weeks. Budget they named: about $3,000. Decision maker: the owner. Pricing rules used for this example: Focused $1,800 (existing copy, one revision round, 4 weeks), Standard $3,200 (same, plus a homepage rewrite from their notes and two revision rounds, 5 weeks), Extended $4,800 (Standard, plus one extra page template they can duplicate, three revision rounds, 6 weeks). Payment 50% to start, 50% before launch. Valid 14 days.

Before (generic draft, no notes): "We are a full-service creative partner passionate about unlocking growth. Our bespoke website engagements elevate brands and drive results. Clients see a step-change in enquiries. Investment from $2,000. Let's jump on a call and start the journey."

After (from the notes, extra claims removed): "Enquiries are coming in by email and getting missed, and you want a 5-page site you can point people to. We will build those five pages from the copy and photos you supply, add a contact form that emails you, and write a page title for each page from the phrases you gave us. We will not take new photos, design a logo, or run ads. Work starts after you approve an option and pay the first half. Focused is $1,800 (one revision round, about 4 weeks). Standard is $3,200 (homepage rewrite from your notes, two revision rounds, about 5 weeks) and is the closest of the three to the $3,000 budget you mentioned. Extended is $4,800 (adds one extra page template, three revision rounds, about 6 weeks). Reply with the option name. This proposal is valid for 14 days."

The generic draft's "results", "from $2,000" and "full-service" are gone, because none of them were in the notes or the pricing rules. The $3,000 figure stays labelled as their budget, not as your price.

A Grok Bot routine for new proposals

Once you can produce a proposal by hand from the prompts above, a Grok Bot AI employee can draft the next one from your call notes for you to approve. Check current Grok Bot plans and availability. A routine can run when you set it, subject to configured access, approvals, usage and service availability. It is not guaranteed always-on.

Use one sales or operations bot. Point it at a folder you control and give it this job:

You draft client proposals for [your business name]. Our voice, services and pricing rules: [paste the setup prompt]. When a new notes file appears in [folder name], draft one proposal using only that file and those rules. Sections, in order: problem restatement, scope, deliverables, timeline, two or three pricing options using only the prices in the rules, assumptions and exclusions, next steps. If a fact is missing, write [MISSING] and do not guess. Do not invent case studies, results, client names, testimonials, discounts or guarantees. Keep prices in US dollars as written. Do not email the client, do not send the proposal, and do not copy the notes into a public page. Save the draft in [folder name] and tell me it is ready to review.

Add an "Ask first" rule for sending email and for anything that leaves your account, so a draft waits for your approval. Read the draft the way you read a ChatGPT draft: notes and pricing rules first, then the words. The wider setup for AI employees, shared files and approval rules is in our Grok Bot guide for small businesses.

Frequently asked questions

How do I write a client proposal with ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot?

Paste a short note of your voice, services and prices, then anonymised discovery-call notes. Ask for a problem restatement, scope, deliverables, a timeline, two or three pricing options in US dollars, assumptions and exclusions, and next steps. Tell the tool to use only those facts and to write [MISSING] when something is blank. Check every price, date and claim against your notes before you send the proposal from your own email.

How do I keep an AI proposal from sounding generic?

Give it the client's problem in their words, the assets they already have, and your real packages with prices. Ban filler such as "passionate", "bespoke" and "unlock", and ban any case study or result you did not supply. A draft that could be sent to any business is not finished. The before-and-after above is the difference between a slogan and the notes from one call.

What should a freelancer or small-agency proposal include?

The problem as the client described it, the work you will do, the files or pages they receive, how long it will take, two or three priced options, what is not included, and the single next step (reply with an option, then the first invoice). Leave out an about-us essay and any promise of leads, revenue or rankings.

How should I follow up on a proposal that has not been signed?

Send three short emails you have read: one a few days later asking if anything is unclear, one about a week later restating the option they leaned toward and the expiry date, and one when it expires that pauses the proposal. Do not add a surprise discount or claim the email was opened. Stop when they reply or ask you to stop.

Is it safe to paste discovery-call notes into ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot?

Paste the problem, the scope and the budget figure, with names and contact details removed. Do not paste contracts, logins, bank details, another client's work or anything the client marked confidential. Put their name back in yourself when you send. Our guide is ChatGPT safe for customer data? covers what not to paste and how to anonymise. This article is general information, not legal advice.

Can Grok Bot draft proposals from my call notes?

Yes, as a draft for you to approve. A routine can read a notes file you place in a folder and write the proposal sections from your pricing rules. Check current Grok Bot plans and availability. It should not email the client. A routine depends on configured access, approvals, usage and service availability, and it is not guaranteed always-on.

There is no agencies and freelancers playbook yet. See all playbooks and plans and pricing, which are listed in US dollars. The wider guide, including briefs, reporting and IP, is AI for agencies and freelancers.

Get a personalised AI plan for your freelance business or agency: take the free 2-minute quiz.