Market Proposal — Services SOW

Generate a client proposal that wins deals by being specific, honest, and scoped. Vague proposals lose to competitors with concrete numbers.

Pre-flight

Collect from the user:

1. Client name and website
2. Their goal — what they want to achieve
3. Scope — what services you're offering (audit, campaign, retainer, project)
4. Timeline — start date, duration
5. Budget range or fixed price
6. Deliverables
7. Your credentials — company name, relevant case studies, rates

Then optionally run /market audit <client-url> first — the proposal is 3x stronger when backed by a live audit of the client's site.

Pricing Calculator

Use this framework to arrive at a defensible number.

Time-based

hours × blended_rate = base
+ project overhead (15–25%)
+ profit margin (20–40%)
= price

Value-based

estimated_impact (annual revenue lift) × value_share (10–30%) = price

Retainer

monthly_hours × blended_rate + retainer_premium (10–20%) = monthly price

Rates (2024+ directional, global range)

Rates vary by market. Ask the user if you're unsure — never invent rates and hand them to a client.

Scope Structure

Always split scope into:

• In scope — explicit list with deliverables and acceptance criteria
• Out of scope — explicit list of what's not included (prevents scope creep)
• Optional add-ons — things the client can add mid-engagement at predefined rates

Proposal Sections

1. Cover — client name, project title, date, your company
2. Situation — 2–3 sentences on what the client is trying to achieve
3. Objectives — measurable goals (revenue, traffic, leads, brand metrics)
4. Approach — how you'll do it, phased
5. Scope — in-scope, out-of-scope, add-ons
6. Timeline — phased with milestones
7. Deliverables — specific artifacts the client will receive
8. Team — who's working on it
9. Investment — pricing with payment terms
10. Success metrics — how "done" and "successful" will be measured
11. Terms — revisions, ownership, payment schedule, termination
12. Next steps — how to accept, timeline to start

Output: PROPOSAL.md

# [Project Title]
## Prepared for [Client Name]
**Date:** [YYYY-MM-DD]
**Prepared by:** [Your company]

---

## Situation
[2–3 sentences. Show you understand their business.]

## Objectives
1. [Measurable objective with target]
2. ...

## Approach
### Phase 1 — [Name]
- Week 1–2: [specific activities]
- Deliverables: [list]

### Phase 2 — [Name]
...

### Phase 3 — [Name]
...

## Scope

### In Scope
- [Deliverable 1 with acceptance criteria]
- ...

### Out of Scope
- [Explicit exclusion 1]
- ...

### Optional Add-ons
| Add-on | Rate |
|---|---|
| [Item] | $X |

## Timeline
| Phase | Start | End | Milestone |
|---|---|---|---|

## Deliverables
[Specific list — every artifact the client will receive]

## Team
[Names, roles, hours/week]

## Investment
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Phase 1 | $X |
| Phase 2 | $X |
| Phase 3 | $X |
| **Total** | **$X** |

**Payment terms:** [e.g., 50% on start, 25% at midpoint, 25% on delivery]
**Billing:** [Net 15 / Net 30 / upfront]

## Success Metrics
How we'll measure success:
1. [Metric + target + measurement method]
2. ...

## Terms
- **Revisions:** [number of rounds included]
- **Ownership:** [what transfers, what doesn't]
- **Termination:** [notice period and refund policy]
- **Confidentiality:** [standard mutual NDA]
- **Warranty:** [what you guarantee]

## Next Steps
1. Review this proposal
2. Reply with questions or changes by [date]
3. On acceptance, we start [date]
4. Kickoff call scheduled within 48 hours of signing

---

Questions? Reply to this email or book a call: [link]

[Your name]
[Role]
[Company]

Quality Bar

• Specificity wins. "We'll improve your SEO" loses; "We'll publish 8 target-keyword articles, rebuild 12 meta descriptions, and fix 6 Core Web Vitals issues in 60 days" wins.
• Price with confidence. Never apologize for the number. Anchor with value before stating price.
• Always include out-of-scope. It protects both sides and builds trust.
• Success metrics must be measurable by the client, not just by you.
• Don't overpromise. If the user's goal is unrealistic for the budget, say so in the proposal and reset expectations.