High converting proposals don’t win because they look nice. They win because they keep momentum high and make it easy for a prospect to say yes. If you’re sending proposals then spending days chasing a reply, the deal probably stalled after the call, not because they weren’t interested.
It’s momentum.
When a deal loses momentum, your proposal becomes a pause button. The prospect gets busy, the excitement fades, decisions slow down, then you end up sending awkward chaser emails that never really move anything forward.
This is exactly why high-converting proposals matter. Not just because they look nice, but because they keep the sale moving.
And if you want to stop chasing prospects, you need a proposal that does three things properly:
- Reads clearly
- Lists deliverables in a way the buyer instantly understands
- Makes the next step obvious
That’s what we build at Alchemy.
Follow-up isn’t the problem, it’s a symptom
Most follow-up happens because the prospect is unsure about something, even if they don’t say it out loud.
They might be thinking:
- “What am I actually getting for the money?”
- “What happens next?”
- “Is this right for us?”
- “Do I trust these people to deliver?”
If your proposal doesn’t answer those questions quickly, the buyer delays. Then you chase. Then it drags.
So the fix is not “more follow-ups”.
The fix is a proposal that removes doubt and keeps momentum alive.
A proposal should never be a document you send and hope for the best
A lot of businesses treat proposals like a handover. They send the document, then wait.
That’s where deals die.
A better process looks like this:
- You qualify the prospect properly
- You run a good call
- You send the proposal as the natural next step
- You walk them through it live
- They sign quickly because it makes sense
That proposal walkthrough is what turns a maybe into a yes.
It also makes your proposal feel like part of a professional buying process, not a task dumped on their to-do list.
If you still send proposals by PDF or email, this is your sign to move on
A lot of businesses still send proposals as a PDF attached to an email. Some even paste the whole proposal into the email itself.
It works sometimes, but it often creates the same problems:
- The proposal gets lost in an inbox
- Version control becomes messy
- Signing turns into admin
- The buyer delays because the experience feels clunky
- You end up chasing for a reply
This is where proposal platforms earn their keep.
Tools like Better Proposals, Proposify, plus Qwilr make the buying step easier. They give your prospect a clean link to open, a clear structure to follow, plus a simple way to approve and sign without email tennis.
More importantly, they support a better sales process. You can send the proposal straight after your call, then walk through it live, then get the decision made while momentum is still there.
The platform helps, but it’s still not the main event.
The writing and structure is what converts.
That’s why we build your proposal properly inside the platform, so it reads clearly, lists deliverables in plain English, plus makes the next step obvious.
The platform you use matters less than how the proposal is written
Tools like Better Proposals, Proposify, plus Qwilr improve the experience by making proposals easier to read, easier to approve, plus easier to sign.
But that’s not what wins the deal.
The thing that wins the deal is simple:
Clear writing. Clear structure. Clear deliverables.
A strong proposal feels obvious to agree to. A weak proposal creates doubt.
That’s why we focus on proposal design and proposal writing first. The platform is just the delivery method.
What high-converting proposals actually do
High converting proposals are not longer. They are clearer.
They are designed to help the buyer make a decision without needing to interpret what you meant.
A proposal that converts does four things well.
1) It reflects the buyer’s problem clearly
Your proposal should start by showing you understood the conversation. Not with a long intro about your business. Not with filler. Just a clean summary of what they want, what is in the way, plus what success looks like.
2) It makes the outcome obvious
Buyers do not pay for tasks. They pay for what changes as a result of the work.
You need to connect the work to the result they care about.
3) It uses bullet points for deliverables
This is where most proposals fall apart. They stay vague, then the buyer gets nervous.
Bullet points solve that.
They make the offer feel tangible. They also make the proposal easier to share internally.
Here is the format we use.
Deliverables included:
- [Deliverable 1]
- [Deliverable 2]
- [Deliverable 3]
- [Deliverable 4]
- [Deliverable 5]
Timeline:
- Week 1: [Step]
- Week 2: [Step]
- Week 3: [Step]
This is simple, but it is powerful. It removes uncertainty and makes the price feel justified.
4) It makes the next step stupidly clear
A buyer should never wonder what happens next.
Your proposal should end with something like:
“Once approved, we start on [date], with [first step].”
That creates momentum even after the call.
Why DIY proposals often lose deals
Most businesses know what they do. They just struggle to package it into a proposal that sells.
The common mistakes are predictable:
- The proposal reads like a brochure, not a decision document
- The deliverables are vague, buried, or missing
- The structure makes the buyer work too hard
- Pricing feels disconnected from value
- There is no clear next step
Then the prospect delays, because delay is easier than deciding.
That’s when follow-up kicks in.
What we actually do at Alchemy (and why it converts)
Our proposal design service is built for one thing.
More signed proposals with less chasing.
We take your offer and turn it into a proposal that:
- Reads clearly
- Sells without sounding salesy
- Lists deliverables so the buyer understands exactly what they are buying
- Looks professional without being flashy
- Feels easy to agree to on a call
We build your proposal inside Better Proposals, Proposify, plus Qwilr, so the proposal experience matches the quality of your service.
Either way, the outcome is the same.
A proposal that closes.
The result: fewer follow-ups, faster decisions, better clients
When your proposal is clear and well structured, you stop needing to chase.
That’s because you stop creating doubt.
You also position your business as organised, confident, plus worth paying for.
Decisive clients like clean processes. They want clarity. They want a fast path to yes.
A good proposal gives them that.
Want us to build your proposal template so it converts?
If your proposals are slowing deals down, you don’t need more follow-up. You need a proposal that keeps momentum alive.
We will design and write your proposal properly, then build it into proposal software like Better Proposals, Proposify, plus Qwilr, so you can send a clean link, track progress, plus get it signed without friction.
Custom Proposal Design: https://alchemybranding.studio/custom-proposal-design/
See a real proposal example (simple, clear, built to convert)
If you want to see what this looks like in practice, here’s a real example of the kind of proposal we build inside Better Proposals.
It’s simple, easy to scan, plus written so the client instantly understands what they’re buying. It also keeps momentum moving, because it’s designed to be walked through on a call and signed with minimal back and forth.
Tip: If you want this to convert properly, send the link right after your call, then book a 15-minute walkthrough so the prospect can say yes with confidence.
Sources
Friday Solved: https://www.fridaysolved.co.uk/opinions/sales-isnt-follow-up-its-momentum
