Help guide

How to send a proposal clients actually open

The document is half the job. The other half is getting it in front of the buyer without it dying in a 22-message email thread.

November 4, 2026 · 5 min read

  1. Step 1

    Send a link, not an attachment first

    Attachments get trapped in spam, version hell, and 'I will look on the laptop'. A DealPilot link is one tap on a phone. Attach a PDF only if procurement demands it.

  2. Step 2

    Write a six-line cover note

    Restate the goal in their words, name the fee or range, and tell them the link is the proposal. Do not paste the whole scope into the email.

  3. Step 3

    Cc the economic buyer if you already met them

    If you only have the intern, ask who else needs to see it before you send. One extra name now beats a week of silence.

  4. Step 4

    Watch the open, then wait with a plan

    If they open and go quiet, follow the follow-up cadence — not a same-day 'just checking in' pile-on. See the follow-up guide on the blog.

More guides

How to generate a proposal in DealPilotHow to get a proposal signed without chasingHow to edit a proposal after it is generatedHow to edit the Why Us sectionHow to set up your brand kitHow to create a contract from a proposalHow to add a payment link to a proposalHow to see when a client opens your proposalHow to follow up on a sent proposal in DealPilotHow to use the client portalHow to send an invoice from a proposal or time entriesFreelance business blog
FAQ

Quick answers

Keep the live link as the source of truth. Export PDF when a client or procurement team asks. Do not maintain two versions.

Take notes, edit the same proposal, and resend the same link. New file names are how deals stall.

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Generate the proposal instead of outlining it

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