A consulting proposal, or client proposal, is the document a client reads before saying yes to a project. The readers are the person who asked for it and the person who signs: often a head of e-commerce and a finance lead. They have had a call with you already. What they need now is proof you understood the problem, a plan they can picture, and a price they can choose.
This template puts that on one page. It starts from the client's own data, puts the value in money, shows the plan as steps and a timeline, and prices the work as three options. The example above is a checkout proposal from Oakline Studio, a made-up agency, to Harbor & Co., a made-up shop with $18M in online revenue.
What goes in each section
The headline
The outcome and a number the client cares about, with a date: "A faster checkout for Harbor & Co. Goal: 2.6% conversion by February." Mistake to avoid: a headline about yourself ("Oakline Studio proposal"). The client's goal goes first.
01 · Where you are
Their numbers from the last 90 days: 2.1% of visits end in an order, 68% of carts are abandoned, 7 steps from cart to payment. Then a funnel that shows where people leave: 100% add to cart, 54% start checkout, 32% reach payment, 27% pay. Close with what the goal is worth: moving from 2.1% to 2.6% adds about $4.3M a year. Mistake to avoid: a generic market overview. Use their analytics, even if you only saw a screenshot.
02 · What we will do
The phases as a flow (research, design, build, A/B test, roll out), then the four concrete changes in plain words: guest checkout first, three steps instead of seven, wallets on top, clear card errors. A timeline shows who does what and when, with the A/B test on 20% of traffic before the full rollout. Mistake to avoid: a methodology diagram with no dates and no named changes.
03 · Price and terms
Three options as cards: Lite at $38K (research and design), Core at $96K (adds build and the A/B test, recommended), Plus at $124K (adds three months of tests). A table shows what each includes. Then the terms in three lines: payment (40% at signing, 30% after design, 30% at rollout), what you need from the client (a product owner, access, replies within three working days) and a valid-until date. Mistake to avoid: one price with no alternative, or terms buried in a separate PDF.
How long, and when to send it
One page, readable in five minutes. Send it within two working days of the discovery call, while the problem is fresh, and set a valid-until date two to three weeks out. Walk the client through it on a short call rather than only emailing it. Keep case studies and team bios out of the page; link them if asked. Once the work runs, report the results each quarter with a client report.
How to use this template
- In Obsidian: install the free myone.page plugin, run New page from template and pick Client proposal.
- With AI: paste your call notes and the client's numbers into ChatGPT or Claude with the prompt from myone.page/ai, or use the Claude skill.
- By hand: copy the Markdown of the example and replace the client, numbers and prices.
Where myone.page helps
Proposals go back and forth: the client wants the build without the tests, or a different payment split. Shared from the plugin, the proposal is one link the client can open and edit without Obsidian. Their changes come back to your note, so the agreed version is already written when you draw up the contract. If you need e-signatures, payment collection and open tracking in the same tool, a proposal tool like PandaDoc or Proposify fits better.