If you’re staring down a monster proposal—think multiple contributors, tight deadlines, moving parts—and you’ve landed on Xait as your tool, you’re in the right place. This guide is for anyone who actually has to do the work: proposal managers, writers, subject matter experts, and anyone tired of endless email threads and “who has the latest version?” drama.
We’ll walk through exactly how to use Xait to wrangle these projects. Expect plain advice, a few warnings, and a step-by-step process you can actually use.
Step 1: Get Your House in Order Before You Start
Xait is built for collaboration, but it’s not magic. You’ll save yourself a lot of pain by doing a tiny bit of prep:
- Define roles early. Who’s responsible for which sections? Who approves what? If you skip this, you’ll pay for it later.
- Know your client requirements. Make sure everyone understands what’s a must-have and what’s “nice to have.”
- Set a real deadline. Not “end of the month”—pick dates for first drafts, reviews, and final sign-off.
Pro tip: Xait works best when you treat it like a single source of truth. Don’t let people sneak off to work in Word and paste things back in later.
Step 2: Set Up Your Proposal Structure in Xait
Now, open up Xait and create your new proposal project. Here’s how to keep it from turning into a mess:
- Use (but don’t obsess over) templates.
- If your organization has templates, start with those—but don’t be afraid to tweak them.
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Don’t waste hours making it “perfect.” You’ll adjust as you go.
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Break down the proposal into logical sections.
- Set up chapters, sections, and subsections to match the requirements.
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Assign owners to each section right away, inside Xait. You want everyone to see what's theirs.
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Set permissions thoughtfully.
- Xait gives you fine-grained control—use it, but don’t overcomplicate things.
- Usually, writers, reviewers, and approvers is all you need. Avoid “too many cooks.”
Reality check: The more you over-design the structure up front, the more you’ll hate yourself later when things change (and they always do). Get the basics in and move on.
Step 3: Bring in Your Team (Without Chaos)
Inviting the right people is half the battle. Here’s how to make it work:
- Add users with the right roles from the start.
- Don’t just invite everyone as an “Editor”—use Xait’s roles (Writer, Reviewer, Approver, etc.)
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Limit access to just what people need. More permissions = more chances for mistakes.
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Send a kickoff message.
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Use Xait’s messaging or your regular channels to make sure everyone knows:
- Where to find the proposal
- What their role is
- When their first deadline hits
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Discourage side documents.
- If anyone starts “working offline” and then pasting in their work, you’ll lose version control and formatting.
Tip: If someone just can’t get the hang of Xait, pair them with a more experienced user for their first section or two.
Step 4: Drafting—Actually Getting Words on the Page
Now for the part where most proposals stall. Here’s what works and what doesn’t:
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Write directly in Xait.
The built-in editor isn’t fancy, but it is collaborative. You get real-time updates, and you won’t have to reformat everything later. -
Don’t fight formatting.
Xait enforces consistency, which is good for the final product but can feel limiting. Resist the urge to “fix” every heading or bullet—focus on content. -
Use comments, not email.
Xait’s commenting lets you discuss changes right where they happen. Keep feedback in the platform—otherwise, you’ll be hunting through inboxes for context. -
Save versions regularly.
Xait handles versioning, but get in the habit of naming major drafts ("First Draft," "Reviewed by Legal," etc.), so you don’t have to guess which is which.
Reality check: Xait isn’t Google Docs. You won’t see every keystroke instantly, and there are fewer “fun” features. But what you lose in flash, you gain in structure and control.
Step 5: Reviews—Making Edits Without Losing Your Mind
Review cycles are where most teams get bogged down. Here’s how to keep things sane:
- Use Xait’s review workflows.
- Assign reviewers to each section or the whole proposal.
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Set deadlines for each review phase—don’t leave it open-ended.
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Track changes and comments in Xait.
- Xait’s change tracking isn’t as slick as Word’s, but it’s good enough for marking up proposals.
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Push everyone to resolve comments as they go, so nothing falls through the cracks.
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Limit the number of reviewers.
- Too many reviewers = endless cycles and contradictory feedback.
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Get buy-in from leadership: “Three reviewers max, or we’ll never finish.”
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Clarify what’s up for debate (and what isn’t).
- If a section is locked in, mark it as such to avoid unnecessary rework.
Tip: If a debate goes on too long, schedule a 15-minute call. Xait can’t solve office politics.
Step 6: Approvals—Getting the Green Light Without Delays
Final approvals are where proposals often stall. Here’s how to avoid that:
- Set up approval workflows in Xait.
- Assign approvers at either the section or document level.
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Make it clear who has the final say—ambiguity kills deadlines.
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Automate notifications.
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Xait can ping approvers when something’s ready. Don’t rely on memory.
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Lock sections once approved.
- Prevent further edits so you don’t end up with “final_final_v3” confusion.
What doesn’t work: Chasing people outside the platform. If someone’s not responding in Xait, escalate quickly—don’t wait for things to magically resolve.
Step 7: Finalizing and Exporting
Now, get your proposal ready to send:
- Run a final formatting check.
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Xait’s output is consistent, but double-check for stray formatting or placeholder text.
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Export to the required format.
- PDF is the usual choice, but Xait can do Word and others.
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If the client has specific requirements (fonts, file size), test your export early.
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Archive a copy in Xait.
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You’ll want a record for next time, and Xait makes it easy to clone old proposals.
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Don’t obsess.
- Proposals are rarely perfect. Make it clear, make it accurate, and move on.
What to Skip (and What to Watch For)
- Ignore the bells and whistles unless they solve a real problem for your team. Xait has features you’ll never use, and that’s fine.
- Don’t rely on Xait for deep analytics or fancy project management. The basics are solid, but you may want a separate tool for tracking timelines or KPIs.
- Don’t let “best practice” get in the way of real deadlines. Use what works, ignore what doesn’t.
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Panic
Complex proposals will always be a hassle, but you can make them a lot less painful with the right process and the right tool. Xait’s strength is keeping everyone on the same page—literally—but it won’t fix bad habits or unclear leadership.
So: Start with a clear structure, use Xait as your single source of truth, and don’t be afraid to tweak your process as you go. The goal isn’t a flawless proposal—it’s a finished one that wins business and lets you get on with your life.