If you’ve ever swapped endless proposal drafts over email, you know how messy team collaboration can get. Proposable promises to fix that, letting you and your coworkers actually work together on proposals without losing your minds. This guide is for anyone who wants to get a team moving on proposals—without the headaches, confusion, or endless “final_v3_REALLYFINAL” files.
Below, you’ll find a step-by-step playbook for collaborating with your team in Proposable. I’ll call out what works, what gets in the way, and how to avoid the usual traps. Let’s get your team working together (for real this time).
1. Set Up Your Proposable Team (Don’t Skip This)
Before you can collaborate, you need to get your team into Proposable. If you skip the setup or try to work from a single shared login, you’ll eventually regret it—lost edits, mixed-up permissions, and a lot of finger-pointing.
How to set up your team:
- Invite everyone who needs to touch proposals. Sales, subject matter experts, the reviewer who always catches typos—get them in.
- Assign roles. Proposable lets you give folks different permissions: Admins (full control), Editors (can create and edit), and Viewers (read-only). Don’t give everyone admin, unless you like chaos.
- Set up your team workspace properly. This is where all your proposals live. If you just use the default settings, you might mix up personal and team work.
Pro tip:
If you’re scaling up or working with outside contractors, double-check what access you’re giving. You don’t want a freelancer poking around all your deals.
2. Start Proposals the Right Way: Templates and Roles
Templates are your friend. If your team starts every proposal from scratch, you’ll waste time and end up with weird one-off formats. Proposable’s templates aren’t magic, but they do save you from “reinventing the wheel” every time.
How to actually use templates:
- Create shared templates for your most common proposal types.
- Assign template ownership. One person should own keeping each template up to date—otherwise, they get stale fast.
- Use roles to protect templates. Let only a couple of people edit core templates. The rest can use them, but not change them.
What to ignore:
You don’t need a template for every single situation. If you make 20 templates, no one will remember which is which. Start with two or three, and build from there.
3. Divvy Up Work with Real-Time Collaboration (and Avoid the Pitfalls)
Once your team’s in and templates are sorted, it’s time to actually work together. Proposable lets multiple people jump in on a proposal at once, but it’s not Google Docs. There is real-time editing, but with some limits.
How to make it work:
- Assign sections or tasks. Don’t just say “everyone edit as you go.” Instead:
- Alice covers pricing.
- Bob writes the intro.
- Carol reviews compliance language.
- Use comments, not just edits. Proposable has built-in commenting. Use it to flag questions or request changes, instead of side-slacking or emailing.
- Communicate outside the tool when needed. Sometimes, a 5-minute call solves what 20 comments can’t.
Pitfalls to watch out for:
- Overwriting each other’s work. If two people edit the same section at once, you can get conflicts. Agree on who owns what, and use comments to flag changes.
- Comment overload. Too many comments = noise. If your proposal looks like a Reddit thread, step back and regroup.
4. Use Versioning—But Don’t Get Lost in the Weeds
Proposable automatically saves versions of your proposals. This is a lifesaver when someone deletes half the pricing section by accident. But if you start managing versions manually (e.g., “Proposal_v5_BobsEdits”), you’re missing the point.
How to use versioning well:
- Let Proposable handle the versions. You can roll back if needed, but don’t obsess over every draft.
- Use proposal notes to log big changes. A quick “Updated scope as per client call 6/1” in the notes saves confusion later.
- Archive old proposals. Don’t keep hundreds of half-finished drafts in your workspace. Archive stuff you’re done with.
What to ignore:
Manually exporting every version “just in case.” Unless you have a compliance need, Proposable’s built-in versioning is enough.
5. Assign Reviewers and Approvers (and Actually Use Deadlines)
Getting buy-in from the people who need to review or approve a proposal is where most teams get bogged down. Proposable lets you assign reviewers, but you still need to manage the process.
How to keep reviews moving:
- Assign specific people to review each proposal. Don’t just “CC” everyone. Make it clear who’s on the hook.
- Set deadlines—and follow up. Proposable can send reminders. Use them, but don’t rely on automation alone.
- Lock down editing after review. When the proposal’s ready for approval, restrict editing. That way, someone doesn’t sneak in changes at the last minute.
Pro tip:
If you’re always chasing the same reviewer (you know who they are), set a hard deadline in Proposable and ping them directly. Tools are only as good as your team’s habits.
6. Track Changes and Feedback in One Place
Proposal feedback scattered across email, chat, and sticky notes? That’s how details get missed. Proposable has built-in tools for tracking comments, changes, and approvals.
Best practices:
- Keep all proposal communication in Proposable. Use its commenting and activity log features, not a random mix of channels.
- Resolve comments as you go. Don’t leave a pile of “unresolved” feedback.
- Tag teammates in comments. Use @mentions to make sure the right person sees your note.
What to ignore:
Don’t use Proposable as your main chat tool. For bigger strategy talks, jump on a call or use your usual team chat. Keep Proposable focused on the proposal itself.
7. Send, Track, and Update—Together
Once your proposal is ready, you can send it straight from Proposable. The nice thing is, everyone on your team can see when the client opens it, what sections they look at, and if they interact with any elements (like pricing tables or e-signatures).
How to make the most of this:
- Share tracking insights with the team. If the client stalls on a section, flag it for your sales lead or SME.
- Update proposals as a team, not solo. If you need to make changes after sending, assign clear owners for each update.
- Use the built-in e-signature and approval flows. No more chasing PDFs or wondering if the client actually signed.
Pitfall:
Don’t get too addicted to the tracking data. It tells you what was opened, not what’s in the client’s head. Use it as a signal, not gospel.
What Actually Works (and What Doesn’t)
What works well:
- Real-time editing (with a little structure)
- Shared templates and clear ownership
- Built-in comments and versioning (if you use them)
- Assigning review tasks with real deadlines
What’s still a pain:
- Getting everyone to actually use the tool (old habits die hard)
- Overcommunication—too many comments, pings, and notifications
- The occasional edit conflict if people ignore assigned sections
What you can ignore:
- Overly complex workflows—keep it simple
- Manual version management—trust the system
- Trying to force every strategic conversation into the tool
Keep it Simple and Iterate
Team collaboration on proposals is never “set it and forget it.” With Proposable, you can cut way down on chaos, but only if you keep things simple: clear roles, shared templates, single source of truth for comments and edits. Don’t try to automate every step or micromanage every change. Get your team in, use the basic features well, and tweak your process as you go.
Collaboration doesn’t have to suck. But it does take a bit of discipline. Start small, keep it clear, and don’t be afraid to call a quick meeting when the tool can’t solve it. Good luck—and may your “final” draft actually be final this time.