If you’re sick of hunting through a mess of old proposals, templates, and content snippets every time you need to send something out, this guide is for you. Whether you’re a solo operator or wrangling a sales team, organizing your Proposify library well means less chaos, fewer mistakes, and faster turnaround. Here’s how to whip things into shape, dodge common pitfalls, and keep your proposal system lean and useful.
1. Get Clear on What You Actually Need
Before you touch a single setting, take ten minutes to think about what you and your team really use. Not what you might use, not what sounded cool in a demo—just what actually helps you close deals.
Ask yourself: - Which proposals or templates get used most often? - What content blocks, sections, or images do you always need? - Where do you waste the most time searching or copying content?
Pro tip: Don’t be afraid to delete or archive old junk. If you haven’t touched a template in a year, it’s probably just cluttering things up.
2. Map Out a Simple Folder Structure
Proposify lets you create folders for templates, proposals, and content libraries. The trick is to keep your structure dead simple.
What works: - Organize by sales process (e.g., “Discovery,” “Proposal,” “Contract”). - Group by client type or industry, if you serve more than one. - Use “Archive” folders for anything you don’t want to delete but don’t need every day.
What doesn’t work: - Overcomplicating it. Nested folders within folders just create confusion. - Organizing by sales rep (unless everyone works in totally separate silos—rare).
Example:
Templates/ - Standard Proposals - Industry-Specific - Contracts & Agreements Archive/ - Old Templates - Retired Content
Stick to what you can explain in less than 30 seconds.
3. Name Everything for Speed
A clean folder structure helps, but clear naming is what makes things fast. Avoid cute names or inside jokes. You want to find things in a hurry.
Good naming habits:
- Start with the broadest category, then get specific.
Example: Software_Standard_Proposal_2024
- Use consistent dates or version numbers if you iterate often.
- For content snippets, describe exactly what it is:
About_Us_Short vs. About_Us_Long
What to ignore: - Fluffy labels (“Game Changer Template!”) or cryptic codes (“GX24”). - Relying on memory. Even if you built it, you’ll forget in six months.
4. Build (or Clean Up) Your Content Library
Proposify’s Content Library is where you keep reusable sections—think bios, case studies, pricing tables. This is both a time-saver and a common source of confusion if it’s a mess.
How to keep it sharp: - Separate by type: bios, testimonials, pricing, etc. - Use tags sparingly, only when they make searching easier. - Review content every quarter and archive anything out of date. - Don’t duplicate content. If you have three versions of the same “About Us,” pick one.
What works: - Short, purposeful snippets. Nobody wants to scroll a mile looking for a single quote. - Standardized formatting—same font, heading style, etc.—so proposals look polished.
What doesn’t: - Dumping whole proposals or contracts into the content library. Use this for modular pieces, not entire docs.
5. Use Tags (But Don’t Go Tag Crazy)
Tags can help you surface content quickly, especially in big libraries. But most people go overboard and end up with a mess of tags that don’t help at all.
Smart ways to use tags: - Tag by industry (“SaaS,” “Construction”), not by every possible detail. - For content blocks, tag by purpose: “Case Study,” “Pricing Option.” - Limit yourself to 5–10 core tags. More than that, you’ll just forget what you used.
What to ignore:
- Tagging everything with multiple, overlapping tags (“2024,” “New,” “Q2,” “Spring Campaign”).
- Tags that are really just folder names in disguise.
6. Set Permissions and Ownership
If you’ve got a team, make sure only the right people can change templates or content. Otherwise, you’ll end up with accidental edits, missing sections, or someone’s “funny” pricing table sneaking into client proposals.
To do: - Restrict editing of master templates and core content to just a few trusted folks. - Set clear rules: who can create, edit, and delete templates or library content. - Assign ownership for regular cleanup (quarterly or bi-annually is plenty).
What to ignore: - Letting everyone do everything “because it’s easier.” It’s not easier long-term.
7. Tame Version Control
Nothing kills confidence faster than sending the wrong version of a proposal. Proposify doesn’t have fancy versioning, so you’ll need to be disciplined.
Best practices: - When you update a template, save a new version with the date or version number in the name. - Archive the old version—don’t just delete it. You may need to reference it. - For content snippets, keep just one “live” version per type. No more “About Us v5 FINAL FINAL.docx” nonsense.
What works: - One person in charge of updating and archiving. - Clear naming and archiving routines.
What doesn’t: - Multiple people saving over each other’s changes with no record.
8. Make Search Your Friend
Even with a great structure, sometimes you’ll need to search. Proposify’s search is decent, if you use consistent names and tags.
Tips: - Use unique words in titles (“SaaS Discovery Proposal” vs. “Proposal”). - If you can’t find something in two searches, it’s time to reorganize or rename.
9. Archive Aggressively
If you’re not using something, move it out of sight. Folders and templates multiply fast, and nothing slows you down like wading through last year’s detritus.
How to do it: - Set a quarterly reminder to archive old proposals, templates, and content. - Don’t be sentimental—if it’s not helping you win business, get it out of the way.
10. Train (or Retrain) Your Team
The best system in the world falls apart if nobody follows it. Take the time to walk your team through your new setup, and be clear about what goes where.
Key points: - Show, don’t just tell—screenshare or record a quick walkthrough. - Document the folder structure and naming rules somewhere everyone can find. - Explain why it matters: speed, accuracy, less chaos.
The Honest Truth: Don’t Overthink It
Most of the time, the simplest system is the one that lasts. Organize your Proposify library just enough to find what you need fast, and don’t get bogged down in endless tweaks. Clean it up once, set a reminder to review every few months, and move on. If something’s not working, change it—but don’t wait for “perfect.” The goal is proposals out the door, not a museum of templates.
Now go clear out that digital junk drawer. You’ll thank yourself next time you need to move fast.