Personalizing proposals sounds great—until you’re staring at a list of 80 prospects and a deadline that’s, well, yesterday. Most sales teams know personalized proposals win more deals. The problem? Doing it for every lead gets tedious fast. Especially if you’re bouncing between Word docs, email templates, and endless copy-paste.
This guide is for anyone who needs to send out a lot of proposals, but refuses to settle for “Dear [Name], here’s our boilerplate.” If you’re trying to use Proposable to keep things personal without losing your weekends, you’re in the right place.
Let’s get into the nuts and bolts.
Step 1: Set Up a Solid Master Template
Start with one well-built proposal template. This isn’t busywork—it’s your secret weapon for scaling.
What actually matters in your template: - Clear sections: Break content into logical blocks (intro, pricing, about us, next steps). - Content placeholders: Use variables for things like client name, company, project specifics, pricing, etc. - Flexible sections: Mark optional content you can swap in or out based on the lead.
What to skip: - Don’t overengineer with fancy graphics or a 20-section monster. If you hide the point in fluff, nobody reads it—especially decision-makers.
Pro tip: Write your base language as if you’re talking to a real person. The more “human” your default, the less you’ll have to rewrite later.
Step 2: Map Out Your Personalization Points
Now, figure out what actually needs to change from client to client.
Start with these basics: - Client name and company - Proposal recipient (who’s reading this?) - Project or service details - Pricing or package options - Key pain points or goals (specific to the client) - Timeline or special requests
Don’t try to personalize everything. If you’re copy-pasting ten random facts per client, you’ll burn out fast. Focus on the two or three spots that really matter.
In Proposable: Use their variable/tag system (like {{ClientName}}) to mark up your template. For more advanced stuff, set up conditional sections—so you can swap out pieces based on deal type.
Step 3: Build a Snippet Library for Common Scenarios
Not every client is unique. In fact, most aren’t. There’s no shame in reusing your best paragraphs.
Why snippets are a lifesaver: - You write your best “About Us” or “Why choose us for SaaS” section once. - You save different intros for industry segments or buyer personas. - You drop in relevant case studies or testimonials without digging through old files.
How to do it in Proposable: - Store your snippets as reusable content blocks or sections. - Label them clearly (“Intro – Financial Services,” “Case Study – Retail”). - Train your team to use them consistently—don’t let this turn into the wild west.
Skip: Don’t create a snippet for every possible objection or question. Stick to what you use at least 20% of the time.
Step 4: Connect Your CRM (and Actually Use the Data)
Here’s where most “scalable personalization” projects go off the rails: nobody uses the data they already have.
If you use a CRM (like Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.): - Connect Proposable to your CRM so you can auto-fill proposal variables. - Pull in the client’s name, company, and any custom fields straight into your proposals. - Update your CRM fields regularly—outdated data just makes you look clueless.
What works: - Using CRM tags to trigger content blocks (e.g. “Industry: Healthcare” swaps in your healthcare intro). - Setting up basic automations for deal stages.
What doesn’t: - Over-automating. If every proposal looks exactly the same except for the company name, you’re just sending fancier spam.
Step 5: Make Edits Where It Counts (the “2-Minute Rule”)
Automation gets you 80% there. The last 20%—a quick scan and a few tailored sentences—makes the difference.
Where to focus your manual touch: - The opening paragraph. Reference a recent conversation, a specific pain point, or something you learned about the client. - Pricing or deliverables. Double-check for accuracy and relevance—no “insert package details here” mistakes. - The close or call-to-action. Make it clear what happens next for this client.
Don’t stress about: - Rewriting your entire proposal. Nobody expects a custom novel. Just avoid obvious mistakes or out-of-place text.
Pro tip: Set a timer. If you spend more than 2–3 minutes per proposal tweaking, you’re overdoing it.
Step 6: Track Engagement (But Don’t Obsess)
Proposable lets you see when someone opens your proposal, what they read, and if they forward it. This isn’t just for your ego.
How to use this info: - If a prospect reads the pricing section three times but never signs, follow up on pricing concerns. - If nobody opens your proposals, check your subject lines or delivery method.
What not to do: - Don’t chase every “open” with a desperate follow-up. Engagement data is a clue, not a crystal ball. - Don’t overload your proposals with tracking widgets—nobody likes to feel spied on.
Step 7: Get Feedback and Keep It Simple
Even the best system needs tweaks. Ask your team (or brave customers) what feels personal and what feels canned.
Ways to get real feedback: - Review a few proposals together as a team. - Ask new clients which parts were helpful or stood out. - Keep a list of tweaks to your template—update monthly, not every five minutes.
Beware: If your process gets too complex, nobody will use it. Simpler beats perfect.
Honest Takes: What Works and What Doesn’t
What actually works: - Good templates and smart variables. Most clients want clarity, not Shakespeare. - A quick, real edit that shows you cared enough to look up their website or recall your last call. - Snippets for common scenarios—so you’re not reinventing the wheel every time.
What doesn’t: - Over-personalizing. Writing a 100% unique proposal for every lead is unsustainable (and unnecessary). - Ignoring the human touch. Automation is great, but people can spot lazy templates a mile away. - Relying on gimmicks—like embedding a personalized video in every proposal—unless you’re selling something where that actually closes deals.
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Sweat Perfection
Personalizing proposals at scale isn’t about tricking people into thinking you wrote each one from scratch. It’s about making every prospect feel like you thought about them—even if you only spent two minutes making sure it fits.
Start with one solid template. Set up your variables and snippets. Use your CRM data. And always give each proposal a quick scan before you hit send.
Don’t overcomplicate it. The best systems are the ones your team actually uses—and that still let you clock out at a reasonable hour.