Leave with a proposal structure with scope, responsibilities and decision requirements.
Start with a real buying situation
For the worked example, the audience is a founder entering a new customer segment. Their problem is that different team members explain the company in conflicting ways. The desired practical outcome is a consistent message with a documented audience and reason to choose.
The example is deliberately bounded: the company must preserve recognition with existing customers. That condition should influence the promise, scope and next step rather than disappear from the marketing copy.
| Illustrative offer | a positioning and identity project |
|---|---|
| Buyer question | Which customer should recognise themselves in the first sentence? |
| Possible evidence | a messaging comparison using actual customer language supplied by the client |
| Useful asset | a message hierarchy and brand brief |
How to complete your proposal brief
- Restate the buyer’s verified problem and desired result.
- Specify deliverables, responsibilities and exclusions.
- Describe the sequence and required client inputs.
- Separate fees and third-party costs.
- List acceptance criteria, open questions and the approval process.
Worked example
These entries are illustrative planning material, not research findings or customer results. Keep the structure and replace the content with verified details.
| Problem and desired outcome | Problem: different team members explain the company in conflicting ways. Desired result: a consistent message with a documented audience and reason to choose. Confirm both with the buyer. |
|---|---|
| Deliverables and exclusions | a positioning and identity project. Separate strategy, identity, applications, trademark checks and production. List exclusions rather than relying on assumptions. |
| Responsibilities and dependencies | the company must preserve recognition with existing customers. Name the client and supplier owners for each required input. |
| Fees and commercial assumptions | Use approved prices only. Separate strategy, identity, applications, trademark checks and production. The worksheet deliberately contains no invented market rate. |
| Acceptance and approval | Agree how to review a messaging comparison using actual customer language supplied by the client and whether target customers can accurately repeat the offer. List open questions, approvers and the next decision. |
Review before using it
A useful operational measure in this example is whether target customers can accurately repeat the offer. That does not automatically make it a marketing attribution metric. Define the source, period and owner before drawing conclusions.
- Could delivery begin from this document without relying on undocumented promises?
- Check the delivery assumptions: Separate strategy, identity, applications, trademark checks and production.
- Use evidence rather than promises. Customer interviews are evidence to interpret, not a statistically representative market survey.
- Discuss the draft with someone who understands the buying situation. Start with: “Which customer should recognise themselves in the first sentence?”
- If the next step is a trial, define its purpose. One possible starting point is to test two positioning statements with a small set of relevant customer conversations.
Common mistakes and a better review
Do not fill a missing fact with an impressive-sounding number. Mark it as an assumption, explain how you will check it and give that check an owner. A short, honest document is easier to use than an elaborate plan built on unknowns.
| Watch for | A persuasive proposal can still fail if nobody knows what is included. |
|---|---|
| A real buyer concern | We only need a new logo. |
| Useful response direction | A logo may be the right deliverable. First, let us check whether the difficulty is visual recognition or explaining the offer. |
| Evidence to collect | The buyer’s own account, a messaging comparison using actual customer language supplied by the client, and records relevant to whether target customers can accurately repeat the offer. |
Your working sheet
Write your own version below. Notes are saved on this browser when local storage is available. Use Download to keep a separate copy; avoid adding confidential information on a shared device.
Example: Problem: different team members explain the company in conflicting ways. Desired result: a consistent message with a documented audience and reason to choose. Confirm both with the buyer.
Example: a positioning and identity project. Separate strategy, identity, applications, trademark checks and production. List exclusions rather than relying on assumptions.
Example: the company must preserve recognition with existing customers. Name the client and supplier owners for each required input.
Example: Use approved prices only. Separate strategy, identity, applications, trademark checks and production. The worksheet deliberately contains no invented market rate.
Example: Agree how to review a messaging comparison using actual customer language supplied by the client and whether target customers can accurately repeat the offer. List open questions, approvers and the next decision.
Review your work
Tick only what you can support with your answer or practice. This is a reflection checklist, not an automated assessment.
Questions about this resource
How do I adapt this for my branding studios business?
Replace the audience, offer and evidence with your actual information. Begin with a recent buyer conversation about why different team members explain the company in conflicting ways, then check which assumptions match your business.
Is the filled example ready to publish?
No. It is a working example. Verify claims, permissions, prices, current capabilities and any customer information before using it externally. Customer interviews are evidence to interpret, not a statistically representative market survey.
What should I do after completing the worksheet?
Use it to make one decision or have one focused conversation. The intended output is a proposal structure with scope, responsibilities and decision requirements. Set a review date and update it when the evidence changes.
Illustrative business worksheet. No customer results, market rates, traffic volumes or performance benchmarks are implied. About these resources.