Leave with a proposal structure with scope, responsibilities and decision requirements.
Start with a real buying situation
For the worked example, the audience is the owner of an online store. Their problem is that customers hesitate at product selection or checkout. The desired practical outcome is a prioritised set of customer-journey improvements.
The example is deliberately bounded: changes must preserve payment, inventory and fulfilment integrations. That condition should influence the promise, scope and next step rather than disappear from the marketing copy.
| Illustrative offer | a store conversion and merchandising review |
|---|---|
| Buyer question | Where does a customer need information that the store does not provide? |
| Possible evidence | a recorded walkthrough with observed friction and a testable hypothesis |
| Useful asset | a product-page and checkout review checklist |
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: customers hesitate at product selection or checkout. Desired result: a prioritised set of customer-journey improvements. Confirm both with the buyer. |
|---|---|
| Deliverables and exclusions | a store conversion and merchandising review. Define platform access, implementation, measurement and rollback responsibility. List exclusions rather than relying on assumptions. |
| Responsibilities and dependencies | changes must preserve payment, inventory and fulfilment integrations. Name the client and supplier owners for each required input. |
| Fees and commercial assumptions | Use approved prices only. Define platform access, implementation, measurement and rollback responsibility. The worksheet deliberately contains no invented market rate. |
| Acceptance and approval | Agree how to review a recorded walkthrough with observed friction and a testable hypothesis and checkout completion for a defined audience and period. List open questions, approvers and the next decision. |
Review before using it
A useful operational measure in this example is checkout completion for a defined audience and period. 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: Define platform access, implementation, measurement and rollback responsibility.
- Use evidence rather than promises. A heuristic review does not prove a conversion uplift.
- Discuss the draft with someone who understands the buying situation. Start with: “Where does a customer need information that the store does not provide?”
- If the next step is a trial, define its purpose. One possible starting point is to review one product category and one checkout journey.
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 want more traffic. |
| Useful response direction | More traffic may help, but let us first check whether visitors can choose the product and complete checkout without avoidable friction. |
| Evidence to collect | The buyer’s own account, a recorded walkthrough with observed friction and a testable hypothesis, and records relevant to checkout completion for a defined audience and period. |
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: customers hesitate at product selection or checkout. Desired result: a prioritised set of customer-journey improvements. Confirm both with the buyer.
Example: a store conversion and merchandising review. Define platform access, implementation, measurement and rollback responsibility. List exclusions rather than relying on assumptions.
Example: changes must preserve payment, inventory and fulfilment integrations. Name the client and supplier owners for each required input.
Example: Use approved prices only. Define platform access, implementation, measurement and rollback responsibility. The worksheet deliberately contains no invented market rate.
Example: Agree how to review a recorded walkthrough with observed friction and a testable hypothesis and checkout completion for a defined audience and period. 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 ecommerce agencies business?
Replace the audience, offer and evidence with your actual information. Begin with a recent buyer conversation about why customers hesitate at product selection or checkout, 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. A heuristic review does not prove a conversion uplift.
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.