# Business Proposal Email: Examples and What to Put in It > Write a business proposal email a client can say yes to: what goes in the email and what goes in the attachment, two examples and a subject line. Source: https://hidengpt.com/write/business-proposal-email # A client asked me to send over a proposal, and I don't know how much of it belongs in the email itself. Bring what the client asked for, your proposed scope, the price, the timeline and the one decision you need from them. HidenGPT's Email format drafts a 120 to 250 word email that restates their goal, sums up the offer with the price in plain sight and ends with one dated next step. You check the numbers and send it. Updated October 15, 2026 · by the HidenGPT team Try it with your own details Enter to send · Shift+Enter for a new line ## How to do it in HidenGPT - 01 Before writing, list the client's goal in their own words, your scope in three to five items, the price, the dates and what you need from them to start. - 02 Pick Email, set Email type to Business email, put the client's name and role under To and the decision you want, with a date, under Your ask. - 03 Paste the goal, scope, price and timeline into the main box and say what is attached, then keep Length on Medium. - 04 Check the price, dates and names against the attached proposal so the two never disagree. - 05 Send it as a reply to the client's request so the history stays in one thread, and note a follow-up date in your calendar. [Email / Newsletter](https://hidengpt.com/tools/email): Subject lines that get opened, emails and newsletters that get replies. ## Two example proposal emails Example 1, a requested proposal (the dental files above), 151 words: “Subject: Proposal: scanning Brightside's patient files Hi Karen, Thanks for Tuesday's call. As promised, here is our proposal for scanning and indexing your 4,000 paper patient files before the switch to your new software on January 15. In short: - Pickup from both clinics, scanning, and indexing by patient name and date of birth - Encrypted upload to your new system, then shredding with a certificate - Three weeks from signing - $3,200, with 50% due at signing The attached PDF has the full scope, the security steps and the terms. To finish well before January 15, we need a signed copy by November 2 to hold the dates. If anything in the scope should change, reply here and I'll send a revised version the same day. Ana Torres Clearpath Records (555) 017-4410” Example 2, an unsolicited proposal to a possible partner, 107 words: “Subject: A joint workshop for Riverside's new members Hi Marcus, Riverside Climbing added an intro class on Saturdays this fall. Many beginners in that class end up with sore shoulders, and that's the kind of thing my physio clinic, two blocks away, sees every week. I'd like to propose a 60-minute shoulder care workshop for your new members, once a month, run by one of our physios at your gym. We'd cover the cost; you'd promote it to your members. I've attached a one-page outline. Could we talk for 15 minutes next week to see whether it fits your schedule? Dr. Helen Park Northside Physio” The first one has to close a deal the client already wants; the second one only has to earn a meeting. ## What goes in the email and what goes in the attachment A decision rule: if the client could say yes after reading only the email, the email is doing its job. Everything they need for that yes goes in the body; everything their accountant or lawyer needs goes in the attachment. In the email: - Their goal, in one sentence, so they see you listened. - The scope in three to five bullets. - The price and payment terms. Hiding the price in a PDF only delays the question. - The timeline, including the date the price is valid until if it is. - One next step with a date. In the attachment: detailed scope and what's excluded, options or tiers, terms and conditions, insurance or security details, references and a signature block. For small jobs, such as a one-off design or a single day's work, skip the attachment and put everything in the email. Once you offer two or three options, an attachment with a short table is easier to compare than paragraphs. What to cut from the email: a history of your company, a list of every service you offer, “We are confident that our solution will exceed your expectations”, and any number that differs from the attachment. ## Subject line, price line and the follow-up Name the project in the subject line, not the act of proposing: “Proposal: scanning Brightside's patient files” is findable in a crowded inbox three weeks later; “Proposal” alone is not. Keep it under about 50 characters where you can. Write the price as one line the client can quote to their boss: “$3,200, with 50% due at signing.” If there are options, give the range and point to the table: “$2,400 to $3,900 depending on the option; the table on page 2 compares them.” End with one decision and one date. “Let me know your thoughts” leaves the next move to nobody. “We need a signed copy by November 2 to hold the dates” gives a reason to answer this week. If you hear nothing, follow up after three or four working days with one new piece of information, such as an answer to a likely question or a smaller first phase, rather than “just checking in”. The follow-up email page covers how many times and how. ## Setting it up in the Email format This page opens Email with Email type on Business email, Length on Medium (120 to 250 words) and Tone on Professional. The business type tells the draft to state the purpose in the first paragraph, use bullets when they help and end with a clear next step and a date, which is the proposal email's whole shape. Switch Tone to Persuasive for an unsolicited proposal, or to Friendly for a client you already know well. The draft opens with a subject line, warns you if it passes 60 characters, and can add three alternatives. Put your name, company and phone under Signature so no placeholder ends up in the client's inbox. A light red pen pass trims lines like “I hope this email finds you well” and “exceed your expectations” and shows a naturalness score before and after. The Email format writes the cover email, not the full proposal document. For a longer document, use Anything with a word count and paste your scope notes, then check every price and date against your own figures. On a plan, a voice built from proposals you've sent before keeps the tone consistent. ## Not the right tool if - Formal bids or government tenders with required forms and wording. Follow the request for proposal exactly; the cover email is the least of it. - Contracts. A proposal email can summarize terms, but the binding agreement should be a contract, reviewed by a lawyer when the stakes are high. - Grant applications to foundations or agencies. The grant proposal page covers those. ## Other ways to do it Proposal software with e-signature Useful when you send many proposals and want templates, tracking and signing in one place. You still write the cover note. A short call before sending For a large or complicated job, walking the client through the price on the phone first avoids a surprised silence after the email. ChatGPT or another chatbot Quick for a first pass, but it tends to bury the price under paragraphs of benefits, so move the number up and cut the praise. ## Questions ### How do I write a business proposal email? Restate the client's goal in one sentence, list the scope in a few bullets, give the price and timeline in plain words, mention the attachment, and end with one next step and a date. Keep it to about 120 to 250 words. ### Should the price go in the email or only in the attached proposal? In the email too. Clients look for the number first, and hiding it in a PDF only delays their decision; just make sure it matches the attachment exactly. ### What should the subject line of a proposal email say? The word Proposal plus the project and the client, for example “Proposal: scanning Brightside's patient files”. It should still make sense when they search their inbox for it weeks later. ### How do I send a proposal nobody asked for? Start with something specific you noticed about their business, propose one concrete thing in two or three sentences, and ask for a short call rather than a signature. Attach a one-page outline at most. ### How long should I wait before following up on a proposal? Three or four working days is a common rule of thumb, or the day after any deadline you named. Add something useful in the follow-up instead of only asking whether they read it. ### Is it OK to write a proposal email with AI? Yes, as long as the scope, price and dates are yours and correct. HidenGPT drafts from the details you type; you check every number against the proposal and send it under your name. ### Can I try it before paying? Yes. Visitors get 2 drafts a day on the homepage without an account, enough for one proposal email in two versions. Pro is $3 for the first month and adds saved drafts and voices. ## Related - [I have to send cold sales emails to people who've never heard of us, and mine get no replies.](https://hidengpt.com/write/cold-sales-email) - [I sent an email a week ago and nobody has answered. How do I follow up without sounding pushy?](https://hidengpt.com/write/follow-up-email-after-no-response) - [I found a grant my nonprofit could get, and I have to write the whole proposal by myself.](https://hidengpt.com/write/grant-proposal) - [I need to tell a client we're not a good fit anymore. 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