Write a prospect-specific research proposal for [PROSPECT COMPANY]. We sell [OFFERING]. The decision or business question they need to address is [BUSINESS QUESTION]. Use only these source notes: [DISCOVERY NOTES]. Relevant public or approved account context: [ACCOUNT CONTEXT]. Proposed commercial boundaries: [SCOPE AND COMMERCIALS]. Desired next step: [NEXT STEP]. The proposal must help a buyer decide whether to start a clearly bounded engagement; it is not a generic capabilities deck. Produce a polished document of 700–1,000 words with these sections: 1. Decision context: a concise statement of the business question, why it matters now, and the cost of leaving it unresolved. Separate prospect-stated facts from our hypotheses. 2. Research objectives: three to five answerable questions, not activities such as “conduct interviews.” 3. Proposed method: population or data sources, sample logic, collection methods, analysis approach, and key limitations. State what the work cannot prove. 4. Deliverables and decision use: name each deliverable, its format, and the decision it will inform. 5. Phases, timeline, client inputs, and decision gates. 6. Scope options: a recommended option plus one smaller or phased option. Compare tradeoffs in a compact table. 7. Assumptions, exclusions, and open questions. 8. A specific next step that asks for a meeting, approval, or access decision. Do not invent company priorities, metrics, stakeholder quotes, results, client names, or evidence. Make a clear recommendation only where the notes support it. Before answering, flag every unsupported assertion and check that the method can actually answer each research objective within the stated scope. Ask up to three clarifying questions only if a required input is missing.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [PROSPECT COMPANY] | Enter the prospect’s company name. | Fernway Health Plans |
| [OFFERING] | Enter the research service or product you are proposing. | Member journey research combining interviews and claims-data review |
| [BUSINESS QUESTION] | Enter the decision the prospect needs to make or uncertainty it needs to reduce. | Which points in the first 90 days cause new members to abandon the digital onboarding experience? |
| [DISCOVERY NOTES] | Paste factual notes from discovery calls, emails, or approved internal research. | VP of Member Experience said welcome calls have fallen and mobile-app registration is lower among Medicare Advantage members. They want recommendations before January open enrollment. Analytics director can provide aggregated funnel data. |
| [ACCOUNT CONTEXT] | Enter approved public facts, market context, or account history relevant to the proposal. | Regional insurer operating in three Midwestern states; public site highlights Medicare Advantage and individual plans. |
| [SCOPE AND COMMERCIALS] | Enter budget range, timeline, geography, expected participants or data, and scope constraints. | Six weeks; 18 remote member interviews; one stakeholder workshop; $42,000 budget ceiling; no access to identifiable health information. |
| [NEXT STEP] | Enter the concrete action you want the prospect to take next. | Approve the recommended option and schedule a 30-minute kickoff with Member Experience and Analytics next week. |
How to use
- Paste notes from the actual discovery conversation and distinguish direct quotes from your own interpretation.
- Set boundaries before drafting: timeline, access, participant count, geography, budget, and what cannot be included.
- Check that every objective maps to a method and every claimed client priority appears in your source notes.
- Follow up with: “Create a one-page email version for the executive sponsor that preserves the recommended scope and next step.”
Variations
Discovery research brief
Use before writing the proposal when notes are scattered.
Turn these sales discovery notes into a research scoping brief: [NOTES]. Our offering is [OFFERING]. Extract confirmed facts, buyer-stated needs, assumptions, stakeholders, constraints, decision deadline, and unanswered questions. Then propose up to eight discovery questions ranked by how much they change scope, method, or commercial risk. Do not infer authority, budget, or business impact where it is not stated. Mark every item as confirmed, reported, or hypothesis. End with a one-paragraph draft problem statement using only confirmed facts.
Executive proposal email
Use when the buyer needs a short proposal email.
Write a concise proposal email to [RECIPIENT ROLE] at [PROSPECT]. The approved proposal details are [PROPOSAL FACTS]. Their stated priority is [PRIORITY], and the requested next action is [NEXT STEP]. Write a subject line and email under 220 words. Lead with the decision the work supports, then summarize method, timing, and deliverables in plain language. Include the scope recommendation and one sentence on the smaller option. Do not add outcomes, urgency, or customer proof not present in the source facts.
Statement of work
Use after the buyer has selected a proposal option.
Draft a plain-language statement of work for [CLIENT] covering [SELECTED SCOPE]. Commercial terms: [TERMS]. Client responsibilities: [CLIENT INPUTS]. Produce sections for objective, scope, deliverables, timeline and milestones, assumptions, exclusions, acceptance criteria, governance, fees, and change control. Use measurable descriptions for each deliverable and identify dependencies that can alter dates. Do not create legal terms, warranties, confidentiality promises, or payment conditions absent from the supplied terms; flag those for contract review.
Tips
- Write objectives as decisions the research will reduce, then choose methods; a list of interviews and surveys does not explain why the work matters.
- State sample limitations early, especially when qualitative interviews identify themes but cannot estimate prevalence.
- Give buyers a smaller option only if it still produces a usable decision output; cutting discovery, synthesis, and stakeholder alignment indiscriminately creates false economy.
- Keep the proposal’s evidence boundary strict: public research can establish context, but it cannot be presented as the prospect’s internal priority unless the buyer said so.
FAQ
How long should a sales research proposal be?
For most first proposals, 700–1,000 words plus a scope table is enough. The buyer should be able to see the decision, method, boundaries, and next action quickly.
Can AI research the prospect before drafting?
It can summarise approved public information, but validate time-sensitive facts and keep public context separate from discovery-confirmed needs.
Should I include pricing options?
Include them when you have authority and approved commercial boundaries. Make the tradeoff explicit so the lower-cost option does not imply identical coverage.