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Introduction
Hi, and welcome back to Claude from Zero to Expert. After SOPs, the next business documents are the ones that bring in customers: proposals and offer letters. We'll tell the two apart, gather material about the prospect, write the proposal in an Artifact, condense it into an email, and check it before sending.
Step 1: Proposal or offer letter?
These two documents often get mixed up. In length, an offer letter needs only half a page to one page, while a proposal can run two to five pages. An offer letter focuses on the product, price, and validity period. A proposal is more complete: the prospect's problem, the solution, proof, and then the cost. An offer letter suits simple purchases or repeat orders. A proposal is for new partnerships of meaningful value. An offer letter is usually sent by email or WhatsApp. A proposal goes out as a PDF attachment, and is sometimes presented in person. Our example today: Laras wants to offer a coffee package for the weekly meetings at Maju Bersama Co.'s office. Since it's a new, recurring partnership, she writes a proposal, with an offer letter as the cover note. A convincing proposal follows five parts. First, the problem. Start with what the prospect is facing, not with how great our business is. Second, the solution: what we offer to solve that problem. Third, proof. Experience, product photos, or real data. Proof must be true; never make up testimonials. Fourth, the price, with its breakdown, payment terms, and validity period. Fifth, the next step. Just one clear call to action, such as scheduling a free trial next week.
Step 2: Gathering material about the prospect
Claude doesn't know the prospect's needs, so we provide the material. Context: who we are and who the prospect is, including their Monday morning meeting for about twenty people. Then the data: product prices, the shipping rule, and real proof that Sunset Coffee has served three offices since last year. The task is to write the proposal, with one important addition: ask about anything that's missing first. The format follows the five-part flow, two pages max. Proposals that are too thick rarely get read to the end. Claude really does ask first. Three things are missing: the problem with their meetings, a subscription discount, and the payment method. Laras answers from real experience. Dewi once mentioned that people get sleepy in meetings and often step out to buy their own coffee. Laras also sets a ten percent discount for a four-week subscription. From that answer, Claude finds the right angle: the problem isn't coffee, it's attendees' energy and meeting time being cut short. That's a strong opening, because Dewi will feel her problem is understood.
Step 3: Writing the proposal in an Artifact
The material is complete. Laras asks Claude to write the proposal as a document addressed to Ms. Dewi. The proposal appears in the right panel. Notice the opening: it names the Monday morning meeting problem first, and only then the solution of twenty cups delivered before the meeting. Then the cost table. Twenty cups at eighteen thousand rupiah for four weeks comes to one million four hundred forty thousand. With ten percent off, the total is one million two hundred ninety-six thousand. Laras recalculates with a calculator, and the numbers match. Remember, Claude can make calculation errors, so we always check the numbers in a proposal ourselves. Finally, Laras adds stronger proof: a photo of the cup packaging and an offer of one free trial. A free trial lowers the prospect's hesitation. Once the draft is done, four revision requests often come in handy. First, change the tone. Ask for something warmer that doesn't sound pushy. Second, trim it. Ask for a one-page version without dropping the price breakdown. Third, anticipate objections. Ask Claude to add a short Q&A, for example, what happens if a meeting is canceled? Fourth, fit the reader. If a director will read the proposal, ask for a summary with the numbers right at the front.
Step 4: An offer letter by email
The proposal is ready. Now Laras needs the cover letter. She asks Claude to condense the proposal into an email of one hundred twenty words max, with the total price, a fourteen-day validity period, and a trial invitation. Claude prepares a draft, complete with a subject line that names the benefit. A subject like Price Quote easily gets lost in a crowded inbox. Here's the email Laras sends. In the inbox, the subject names the benefit right away: fresher Monday meetings, a free coffee trial. The body is short. The opening recalls their earlier conversation, followed by the core offer with the total price and validity period. The closing has just one call to action: may we send a free trial next Monday? A question that's easy to answer with yes gets prospects to reply faster. Before hitting send, Laras rereads the name, the numbers, and the attachment. This email screen is a simulation, and menu names in Claude may differ slightly because it's updated often.
Step 5: Checking before sending
Before sending, use this checklist. First, the recipient's name and company name. Misspelling a name is the fastest way to lose trust. Second, every number is recalculated with a calculator, including the discount and total. Third, the validity period and payment terms are clearly written, so there's no misunderstanding at the end of the month. Fourth, make sure the proposal is actually attached. It sounds trivial, but it's often forgotten. Fifth, don't promise anything uncertain, such as a seven a.m. delivery when the courier is only ready at eight. And remove any testimonials or data Claude made up. If you don't have real testimonials yet, it's better to offer a free trial. One important note. Claude helps you draft proposals and offers, but it doesn't give legal or tax certainty. If your partnership involves a written agreement or a large amount of money, ask a legal expert or accountant familiar with local regulations before signing. Claude's draft saves time; the final decision is still yours. The work isn't over once the email is sent. Note the sending date as day zero. If there's no reply by day three, send a short follow-up. Claude can write a polite message that doesn't feel pushy. During the trial, ask the meeting attendees for direct feedback. That feedback can become real proof for your next proposal. If you reach an agreement, ask for written confirmation by email, covering quantity, price, schedule, and payment method. Here's an example of a day-three follow-up. Laras asks Claude for a short WhatsApp message. The first message only checks that the email arrived, without pushing. The second message makes things easy: the trial time is already set, and Dewi only has to reply with one word. The easier it is to answer, the faster the reply. Dewi replies and agrees to try it. Notice that Laras doesn't resend the whole proposal. Three polite, clear sentences are enough. You can use this pattern with any prospect: a polite reminder, make it easy, and ask just one question.
Done!
We've told proposals and offer letters apart, written a five-part proposal in an Artifact, condensed it into an email, and checked it before sending. In the next episode we build a one-month marketing plan, complete with a content calendar and a way to measure results. See you there!
Practice exercises
Try these on your own after watching to lock in what you learned.
Write a one-page proposal for a real prospect using the five-part flow
Ask Claude for two versions of the offer email, formal and casual, then pick the one that fits
Create a pre-send checklist for your business and store it in a Project
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Cerdas Inovasi Digital Team
Software developers, BIM & 3D engineers, and AI practitioners
53 video classes1,286 episodes
We build software, BIM models, games and AI automations for clients every day, and turn that hands-on work into step-by-step classes: every step is shown on screen and comes with a PDF guide you can keep.
