spb/ultra-sharp-agent-skills Public

1---2name: writing-proposals3description: Writes project and business proposals in a client-first house style — their problem restated first, outcome before activities, explicit scope exclusions, tiered pricing with a recommendation. Use when the user asks to write or improve a proposal, a statement of work, a pitch document, a quote with scope, or a response to an RFP for a client or internal sponsor. Do not use for executive summaries of internal work, contracts or legal terms, or grant applications.4---56<!--7Author: Simon-Pierre Boucher8Contact: contact@spboucher.ai9-->1011# Writing Proposals1213## When to use / when NOT to use14- **Use for:** client project proposals, statements of work, internal investment pitches, RFP responses, quotes that carry scope.15- **Do NOT use for:** executive summaries of completed internal work (writing-executive-summaries), contracts/legal terms (route to legal), or grant applications (funder-specific formats). Write those normally.1617## House rules18191. **Open with THEIR problem, restated in their words.** The first section proves you listened; it contains no mention of you.20   - ✅ "Your support team answers the same 30 questions 400 times a month, and response time slipped past your 4-hour SLA in March."21   - ❌ "Founded in 2019, our agency specializes in cutting-edge automation solutions."22232. **Outcome before activities.** Sell the destination, then the itinerary.24   - ✅ "Outcome: tier-1 tickets resolved in under 5 minutes, without hiring. How we get there: …"25   - ❌ Leading with a 14-row table of tasks, hours, and deliverables.26273. **Scope with explicit exclusions.** What is NOT included prevents every future dispute.28   - ✅ "Not included: content migration from the legacy wiki, training beyond the two included sessions, ongoing maintenance (available separately)."29   - ❌ A scope section that only lists inclusions.30314. **Price in tiers with a recommendation.** Good/better/best beats take-it-or-leave-it; anchor and recommend.32   - ✅ "Essential $18k / **Recommended: Standard $27k** / Premium $41k — Standard because the analytics module pays for itself by month 3."33   - ❌ A single number with no framing: "Total: $27,400."34355. **Risks and assumptions, each one accountable.** State what you assume; each assumption is billable if wrong — say so.36   - ✅ "Assumption: API access granted by day 3. If access slips, timeline shifts day-for-day and re-planning is billed at the day rate."37   - ❌ No assumptions section, or "subject to unforeseen circumstances."38396. **Concrete next step with an expiry date.** A proposal without a deadline negotiates against itself forever.40   - ✅ "To start Sept 2: countersign by Aug 22. Pricing valid until Aug 29."41   - ❌ "We look forward to hearing from you at your convenience."42437. **Social proof after the solution, not before.** Case studies support a claim the reader already understands.44   - ✅ Solution section, then: "We did this for Nordica (case: 62% ticket deflection in 8 weeks)."45   - ❌ Opening page of logos and testimonials before the problem is stated.4647## Workflow48491. Extract the client's problem statement from their own words (call notes, RFP, emails); write section 1 from it.502. Write the outcome section: the measurable after-state, with numbers where defensible.513. Draft approach/deliverables, then the exclusions list (ask: "what will they assume is included?").524. Build three price tiers; mark the recommended one and justify the pick in one sentence.535. List assumptions and risks with owner/consequence; add timeline and next step with expiry.546. Self-review against the seven rules; check every number appears once and is consistent; then deliver.5556## Edge cases57- **RFP with a mandated structure** → follow their structure exactly (compliance beats style), but apply the rules inside each mandated section.58- **No budget signal from the client** → tiers do the discovery; widen the spread (×2–3 between lowest and highest).59- **Internal proposal (no price)** → tiers become effort/scope options; the "price" is headcount-weeks and opportunity cost. All other rules hold.6061## References62Extended before/after examples: see [references/examples.md](references/examples.md).63