AI Automation Proposal Template (Copy and Fill In)

An AI automation proposal should fit on two or three pages: the client's problem in their own numbers, what you'll build, the deliverables, a timeline, two or three pricing options, what you need from them and the next step. Below is a section-by-section guide and a template you can copy.

Write the proposal after a discovery call, using the client's words and figures. A proposal that repeats what they told you reads as "you listened." A generic one reads as a brochure.

The seven sections

1. The problem, in their numbers

Open with what they told you, not with your company. Two or three sentences and the math.

Good: "You get about 80 web leads a month. After 5pm and on weekends, they wait until the next working day for a reply. You estimate 15 a month go cold. At roughly $3,000 gross profit per job, winning back even two of them is worth about $6,000 a month." (Illustrative figures. Use the client's.)

Weak: "Businesses today lose leads because of slow response times."

2. What we'll build

Describe the system in plain language, step by step, from the trigger to the result. Avoid tool names unless the client cares. If a diagram helps, include one simple flow.

3. Deliverables

A bulleted list of what they'll have at the end. Concrete and checkable: "Every new web lead gets an SMS and email within two minutes," not "improved lead engagement."

Include the non-system deliverables too: a handover document, a short training call and the reporting they'll get each month.

4. Timeline

Three to five milestones with dates or week numbers: kickoff, build, testing with real data, go-live with a human approval step, and full launch.

5. Investment and options

Two or three options, each with a setup fee and a monthly fee. Make the difference between options obvious in what's included. Put the option you recommend in the middle and say why you recommend it.

State what the monthly fee covers and how usage costs (model API, SMS, voice minutes) are handled. See AI automation agency pricing for how to set the numbers.

6. What we need from you

List the access, information and approvals you need, with who provides them and by when. This section prevents the most common delay: waiting on logins.

7. Next steps

Tell them exactly what to do to start: approve an option, sign the agreement, pay the setup invoice, book the kickoff. Give a date.

What to leave out

• Long company history. One line about who you are is enough.
• Pages of tool descriptions. The client is buying a result.
• Income or results guarantees. Show the value math and the safeguards. Don't promise outcomes you don't control.
• Legal terms. Keep the contract separate and reference it. Our AI automation agency contract checklist covers what goes in it.

The fill-in template

Copy this, replace everything in brackets and delete anything that doesn't apply.

# [Automation name] for [Client business]

Prepared for [Client name], [Date]

## Where things stand

You told us [describe the current process in one or two sentences].
You get about [number] [leads/requests/emails] a month, and about
[number] of them [go cold / take X hours / get missed].

At about [$ value per job or hour], that's roughly [$ amount] a month.
(Based on the figures you shared on [call date].)

## What we'll build

1. When [trigger, e.g. a lead submits your website form], the system
   [first action, e.g. saves it to your CRM with the source and time].
2. Within [time], it [second action, e.g. sends a personal SMS and email
   written from the details they gave].
3. It [third action, e.g. offers a booking link and writes the appointment
   back to your calendar].
4. If [edge case, e.g. the lead asks something it can't answer],
   [who] gets notified right away.
5. Every run is logged so we can see what happened and fix problems fast.

For the first [one/two] weeks, your team approves messages before they send.

## What you'll have

- [Deliverable 1]
- [Deliverable 2]
- [Deliverable 3]
- A one-page guide: what the system does, how to pause it, who to contact
- A [30]-minute training call for your team
- A monthly summary of [what it did, e.g. leads answered and booked]

## Timeline

| Week | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1 | Kickoff and access set up |
| 2 | Build and internal testing |
| 3 | Testing with [20-50] of your real past [leads/emails] |
| 4 | Live, with your team approving messages |
| 5 | Full launch and review call |

## Options

| | [Option A] | [Option B, recommended] | [Option C] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Includes | [Core automation] | [Core + add-on] | [Full system] |
| Setup | [$] | [$] | [$] |
| Monthly | [$] | [$] | [$] |
| Changes per month | [number] | [number] | [number] |
| Reporting | [Monthly summary] | [Summary + call] | [Call + dashboard] |

We recommend [Option B] because [one sentence tied to their goal].

The monthly fee covers hosting, monitoring, fixes, [number] small changes
and [usage, e.g. up to X SMS a month]. Usage above that is billed at
[cost / cost plus X%].

## What we need from you

| What | From | By |
|---|---|---|
| Admin invite to [CRM] | [Name] | [Date] |
| Access to [calendar/phone/email] | [Name] | [Date] |
| Approval of message templates | [Name] | [Date] |
| [20-50] past [leads/emails] for testing | [Name] | [Date] |

## Next steps

1. Reply with the option you'd like.
2. We'll send the agreement and setup invoice the same day.
3. Kickoff on [date], once both are complete.

This proposal is valid until [date].

Tips that help proposals get signed

• Review it live. Book a call to walk through the proposal together instead of only emailing it.
• Send it fast. Within a day of the discovery call, while the problem still feels urgent.
• Use their words. If they said "leads fall through the cracks," write that, not "suboptimal lead conversion."
• Follow up on a schedule. If they go quiet, follow up after two days, then a week, then close the loop.

Learn the sales process

The Stride AI Sales Process course covers the outreach, scripts and offer structure used to close AI deals at Executive Stride, Josh Pocock's AI agency. You can bring a draft proposal to the weekly live calls for feedback, or start with the free guide library.

FAQ

Can I use AI to write a proposal?

Yes, as a drafting tool. Give it your discovery call notes and this template, then edit the result yourself. Check every number against what the client actually said, and rewrite anything that sounds generic.

How long should an AI automation proposal be?

Two or three pages is enough for most small business clients. The decision depends on the problem, the price and the plan, and long proposals bury those. Put legal terms in a separate agreement.

Should I include pricing in the proposal?

Yes. A proposal without pricing forces another round of back and forth. Show two or three options with setup and monthly fees, and explain what the monthly fee covers.

Which tool is best for proposals?

Any tool that produces a clean document works: a word processor, a proposal app or a PDF from your own template. What matters is the content and reviewing it live with the client, not the software.