For consultants after the discovery call
Consulting Proposal Generator From Notes
A consulting proposal from your discovery call notes or the client's email: their own words, three options, and every fee left for you to set.
Free to start. No card needed.
How to write a consulting proposal by hand
Write the proposal only after the call has settled what matters. Alan Weiss, author of Million Dollar Consulting, calls a proposal a summation, not an exploration1: it puts in writing what you and the buyer already agreed. The ethics code of the Institute of Management Consultants USA requires a mutual understanding of the objectives, scope, work plan and fee arrangements2 before members accept any engagement. If your notes don't show what the client wants changed, how they'll measure it and who signs, call again rather than guess.
Open with the client's situation in their own words, quoting two or three phrases from the call, so they can see you listened. State each objective as a result the client already measures: "gross margin back toward 24%," not "review pricing." David A. Fields, an adviser to consulting firms, lists this first among his three principles of a perfect proposal: focus on their outcome, not your tasks3. Keep the method to a few phases, and list what the client must supply, such as data, access and decisions.
Then offer three options that each meet the objectives, from the essentials to the most complete, and mark the one you recommend. Weiss calls this a choice of yeses4 and prefers three, because too many choices can paralyze a decision. Give each option a fee and payment terms, and keep the whole proposal short: Weiss's own are typically two and a half pages1. To start from a page with guidance in each section, use the free consulting proposal template.
How it works
How does River write your consulting proposal?
Start with what you have: your call notes, a transcript or the client's email, pasted into the box at the top. You can also drop up to 10 files, such as their brief or RFP. River reads all of it before writing, noting the client's exact words, where each figure, date and name appears, and who decides and who signs. Anything the client asked to keep out of writing stays out, and nothing you said is quoted as theirs.
The proposal runs 3 to 5 pages and opens with the client's situation, quoting them word for word with who said it and where. Each objective gets a measure, marked "to agree" when your notes give none. If the buyer asked about payback, a short paragraph says what will be counted and when the first figure will be known, without inventing one. Every fee reads [your fee] until you set it, unless your notes already name one.
Use it on the day of the discovery call, while the conversation is fresh. The draft ends with every open point and the question to ask the client about it, such as the budget range or who signs. River can then tighten it to two pages, and once the client picks an option, the SOW generator turns it into a statement of work. For a formal tender with a long list of requirements, the RFP response generator fits better, since it quotes each one in a compliance matrix.
How it works
From discovery call to proposal
Add your notes
Paste your call notes, a transcript or the client's email, or drop up to 10 files.
River reads it all
It reads everything before writing, noting the client's words, each figure's source and what's missing.
Get your proposal
A 3 to 5 page proposal opens in your River workspace, with fees and missing facts in brackets.
Confirm and send
Settle the open points, set your fees and ask River for any changes before you send it.
Proposal for Calder & Moss · Pricing and discount review
“Every rep has their own price list, and nobody can tell me which deals make money.” Priya Shah, CFO, on our call.
Gross margin back from 19% toward 24%, measured monthly from the branch sales ledger (target to agree).
1. Pricing diagnostic · 2. Diagnostic and new discount rules (recommended) · 3. Rules plus rollout support. Each at [your fee].
Budget range, who signs (Priya or the CEO), and the start date.
Every client detail comes from the call notes.
What you'll get
A proposal from your call notes, with three options to choose from
- The client's situation in their own words, quoted from your notes
- Three options to say yes to, with your fees left for you to set
- A short list of what to confirm before you send it
Before and after
Your call notes in. A proposal the client recognizes.
Call with Priya Shah, CFO, Calder & Moss (building supplies, 6 branches). “Every rep has their own price list, and nobody can tell me which deals make money.” Gross margin 19%, was 24% three years ago. Branch managers approve discounts, no central rules. Wants a fix before the March board. Budget not discussed. CEO wants to join the next call.
Your situation Gross margin at Calder & Moss has fallen from 24% to 19% in three years. In your words: “Every rep has their own price list, and nobody can tell me which deals make money.” (CFO, discovery call) Objective · how we'll measure it Gross margin back toward 24%, measured monthly from the branch sales ledger (target to agree). Options 1. Pricing diagnostic · [your fee] 2. Diagnostic and new discount rules (recommended) · [your fee] 3. Rules plus three months of rollout support · [your fee] To confirm before sending Budget range · Who signs: Priya or the CEO? · Start date
The client's own words up front, and every gap left for you to confirm.
What lands in your doc
What's in your consulting proposal
- The client's situation in their own words, each quote tagged with who said it and where
- Objectives written as results, each with a measure and the quote behind it, or marked to agree
- Your approach in two to four phases, with what happens and what the client receives in each
- Three options from essential to most complete, the recommended one marked, with a fee placeholder on each
- Timeline, assumptions, what you need from the client, payment terms and a line for the client to sign
- A checklist of every open point and placeholder, each with the question to ask the client
Questions consultants ask
Common questions
What should a consulting proposal include?
A consulting proposal should cover the client's situation, the objectives and how success will be measured, the timing and what each side commits to. It also needs a brief note on your credentials, the method, options with fees and payment terms, and a place to sign. Alan Weiss lists these ten parts in his guide to short proposals1, and leaves out staff bios unless the client requires them.
How long should a consulting proposal be?
Short: a few pages, not a report. Alan Weiss says his own proposals are typically two and a half pages, and that he wins 80% of those he formally submits. River's first draft runs 3 to 5 pages, with every section in place. The Tighten to two pages button then makes a shorter copy in a new doc, keeping the quotes, objectives, options and confirm list.
How do I write a consulting proposal with River?
Paste your discovery call notes, a transcript or the client's email into the box at the top of this page, or add up to 10 files. Then choose Write my proposal. River reads everything first and writes the proposal into your free River workspace, with fees left for you to set and a list of points to confirm.
Will it make up fees, dates or client details?
No. Fees stay as [your fee] unless your notes state one, and River never suggests a rate or a market price. Names, numbers, dates and quotes come only from what you pasted or dropped, and every gap goes on the confirm list. To set your fees, the consulting rate calculator works out your day rate and prices three options for the project.
Can I use it to answer an RFP or propose a second phase?
Yes, for a short request. Drop the client's brief or RFP, and River writes the proposal from what it asks for, quoting its wording. For a formal tender with many requirements to track, the RFP response generator builds a compliance matrix before it drafts. For a second phase, drop the final report from the first, and River writes a proposal that builds on its findings.
Is my client's information kept private?
Your notes and files are saved in your own River workspace, private unless you share them. To write the proposal, River sends them to an AI provider. River's privacy policy says neither River nor those providers use your content to train AI models. If your NDA with the client limits where its information can go, check it before you paste.
Is the consulting proposal generator free?
Yes, it is free to start, with no card needed. Your proposal opens in a River workspace, where you can edit it, share it or ask River for changes, such as a two-page version. Paid plans add more AI use and access to the most advanced models.
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