/dm:client-proposal

Purpose

Generate a professional marketing agency proposal or pitch document for a prospective client. Covers strategic analysis, service scope, deliverables, pricing, and team positioning to win new business or formalize an existing engagement with a polished, ready-to-customize document.

Input Required

The user must provide (or will be prompted for):

• Client business name and industry: Who the proposal is for and their vertical/market segment
• Services requested: Which marketing services are in scope (SEO, PPC, social, content, email, strategy, creative, analytics, etc.)
• Estimated budget range: Client's stated or expected budget for marketing services (monthly or annual)
• Timeline: Engagement duration — 3-month pilot, 6-month contract, 12-month retainer, or project-based with defined milestones
• Key challenges/goals: What the client is trying to achieve, problems they need solved, or opportunities they want to capture
• Competitive context: Key competitors, market pressures, or differentiation challenges the client faces
• Decision criteria: What matters most to the client — price, expertise, speed, industry experience, team size, or technology
• Proposal format: Full written proposal, pitch deck outline, or scope-of-work document
• Existing relationship: New prospect, referral, existing client expansion, or RFP response
• Internal team available: Agency team members who would staff the account (for team bio section)

Process

1. Load brand context: Read ~/.claude-marketing/brands/_active-brand.json for the active slug, then load ~/.claude-marketing/brands/{slug}/profile.json. Apply brand voice, compliance rules for target markets (skills/context-engine/compliance-rules.md), and industry context. The loaded brand should be the agency brand — the proposal will be written from the agency's perspective. Also check for guidelines at ~/.claude-marketing/brands/{slug}/guidelines/_manifest.json — if present, load restrictions and relevant category files. Check for custom templates at ~/.claude-marketing/brands/{slug}/templates/. Check for agency SOPs at ~/.claude-marketing/sops/. If no brand exists, ask: "Set up a brand first (/dm:brand-setup)?" — or proceed with defaults.
2. Research client industry benchmarks: Pull relevant industry performance data, typical marketing spend ratios, competitive landscape patterns, and common pain points for the client's vertical
3. Define proposed scope of services: Map requested services to specific deliverables, ownership (agency vs. client), frequency, and dependencies between service lines
4. Build deliverables matrix with timelines: Create a detailed breakdown of every deliverable, its cadence (weekly, monthly, quarterly), responsible party, and approval workflow
5. Create KPI framework with realistic targets: Set measurable goals for each service line — baseline assumptions, 90-day targets, 6-month targets, and stretch goals tied to business outcomes
6. Design pricing structure: Develop 2-3 pricing options — retainer-based, project-based, or performance-based models with clear scope boundaries, overage terms, and upgrade paths
7. Include case study references: Frame placeholders for relevant case studies or past results that demonstrate capability in the client's industry, service area, or challenge type
8. Draft executive summary: Write a compelling 1-page overview that connects the client's specific challenges to the proposed solution and expected outcomes
9. Build team and process overview: Outline the account team structure, communication cadence (weekly calls, monthly reports, quarterly reviews), reporting rhythm, and escalation process
10. Include terms and conditions framework: Draft standard engagement terms covering scope change process, payment terms, IP ownership, confidentiality, data handling, performance guarantees, and termination clauses
11. Add competitive differentiation: Articulate why the agency is the right choice based on the client's stated decision criteria — without naming competitors directly

Output

A structured client proposal document containing:

• Executive summary: Client challenges, proposed approach, and expected outcomes in a compelling 1-page overview
• Situation analysis: Client's current state, competitive landscape, market opportunity, and key assumptions
• Proposed strategy: High-level strategic approach connecting services to business goals with a clear theory of change
• Scope of services: Detailed service descriptions with deliverables, frequency, ownership matrix, and exclusions
• Deliverables timeline: Month-by-month or phase-by-phase deliverable schedule with milestones and review gates
• KPI targets: Measurable success metrics per service line with baseline, target, and stretch goals
• Pricing options: 2-3 pricing tiers or models with clear scope definitions, add-on options, and payment schedule
• Team bios section: Account team structure with role descriptions and placeholder bios to be filled with actual team members
• Case study framework: Structured placeholders for 2-3 relevant past engagements showing challenge, approach, and results
• Terms outline: Standard engagement terms covering scope, payment, IP, confidentiality, data, and termination
• Next steps: Clear action items with dates for moving from proposal to signed engagement
• Investment justification: ROI framework showing how the proposed services connect to measurable business outcomes
• Risk and assumptions: Key assumptions underpinning projections and risks that could affect delivery or results

Agents Used

• marketing-strategist — Strategic positioning, service scoping, KPI framework, competitive analysis, proposal narrative, industry benchmarking