Spending hours crafting a proposal that doesn’t close? In our latest session of the MSP Revenue Playbook webinar series, we tackled a critical part of the sales process that too many managed service providers (MSPs) get wrong is proposal creation. 

Three industry experts shared their proven methods for creating winning proposals faster: 

• Pete Evans, Managing Director, Ventos Sales 
• John Hill, Sales Author & Consultant 
• Nelson Anthony, Account Director Zomentum 

It wasn’t just theory heavy talk, it was a practical breakdown on how to write a business proposal that connects with clients, avoids endless back-and-forth and closes faster.

Why MSP Proposals fail 

‍John Hill “ You shouldn’t be doing any proposals until you’ve had the real conversation about their real gaps and challenges”

Too many MSPs skip in-depth discovery and instead send out a managed services proposals template that looks nice and isn't tailored to the client’s needs. This “one-size fits for all " approach kills conversation. 

Pete Evans added “A commercial proposal isn’t about showing off your brand. It’s about demonstrating you understand their specific problems, in their language.”

If you’ve ever wondered about the meaning of a commercial proposal. It’s not just a document with prices. It's a tailored solution presentation that proves you’ve listened, understood and can deliver right outcomes. 

The Non-Negotiables in a winning Proposal Process

Here are some non-negotiable steps to create a high-impact MSP contract or proposal letter: 

• Do Research: Research your client, their competitors and their challenges before you start writing. 
• Listen to Understand and not to respond: Avoid making assumptions about what they want, understand their needs and suggest ways you can help them achieve. 
• Qualify Early: Disqualify prospects who aren’t ready to buy so you don’t waste time creating proposals that go nowhere.
• Tailor Every document: Even if you start from an MSP proposal template or managed services proposal templates, customize it to reflect the clients exact priorities. 
• Replay their need in Writing: Show them you heard them clearly restating their problems, the impact and your solution. 

Proposal Formats That Works 

Both John and Pete outlined a simple but powerful structure. Useful for How to write a business proposal or a managed service agreement.

1. Current Situation: Summarize what the client told you.
2. The Problem: State the core challenges in their own words 
3. Impact of Doing Nothing: Show the cost, risk or lost opportunities
4. Your Solution: Explain how you’ll fix it 
5. Next Step and Pricing: Use clear numbers and call-to-action.

John’s approach is often as simple as bullet point email. Pete uses a short slide deck. Both agreed on how the content of the proposal needs to be relevant. 

Using the Right MSP Quoting Tool 

Nelson Anthony demonstrated how Zomentum’s MSP quoting tool transforms this process. 

With Zomentum Grow, MSPs can: 

• Start from a managed service proposal template and customize it in minutes 
• Use merge tags to auto-fill client details. 
• Embed videos or service explanations
• Collaborate on proposals in real time
• Generate MSP agreements and manage service agreements directly from the platform.
• Track margins and apply internal approval workflows. 
• Collect e-signatures without needing a separate tool.

Nelson said “A typical MSP might spend 4-6 hours creating a proposal. With Zomentum, you can do it in 20 minutes without losing personalization” 

How to Stand Out From The Competition 

Pete and John stress that speed is meaningless without connection. To make your commercial proposal stand out: 

• Replay the clients words back to them in proposal
• Ask about decision-makers and include them early 
• Follow up with a live walkthrough instead of sending it “cold” to their inbox.
• Address payment terms early to avoid surprise in the contract phase.

This approach applied equally whether you’re sending a short proposal letter for a small project or a detailed MSP contract for a long-term relationship. 

Key Takeaways for MSPs

From the webinar, these points stood out: 

• Proposals close faster when they’re based on deep understanding
• Qualify out prospects who aren’t ready to move forward 
• Don’t confuse templates with personalization 
• Always present proposal live for alignment
• Use a smart MSP quoting tool to cut time without cutting quality

Ready to Upgrade Your Proposal Process ?

If your current proposal process is slow, inconsistent or producing low conversion rates, it’s time to rethink your approach. 

Download our free MSP Proposal Templates or Book a Demo and see how you can create, send and sign proposals in minutes while keeping them highly personalised. 

Watch the Full webinar recording to Pete Evans, John Hill and Nelson Anthony share their strategies in detail. 

‍