Here's how to send a proposal email: name the project in the subject line, write three short paragraphs and link to the proposal instead of attaching it. The paragraphs say what you agreed on, what the proposal covers and what happens next, by when. Send it the day of your call, at the time you promised.
What should a proposal email say?
Four things, in this order: what you agreed on, the link, what's inside and the next step with a date. Here's the template:
Subject: [Project] proposal for [Company]
Hi [name],
Thanks for [the call / the meeting] on [day]. Here's the proposal for [project]:
[link to the proposal]
It covers [scope], [timeline] and [options]. [Where to look first.]
Could you let me know by [day] which [option] works? Happy to walk [you / you and name] through it on a [length] call.
[Your name]
And here it is filled in, for a made-up client:
Subject: Brightline website proposal: 5 pages, 6 weeks
Hi Dana,
Thanks for the call on Tuesday. Here's the proposal for the new Brightline Coffee website:
[View the proposal]
It covers the five pages we talked about and a six-week timeline. The two options are at the end, with and without the online store. It's about a five-minute read and works fine on a phone.
Could you let me know by Friday which option works? If it helps, I can walk you and Sam through it on a 20-minute Zoom.
Alex
Each part does one job:
- The first line ties it to the conversation. Dana knows what this is before she opens anything.
- The link sits on its own line. It's easy to click and easy to forward to whoever signs off with her.
- "What's inside" points to the options. It tells the reader the part they care about is at the end, so they keep going.
- The ask has a date. "Let me know if you have questions" asks for nothing, and an email that asks for nothing gets no answer. If the proposal has an expiration date, pick a day before it.
The proposal does the explaining. The email only has to get it opened and set the next step.
What subject line should you use for a proposal email?
The project name, the word "proposal" (or "quote", if that's what the client asked for) and the client's company. It should be specific enough that the client can find it with a search three weeks later. By situation:
- After a discovery call. "Brightline website proposal: 5 pages, 6 weeks"
- The client asked for a quote first. "Your quote for the Brightline website"
- Two or more people decide. "Brightline website proposal for Dana and Sam"
- You promised a day on the call. "Brightline proposal, as promised for Thursday"
- You changed something after sending. "Updated: Brightline website proposal (store added)"
Skip "Proposal" on its own, file names like "Final_v3", "Urgent" and anything in all caps. Subject lines for the emails that come after this one are in follow-up email after a proposal.
Should you attach the proposal or send a link?
Send a link. An attachment is a copy you can't change: fix a number and the client now has two files, and the old one is the one that gets forwarded. A link stays a single version, opens on a phone without a download, and (if it's a tracked page) tells you when it was opened. The full case is in why your PDF proposal is costing you clients.
The exception is a procurement or accounting process that needs a file in its system. Send the file too, and say in the email that the link is the version you'll keep current.
Should the price go in the email body?
Usually not. Point to the investment section and let the number sit next to the scope it pays for. A price alone in an inbox gets compared to the cheapest quote the client has.
If the client asked for a number before anything else, give it, with what it covers and the link in the same email:
It's $4,800 for the five pages over six weeks, with a 50% deposit and the balance at launch. Everything that's in and out of scope is here: [link to the proposal]
Dodging the question reads like you're hiding the price. One clear line plus the link answers it and keeps the scope in the conversation.
When should you send a proposal email?
The same day as the call or the next morning, at the time you told the client. Say on the call when it will arrive ("You'll have it by 10 tomorrow") and hit that time: it's the first thing you deliver.
If you finish late at night, Gmail lets you schedule the email to send later, so it lands in the client's morning, not at 11 p.m.
If the date in your email passes without a reply, what you send next depends on what the client did with the proposal. The cadence by days is in how to follow up on a proposal.
Who goes on the To and CC lines?
The person who decides goes in To. Anyone else who needs to read it before saying yes goes in CC. Ask on the call ("Who else needs to see this?") so you don't learn about the CFO two weeks later.
Name them in the email, too: "I can walk you and Sam through it" makes it easy for Dana to forward. Everyone gets the same link, so there's one version for the whole group.
How do you send a proposal email with Nepfy?
You publish the proposal, copy its link and paste it into the email above: four steps, no attachment to size down.
- Build the proposal in the editor and check the Mobile view, in case the first open happens on a phone.
- Click Publish.
- Copy the link. Add a password or an expiration date if you want; both are optional. If you use a password, send it in a separate email.
- Paste the link into your email and send it from your own inbox.
The client opens it without an account. To close, they accept on the same page: they type their name, sign and confirm, and you're notified right away. The acceptance is a record of agreement with name, signature and time. If they want something changed, they request changes from the page.
After you send it, you see how many times it was opened, when it was last opened and whether the client reached the price, so you don't have to ask. You can also turn on an email for every open (more in how to know if a client opened your proposal).
Need to fix something? Edit it and publish again. The proposal shows as Republished and the link in your email stays the same, so an "Updated:" email points to the same place. If you set an expiration date, anyone who opens the link after it sees an expired page, and the proposal shows as Expired.
See what you see once the client starts reading. Start free with 14 days of Pro, no credit card.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a proposal email be?
Short enough to read on a phone without scrolling: three short paragraphs and a sign-off. Scope, timeline and price stay in the proposal.
Can I text the proposal instead of emailing it?
Yes, if that's where the client talks to you. Use the same structure (context, link, what's inside, next step with a date) and the same link, so there's only one version.
What if the client asks for a PDF?
Ask what it's for. If their accounting or procurement system needs a file, send it alongside the link and say the link is the version you'll keep current.
Should I mention the expiration date in the email?
Yes, once, as a plain fact next to your decision date: "Pricing holds for 30 days." Said once, it's information. Repeated in every email, it reads as pressure.
