OnlyMovHow to Write a Proposal Introduction
By OnlyMov Editorial Team · · Editorial policy
Most proposals are skimmed, not read — and the introduction decides which yours gets. The client isn't looking for your company history on page one; they're checking one thing: *does this person understand my problem?* A winning introduction proves that in the first paragraph, then previews the outcome and makes the rest of the document easy to navigate.
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Open with their problem, in their words
The strongest first paragraph mirrors the client's situation back to them — specifically:
Weak: "Founded in 2015, Acme Digital is a leading provider of innovative marketing solutions…"
Strong: "Your checkout flow converts 1.9% of visitors — roughly half the industry benchmark — and the drop happens at the payment step. You need that fixed before the holiday quarter, without a replatform."
Use the numbers, deadlines, and phrasing from your discovery conversations. When a client sees their own situation stated more clearly than they stated it, the trust that wins deals starts there.
The four-part structure
- The situation — their problem and its cost, one short paragraph
- The destination — what will be true after the work: "By March: a checkout converting at 3%+, live on your current platform"
- The approach in one breath — how, in two or three sentences; details belong in the body
- The roadmap — one sentence telling them what's in the rest of the document and where to find pricing
Half a page total. The introduction sells the read; the body sells the work.
Preview outcomes, not activities
Clients buy destinations, not itineraries.
Activity framing: "We will conduct a comprehensive audit, host discovery workshops, and implement iterative improvements…"
Outcome framing: "You'll know within two weeks exactly why users abandon payment, and within eight weeks the fix will be live and measured."
Activities appear later, as evidence you can reach the destination. In the introduction, they're noise.
Mistakes that lose the skim
- Opening with your company instead of their problem
- Vague benefit claims ("drive growth", "unlock value") with no number or date
- A wall of text — half a page, short paragraphs, one bold line if any
- Recycled boilerplate with the wrong client's industry still in it (it happens, and it's fatal)
- Burying or hiding the price signal — sophisticated buyers skim for it; tell them where it is
Step-by-step summary
- 1
Write their situation first
Their problem, their numbers, their deadline — from your discovery notes, not your brochure.
- 2
State the destination
What is true after the work, with a metric and a date.
- 3
Compress your approach to three sentences
Just enough to be credible; details live in the body.
- 4
Add the roadmap line and cut to half a page
Tell them what follows and where pricing is. Then trim.
Frequently asked questions
- How long should a proposal introduction be?
- Half a page — around 150–250 words. Long enough to prove you understand the problem and preview the outcome; short enough that a skimming decision-maker reads all of it.
- Should the introduction mention price?
- Not the number, but point to it: "Full pricing is on page 6." Hiding pricing frustrates exactly the decision-makers you most need on side.
- What if I'm responding to a formal RFP?
- Follow their required structure exactly — compliance is screened first. Apply these principles inside whatever the RFP calls the opening section: their problem, your destination, outcomes over activities.
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