Full SOP document
Proposal Discipline SOP
Protect margin and credibility by pricing after scope is understood.
Owner
Founder / Sales
Cadence
Before every proposal.
Trigger
A qualified company asks for an annual program proposal.
Output Count
3 operating outputs
Inputs
- Readiness plan
- Employee count
- Sessions
- Locations
- Instructor requirements
- Travel
- Reporting scope
Procedure
- Separate delivery scope from administrative scope.
- Estimate instructor cost, travel, certification/card handling, admin time, reporting and renewal management.
- Identify what is included, excluded and requiring professional review.
- Choose Foundation, Multi-Site or Enterprise only after unit economics are defensible.
- State pricing as a configurable annual program, not a universal public promise.
- Define decision options: proceed, stakeholder meeting, revised scope, nurture or no fit.
QA Gates
- Gross margin reviewed
- Owner hours estimated
- Scope boundaries included
- Payment terms clear
Metrics
- Proposal close rate
- Gross margin
- Sales cycle length
- Scope-change rate
Failure Modes
- Underpriced custom complexity
- No exclusion list
- Proposal resembles a class quote
Outputs
- Proposal
- Pricing worksheet
- Scope boundary notes