Interactive Proposals

Interactive proposals in SalesOS replace static PDF documents and email attachments with dynamic, web-based proposals that buyers can view, comment on, annotate, and approve -- all from a single shareable link. Because proposals live inside SalesOS, every interaction is tracked, giving your team real-time insight into buyer engagement and enabling faster deal progression.

What Are Interactive Proposals

Traditional proposals are static files -- PDFs or Word documents attached to an email. Once sent, you have no visibility into whether the buyer opened them, which sections they spent time on, or whether they shared the document with other stakeholders.

Interactive proposals solve these problems by providing:

• A live web link that opens a responsive, branded proposal page.
• Real-time engagement tracking so you know exactly when and how buyers interact with your proposal.
• Commenting and annotation so buyers can ask questions or request changes inline rather than through separate email threads.
• Electronic acceptance that captures approval without requiring a separate signature tool for simpler agreements.
• Version control so you can revise proposals and buyers always see the latest version.
• Pricing interactivity where buyers can adjust optional line items or quantities within parameters you define.

Creating a Proposal

There are two ways to create an interactive proposal:

From a Quote

The most common path is generating a proposal from an existing quote. This pulls in pricing, line items, and deal context automatically.

1. Open the quote you want to turn into a proposal.
2. Click Create Proposal in the quote actions menu.
3. SalesOS generates a proposal pre-populated with the quote's pricing table, account information, and deal details.
4. Customize the proposal content in the builder and click Save.

Standalone Proposal

For situations where you need a proposal without a formal quote (for example, a partnership proposal or a service overview), create one directly.

1. Navigate to Proposals from the left sidebar.
2. Click New Proposal.
3. Select an account and optionally link to a deal.
4. Choose a template or start from scratch.
5. Build your proposal in the editor and click Save.

Proposal Builder

The proposal builder is a block-based editor that lets you assemble proposals from structured content sections. Each section is a discrete block that can be reordered, duplicated, or removed.

Available Block Types

Working with Blocks

• Add a block -- Click the + button between existing blocks or at the bottom of the proposal.
• Reorder blocks -- Drag the handle on the left side of any block to move it up or down.
• Duplicate a block -- Click the three-dot menu on a block and select Duplicate.
• Delete a block -- Click the three-dot menu and select Remove.
• Configure block settings -- Each block type has its own settings panel (for example, pricing tables have columns for quantity, discount, and tax).

Styling and Branding

The proposal builder respects your organization's brand settings:

• Logo -- Pulled from your organization settings. Override per-proposal if needed.
• Colors -- Primary and accent colors from your brand palette are applied to headings, buttons, and highlights.
• Fonts -- Your configured brand fonts apply to headings and body text.
• Cover image -- Upload a hero image for the cover page or select from your asset library.

Proposal Templates

Templates save time by providing pre-built layouts for common deal types. SalesOS includes several system templates and supports custom templates created by your team.

System Templates

• Standard SaaS Proposal -- Cover, executive summary, solution overview, pricing table, timeline, terms.
• Enterprise Proposal -- Cover, executive summary, requirements mapping, solution architecture, pricing with tiers, implementation plan, team, terms.
• Services Proposal -- Cover, scope of work, deliverables table, timeline, pricing, terms.
• Renewal Proposal -- Cover, relationship summary, usage highlights, renewal pricing, terms.

Creating Custom Templates

Managers and admins can save any proposal as a template for the team to reuse.

1. Build a proposal with the structure and placeholder content you want to standardize.
2. Click Save as Template from the proposal actions menu.
3. Give the template a name and description.
4. Choose visibility: Personal (only you), Team (your team), or Organization (everyone).
5. The template appears in the template picker when anyone creates a new proposal.

Templates can include placeholder tokens (such as {{account_name}} or {{deal_value}}) that auto-populate with real data when a proposal is created from the template.

Sending and Sharing

Once your proposal is ready, you can share it with buyers through several channels.

Unique Proposal Link

Every proposal gets a unique, secure URL. Click Get Link to copy it to your clipboard. The link format is:

https://proposals.salesos.org/p/{unique-id}

You can share this link via any channel -- email, chat, social media, or embed it in a deal room.

Email Delivery

Click Send via Email to send the proposal link directly from SalesOS:

1. Select recipients (primary contact and any additional stakeholders).
2. Customize the email subject and body. A default message is pre-filled with the proposal title and a prominent "View Proposal" button.
3. Optionally schedule delivery for a specific date and time.
4. Click Send.

The email includes a tracking pixel so you can see when it is opened, independent of whether the buyer clicks through to the proposal.

Deal Room Embed

If the proposal is linked to a deal that has an active deal room, you can embed the proposal directly inside the deal room. This keeps all deal materials in one place for the buyer.

1. Open the proposal and click Embed in Deal Room.
2. Select the deal room.
3. The proposal appears as a pinned item in the deal room, accessible to all participants.

Access Controls

Configure who can view the proposal:

• Anyone with the link -- No authentication required. Best for individual contributors reviewing on their own.
• Email-verified recipients -- Viewers must verify their email address before accessing. Provides identity confirmation without a full login.
• Password protected -- Require a password in addition to the link. Useful for highly sensitive proposals.

Buyer Experience

When a buyer opens the proposal link, they see a clean, branded page optimized for reading on desktop and mobile.

Viewing

• The proposal renders as a scrollable single page with a table of contents sidebar for navigation.
• Buyers can jump to any section using the sidebar or scroll through linearly.
• On mobile, the sidebar collapses into a hamburger menu.

Commenting and Annotating

Buyers can leave comments on any section of the proposal:

1. Hover over a section to reveal the comment icon on the right margin.
2. Click the icon and type a comment.
3. Comments are visible to the buyer and your team. Your team receives a notification for each new comment.
4. Reply to comments inline to keep the conversation in context.

Annotations allow buyers to highlight specific text within a section and attach a note. This is useful for calling out specific terms or asking for clarification on particular phrases.

Accepting or Rejecting

If the proposal includes a signature block or acceptance checkbox:

• The buyer clicks Accept Proposal at the bottom.
• If electronic signature is enabled, they draw or type their signature.
• Upon acceptance, the proposal status changes to Accepted, the deal is updated, and your team is notified immediately.
• If the buyer is not ready to accept, they can click Request Changes, which prompts them to leave a comment explaining what needs to change.

Engagement Tracking

Every proposal provides detailed analytics on how buyers interact with it. Access engagement data from the Analytics tab on any proposal.

Metrics Tracked

Engagement Timeline

The timeline view shows a chronological feed of all buyer interactions:

• Opened -- Buyer opened the proposal at a specific time.
• Viewed section -- Buyer scrolled to and spent time on a specific section.
• Commented -- Buyer left a comment on a section.
• Downloaded PDF -- Buyer exported a PDF copy.
• Shared -- Proposal was opened by a new viewer (indicating internal forwarding).
• Accepted / Rejected -- Final action taken.

Using Engagement Data

Engagement tracking informs your follow-up strategy:

• If a buyer spent significant time on the pricing section but has not responded, they may have budget questions -- reach out proactively.
• If the proposal was forwarded to new viewers, additional stakeholders are involved -- consider a multi-threaded approach.
• If specific sections were skipped, the buyer may not find them relevant -- adjust your next conversation accordingly.

Electronic Signature Integration

For proposals that require formal signatures, SalesOS supports electronic signature capture directly within the proposal.

Built-in Signature

The signature block allows buyers to:

• Draw a signature using their mouse or touchscreen.
• Type their name and select a signature font.
• Upload an image of their signature.

Upon signing, SalesOS records the signer's name, email, IP address, and timestamp as a digital audit trail.

Third-Party Signature Providers

For organizations that require advanced signature workflows (multiple signers, notarization, compliance certifications), SalesOS integrates with:

• DocuSign
• Adobe Sign
• HelloSign

When a third-party provider is configured, the Accept Proposal button redirects to the provider's signing experience, and the completion status syncs back to SalesOS.

Version History and Revisions

Proposals evolve as deals progress. SalesOS maintains a complete version history so you can track changes and, if needed, revert to a previous version.

Creating a New Version

When you edit a published proposal:

1. Open the proposal and click Edit.
2. Make your changes in the builder.
3. Click Publish Update. This creates a new version.
4. Buyers who revisit the link automatically see the latest version.
5. A notification can optionally be sent to the buyer indicating the proposal has been updated.

Viewing Version History

Click Version History on any proposal to see:

• A list of all versions with timestamps and the user who made the change.
• A summary of what changed between versions (sections added, removed, or modified).
• The ability to preview any previous version.
• An option to restore a previous version as the current one.

Buyer Visibility

Buyers always see the current version unless you explicitly share a link to a specific version. If a buyer has already commented on a section that was subsequently changed, their comments are preserved and marked with a note indicating the section has been updated since their comment.

Proposal Analytics

Beyond individual proposal engagement, the Proposals list view provides aggregate analytics across all proposals.

Key Metrics

• Conversion rate -- Percentage of sent proposals that reach "Accepted" status.
• Average time to accept -- Median number of days from proposal sent to buyer acceptance.
• Average views before acceptance -- How many times buyers typically view a proposal before accepting.
• Most engaging sections -- Which block types consistently receive the most time spent.
• Drop-off sections -- Sections where buyers commonly stop scrolling.

Filtering and Segmenting

Filter proposal analytics by:

• Date range (proposals sent within a specific period).
• Template used.
• Deal stage at time of sending.
• Deal size range.
• Owner (rep who sent the proposal).
• Outcome (accepted, rejected, expired, pending).

Pricing Table Interactivity

One of the most powerful features of interactive proposals is the ability to give buyers limited control over the pricing table.

Optional Line Items

Mark specific line items as optional. Buyers can toggle these items on or off to see how the total changes. This is useful for:

• Add-on modules or features.
• Professional services or training packages.
• Extended support tiers.

The proposal total updates dynamically as buyers toggle items.

Quantity Adjustments

Allow buyers to adjust quantities within a range you define:

• Set a minimum and maximum quantity for each adjustable line item.
• Buyers use increment/decrement controls or type a number directly.
• The line item subtotal and proposal total update in real time.
• Volume discounts can be configured to apply automatically at quantity thresholds.

Pricing Guardrails

To prevent buyers from configuring pricing outside acceptable parameters:

• Floor price -- The minimum total below which the proposal cannot go, even with all optional items removed.
• Discount limits -- Maximum discount percentages that can result from quantity or optional item combinations.
• Approval trigger -- If a buyer's configuration crosses a threshold, the proposal flags for manager approval before the buyer can accept.

Best Practices

• Use templates for consistency. Create templates for your most common deal types so every proposal maintains professional branding and structure.
• Keep proposals concise. Buyers appreciate brevity. Aim for 5-8 sections maximum. Move detailed specifications to appendices or linked documents.
• Lead with value, not features. Structure your proposal with the executive summary and business outcomes first, technical details and pricing later.
• Enable engagement tracking from day one. Even if you do not act on the data immediately, it accumulates and helps you understand buyer behavior over time.
• Follow up based on engagement signals. If a buyer views the pricing section three times, they are evaluating budget fit -- call them. If they forward to new stakeholders, prepare a broader presentation.
• Use optional line items strategically. Giving buyers a sense of control over their package increases acceptance rates and reduces negotiation cycles.
• Set expiration dates. Add a validity period to proposals (for example, 30 days) to create urgency and keep your pipeline forecasts accurate.
• Respond to comments quickly. Buyer comments are buying signals. Aim to respond within a few hours during business days.
• Version thoughtfully. Avoid creating many minor revisions. Batch changes into meaningful updates and communicate what changed in the notification.
• Include social proof. Add testimonial blocks and case study references relevant to the buyer's industry or use case. Proposals with social proof convert at higher rates.
• Test on mobile. Many executive buyers review proposals on their phone. Preview your proposal on mobile before sending.
• Coordinate with deal rooms. For complex enterprise deals, embed the proposal in a deal room so all stakeholders have one destination for deal materials, questions, and approvals.