What the client sees
Worth knowing, because it's what decides whether a proposal converts.
Opening it
They click the link and see the proposal on your branded client page: the proposal number, then From, To, Date and Expiry if you set one. No sign-in.
Under that: Service date and Location, then the lines.
Items are what they're getting whatever they decide. Below that, each client choice group carries its own name and the note "Pick one of these options", and Add-ons says "Pick any of these options". Some add-ons have a plus and minus for quantity.
The total updates as they go. Below it, a Payment schedule lists each payment as a percentage with its due date, under the line "Payment amounts are calculated from your final selections when you accept." The figures appear in money on the confirmation panel, once their choices are settled.
Accepting comes first
They press Accept proposal. A confirmation panel shows the Total, every payment in the schedule with its date, an After accepting line naming the steps, and an Agreement section they can expand and read in full.
Confirming is the commitment. Their choices lock at that moment, and the agreement and invoice are created.
Accepting doesn't email them anything. Everything they need is on the page in front of them, so send them back to the same link if they lose their place.
The steps after that
A Next steps list appears, and only one step is open at a time:
- Sign the agreement
- Pay the deposit, or Pay, with the amount in the label
They finish one and the next opens. That's deliberate. A page showing several outstanding tasks reads like work. One step at a time reads like progress. It's also the right order, because you don't want to hold money from someone who hasn't signed.
They don't have to do it all at once. The same link picks up where they left off.
Signing
The agreement opens on its own page. They fill in any blanks you left for them, then sign by either Draw or Type. Then they tick the box confirming they've read and understood it, consent to signing electronically, and understand the signature is legally binding.
A Back to proposal link at the top takes them back.
Paying
They pay by card, or follow the instructions for whichever manual method you offered. Paying manually means saying they've paid, attaching proof if the method asks for it, and waiting for you to confirm. See Reviewing payment proof.
Finishing
Once the last step is done, the booking is created and the client is taken to its page. From then on the booking is where they go: the remaining balance, the agreement and the session details all live there.
If the proposal isn't creating a booking, they stay on the proposal, which shows what's been paid and what's still due.
The options they didn't choose come off the document as soon as they accept. What they keep is a clean record of what was agreed, rather than a menu with some things circled.
Declining
They can Decline. The panel invites an optional note for you, and then the proposal closes.
Declining is useful information. A quick no is better than months of silence. The note usually tells you whether it was the price or the date.
If it expires
After the cutoff, the page says the proposal has expired and tells them to ask you for a fresh one. They can still read what you sent. They just can't accept, sign or pay.
The cutoff is the end of the expiry day in your timezone, and the client's page shows the exact time and zone so there's no argument about it.
Once they've completed their steps, the expiry no longer applies. A finished job doesn't lapse.
Duplicate the proposal, adjust anything that's changed, and send a fresh one.
Making it convert
Keep the choices to two or three. More causes hesitation.
Attach the contract. Signing at the yes moment is far easier than a week later.
Ask for a deposit, not the full amount. A big number stops people. Use a payment schedule instead.
Check it on a phone. Most proposals are first opened on one.
Send them the walkthrough
Reviewing a proposal is the same thing written for your client.