Proposals
A proposal is your whole quote on one page. The client reads it, picks what they want, accepts, signs, pays, and the job is set up.
Quoting by email and chasing a signature separately leaves gaps where people go quiet. A proposal closes them.
What's on one
- Items, split into what's included, add-ons they can tick, and client choices they pick between
- A contract, if you turn one on
- A payment schedule, if you're collecting payment
- An expiry date, if you set one
- The service date, required when the proposal is going to create a booking
What happens when it's accepted
Accepting is the yes. It locks the client's choices and creates the agreement and the invoice at that moment.
The client then works through whatever you attached: sign the agreement, then pay. Once they've finished those steps, the booking is created and confirmed, and the client is moved onto the booking page.
Your counter-signature is not part of that. The booking is created whether or not you have signed yet, so a contract sitting at Signed never holds a client up.
Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Still being written. Nothing exists for the client yet |
| Sent | With the client |
| Accepted | They said yes and their choices are locked |
| Declined | They said no |
| Expired | The expiry date passed before they finished |
| Cancelled | You pulled it back |
The list opens on Active proposals. Alongside the statuses above it has an Awaiting completion filter, for accepted proposals where the client still has a step to finish.
When to use one
Worth it for work where the client is choosing between options, or comparing you with someone else: weddings, commercial jobs, anything bespoke. The gap between interested and booked is where you lose people. A proposal closes it.
Overkill for a standard portrait session at a fixed price. Use direct booking and let them book themselves.
Getting started
Build one from an inquiry or from a contact. See Creating proposals.