Library/Solution Framing, Demo & Proposal/Business Case & ROI Development/Add a Cost-of-Doing-Nothing Section to a Sales Proposal
TestedSolution Framing, Demo & ProposalQuick Win (under 10 min)
About this prompt
This prompt writes a 'Cost of Doing Nothing' section for a sales proposal that presents the status quo as a genuine option, quantifies what it is currently costing the client in time, money, and risk, projects that cost forward 12 months, and connects inaction to a specific business deadline or event. It is designed for AEs preparing final-stage proposals where cost of inaction needs to be documented, not implied. Use it when you have specific cost data from discovery and need to make a financially grounded case without manufacturing urgency.The status quo is always on the shortlist in a B2B evaluation, and a proposal section that ignores it leaves a gap the buyer will fill with their own assumptions — usually more favorable to inaction than the reality warrants. This prompt builds a section that puts the status quo on the table as a legitimate choice, then quantifies it rigorously: what the current problem is costing right now, what it will cost in 12 months if nothing changes, and what specific business event or deadline changes the calculus of waiting. The tone is analytical, not pressuring — the framing is 'here is the math on inaction' rather than 'you need to decide now.' Fill in [CLIENT COMPANY] for the addressee, [FROM DISCOVERY] for the current cost estimate you uncovered, and [HOW YOU CALCULATE IT] for the projection methodology — the prompt explicitly calls for conservative numbers because the client will check your math. This is a late-stage proposal prompt for AEs in final evaluation; using it too early, before you have real discovery data on the cost of the problem, produces a generic section that any experienced buyer will discount immediately. For best output, express [FROM DISCOVERY] as a specific dollar figure, hours-per-week, or risk exposure rather than a qualitative description, and make sure the 12-month projection uses the same methodology the client's finance team would recognize.The prompt
Add a 'Cost of Doing Nothing' section to our proposal for [CLIENT COMPANY]. This section should:
1. Present the status quo as a genuine option — acknowledge it honestly
2. Quantify what the status quo
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Variables to replace
CLIENT COMPANY|FROM DISCOVERY|HOW YOU CALCULATE IT
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