Build a full proposal around a quote

Overview

Some customers decide on a number. Others — a general contractor, a purchasing manager, a bigger shop — expect a _proposal_: who you are, how you work, what you understood about their project, and how you'll get it done, with the pricing as one part of the document.

Setell's Proposal Builder is deck-building for your quote. The quote stays the pricing source of truth; the proposal wraps it in your company's story — generated from your own data, reviewed by you, and only shared when you say so.

If you just send quotes or estimates, nothing changes. Proposals are strictly opt-in: Setell never auto-generates one. They exist for the subset of owners who work long-form.

What's in a proposal

Five sections, in a deliberate order:

1. Our experience — who your company is and your track record, from your Settings profile and your real job history (aggregate counts by type of work — e.g. "12 fabrication jobs in the last 18 months").
2. How we execute — your process: machines and equipment, which finishing you run in-house vs. outsource, materials you work, how your shop runs. Straight from your shop profile.
3. What we bring to the table — your differentiators, drawn from your own shop notes and business description.
4. What we know about your project — the customer's scope, constraints, and asks, restated in your voice. This is the section that proves you listened.
5. How we'll achieve your project goals — the plan for this job, built on the quoted work breakdown — leading into the quote's pricing table as the close.

When you've applied a trade playbook, each section also leans into what your trade's buyers care about — an HVAC proposal naturally highlights response time and maintenance plans; a machine-shop one tolerances, inspection, and certs. That emphasis only shapes which of _your own_ facts get the spotlight — it never adds claims, and sections without grounding are still omitted.

Grounded in your data — honestly

Every sentence is grounded in data Setell actually has: your Settings, your shop profile, your aggregate job history, and this job's request and quote. Setell never invents capabilities, certifications, client names, or history.

When a section can't be grounded, it's omitted — not padded with generic filler — and the proposal carries a gaps report telling you exactly what would unlock it (e.g. "fill in your shop profile to unlock the How-we-execute section"). Your job history appears as counts only; other customers' names and amounts never enter a proposal.

How to create one

From any surface — same capability everywhere:

• The app: on the job's page, click Build a proposal (POST /api/jobs/[id]/proposal).
• Studio: "Build a proposal for the Northwest Fabrication job." Setell enqueues the generation and tells you when it's ready, including the gaps report.
• API/MCP (agents): POST /api/mcp/v1/proposal with the job id; poll GET /api/mcp/v1/proposal?proposalId=….

Generation takes under a minute and requires the job to already have a quote. Regenerating creates a new version — a finished proposal is never silently edited.

Review, then share

A generated proposal is operator-only until you publish it. When you're happy with it, attach it to the job's Deal Room — the customer sees a "Proposal" section with a branded PDF (your logo, your color, the sections, and the quote's pricing table). Until you attach it, the customer sees nothing. Attaching is reversible: you can detach it anytime, and detaching is always safe — the customer's Proposal section simply disappears again.

What it needs

• The job must have a quote (the proposal wraps it).
• Proposal generation is available on Business and Pro plans.
• Stronger inputs make stronger proposals: a business description in Settings, a filled-in shop profile, and imported QuickBooks history all feed the document.

What it doesn't do (yet)

• No PowerPoint export — the output is a branded PDF.
• No visual section editor — revise by telling Setell what to change ("make the experience section shorter"); each revision or regeneration is a new version you review before publishing.
• No e-signature on the proposal itself — signatures live on the quote and contract in the Deal Room.

Ready to try it on your own quotes?

Start free — no credit card. 14 days of unlimited Pro, then 3 free quotes a month.