# Freelancer Proposal Prompt Pack 30 copy-paste prompts for [Claude](https://claude.ai), in the order a freelance job moves: reading the brief, asking the right questions, writing the proposal, pricing and scope, follow-ups, objections, and learning from a yes or a no. Replace every [bracket] with your own details. Paste one prompt at a time, read the answer, then correct it. --- ## Before you start: five rules 1. **Never let Claude invent anything.** Past clients, results, testimonials, tools you have not used and qualifications you do not hold must never appear in a proposal. Every prompt below tells Claude to leave a [bracket] where a fact is missing. Anthropic's [usage policy](https://www.anthropic.com/legal/aup) also prohibits misrepresenting professional credentials. 2. **Keep confidential material out.** If a client sent you something under an NDA, or a brief with private figures, check your agreement before pasting it. Never paste passwords, bank details or personal data about the client's customers. 3. **You set the price.** Claude can help you think through scope and options, but it does not know your costs, your market or your worth. Every number in a proposal is yours. 4. **Never auto-send.** Read every proposal out loud before it leaves. A fast wrong proposal costs more than a slow right one. 5. **Sound like you.** Paste one proposal you are proud of at the start of a chat and ask Claude to match its voice. Then edit until you would say it to the client's face. If you will use these for many clients, a [Claude Project](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/9517075-what-are-projects) keeps your voice sample, services and standard terms together so you do not paste them every time. --- ## Part 1. Understand the brief (5 prompts) **1. Read the brief like a skeptic** > Here is a job post or client brief: [paste it]. Tell me in plain English: what the client actually wants, what they say they want but may not, what is missing, what could mean more work than it looks, and which parts are vague enough to cause a dispute later. Do not write a proposal yet. **2. Spot red flags** > Read this brief as a freelancer who has been burned before: [paste it]. List any signs of a difficult client or an unclear project, such as unlimited revisions, no budget, "quick" work that is not quick, or unpaid trial work. For each, tell me what to ask or what to put in writing before I agree. **3. Work out what is really being bought** > A client asked for [what they asked for]. What problem are they probably trying to solve underneath? List three possible goals, and the one question I should ask to find out which is true. **4. Decide whether to bid** > Here is the brief: [paste it], and here is what I do best and what I want from my next client: [describe]. Give me an honest yes, maybe or no on bidding, with the three strongest reasons. Do not flatter me. **5. Summarize a long document** > Here is a long client document: [paste it]. Summarize it in 10 bullet points for someone who has not read it. List every date, number and requirement separately at the end so I can check them against the original. --- ## Part 2. Ask the right questions (4 prompts) **6. Questions to send before I quote** > Write 8 short questions I should ask this client before I quote for [project]. They should reveal the goal, the audience, the deadline, who approves the work, what they have tried before, what "done" looks like and whether a budget exists. Group them by theme. Keep the tone friendly and brief. **7. A discovery call plan** > I have a 20-minute call with a potential client about [project]. Write me a short plan: how to open, the five questions in the best order, how to handle the money question, and how to close with a clear next step. **8. Turn call notes into a clear brief** > Here are my rough notes from the call: [paste]. Turn them into a one-page project summary the client can confirm: goal, deliverables, timeline, what is not included, and open questions. Use only what is in my notes. List anything unclear at the end. **9. Ask for the budget without awkwardness** > Give me three ways to ask a client about their budget for [project] in a friendly, non-pushy way. Include one for when they say "what are your rates?" and I want to learn their range first. --- ## Part 3. Write the proposal (6 prompts) **10. The full proposal** > Write a proposal for this project: [paste the call summary]. Use this structure: a short opening that shows I understood their problem, my approach in 3 to 5 steps, deliverables, timeline, price options, what is not included, and the next step. Keep it under [one page / two pages]. Use only facts I give you. Where you need a price, date or detail, leave a clearly labelled [blank] and list every blank at the end. Here is a past proposal in my voice: [paste]. **11. A one-paragraph proposal for a job platform** > Write a 120-word reply to this job post: [paste]. Open with their problem in my own words, not "I am excited to apply". Say what I would do first, include one relevant example from my work that I describe below, and end with one question. My relevant example: [describe, truthfully]. **12. A stronger opening** > Here is the first paragraph of my proposal: [paste]. Rewrite it three ways: one starting with the client's problem, one with a clear outcome, one with a short question. Do not add claims I have not given you. **13. Describe my approach** > Here is how I normally do [type of project]: [rough notes]. Turn this into a clear 4-step approach written for a client who is not an expert. No jargon. Show what they will see and decide at each step. **14. Package three options** > The client asked for [project]. Suggest three packages, a basic one, a standard one and a fuller one, describing what each includes and what it leaves out. Do not suggest prices, only what changes between them. I will add the numbers. **15. A short case for why me** > Here is my honest background for this type of work: [paste]. Write a three-sentence "why me" section that uses only this. If it is thin, tell me what true detail I could add, and do not fill the gap with invention. --- ## Part 4. Price and scope (5 prompts) **16. Think through my price** > Here are my details: [hours I expect, my target hourly rate, tool costs, time for revisions and communication]. Walk me through how to turn that into a fixed price and a range. Show the arithmetic so I can check it. Remind me what I usually forget to include. **17. Define what is not included** > For this project: [describe], write a clear "not included" list that prevents scope creep. Cover extra revisions, extra pages or items, rush work, content the client should supply, and ongoing support. Keep each line one sentence. **18. Revisions policy** > Write a short, friendly revisions clause for my proposal: [number] rounds included, extra rounds at [rate], and what counts as a revision versus new work. Plain language, no legal terms. **19. Payment terms** > Draft payment terms for a [small / medium] project: a deposit before I start, the rest in stages or on delivery, and what happens if a payment is late. Keep it plain and polite. I will check it against my own contract and local rules. **20. Explain why my price is higher** > The client says my price is higher than another freelancer's. Here is what I include: [describe]. Write a calm reply that explains the difference in value and offers a smaller version, without criticizing anyone or sounding defensive. --- ## Part 5. Follow up (4 prompts) **21. First follow-up** > I sent a proposal on [date] and have heard nothing. Write a short, friendly follow-up that adds something useful, such as one idea about their project, and does not just say "checking in". Three sentences. **22. Second follow-up** > I followed up once and still have no reply. Write a last note that makes it easy to say no. It should keep the door open and not sound hurt or pushy. **23. After a call** > Write a thank-you email after our call about [project]. Recap the three decisions we made, what I will do next and what I need from them, with dates left as [blanks]. **24. When they go quiet after a yes** > The client agreed, then stopped replying before the project started. Write a polite message that asks what they need from me to begin, mentions the start date, and offers a short call. --- ## Part 6. Objections and negotiation (3 prompts) **25. "Can you do it cheaper?"** > The client asked for a lower price. Here is the proposal: [paste]. Give me three options: hold the price and explain, reduce the scope to hit a lower price, or offer a payment plan. Write one short reply for each. Never suggest working for free. **26. "Can we start with a free sample?"** > A client wants a free sample before hiring me. Write a polite reply that explains how I work, offers a small paid first step instead, and keeps the conversation friendly. **27. "We need it sooner"** > The client asked for delivery a week earlier than I proposed. Write a reply that explains what that means for the project, offers a rush fee or a smaller first delivery, and does not sound grumpy. --- ## Part 7. Learn from the result (3 prompts) **28. After a yes** > The client accepted. Write a short welcome message with next steps, what I need from them (list as [blanks]) and what happens in the first week. **29. After a no** > The client chose someone else. Write a gracious reply that thanks them, asks one question about what made the difference, and leaves the door open. **30. Review my proposals** > Here are three proposals I sent: two that won and one that lost: [paste them]. Compare them honestly. What patterns do you see in the winners, what might have hurt the loser, and what one change would I test next? Do not guess about the client's reasons beyond what the text shows. --- ## The final check Run this on every proposal before it goes out. - [ ] Every fact, name, date and number is true and from me - [ ] No past work, client or testimonial is invented - [ ] No tool, qualification or credential is claimed that I do not have - [ ] The scope and the "not included" list match what I can actually deliver - [ ] The price is my own number, checked against my hours and costs - [ ] Revisions, payment and timing are written down - [ ] No [brackets] are left - [ ] It answers the client's real problem in the first paragraph - [ ] I read it out loud and it sounds like me Claude can draft a proposal in minutes. It cannot know what you can deliver, and the promise in the proposal is yours to keep. Freelancer Proposal Prompt Pack from https://coding180.com