Three deals, three emails, about 15 minutes each — no decks, no Looms, no 14-page PDFs. The proposal that closes is a plain email: a TL;DR, the problem in their words, a time-boxed month-by-month outline, the price, and one next step. Here's the exact skeleton, the three rules behind it, and why the SOW only comes after they say yes.
July 24, 2026 · Gev Marotz · 5 min read
Three deals. Three emails. About 15 minutes each. No decks, no Looms, no 14-page PDFs.
Deal one: the embarrassed SF team
A team in SF was building an app from zero, and they had experienced founders, a solid idea, and a prototype-level product, but they were a bit embarrassed by how rough everything looked.
We had one call. They walked me through where they were stuck, what they'd tried, and what "good" looked like in their heads.
After the call, I didn't open Keynote, and I didn't open Notion, and I didn't record a Loom.
I opened a blank email instead.
The email:
"Here's what we discussed: you have a solid idea, some rough product, and no real brand or story yet. Over the next 90 days, I'll help you get to a place where you have (1) a clear product direction we're confident in, (2) a brand and visual identity that feels like you, and (3) an app experience that doesn't feel like a prototype.
Month 1: align on priorities, map the current experience, and decide what we're not doing.
Month 2: tighten product flows, design core screens, and lock the visual direction.
Month 3: polish, edge cases, and assets so you can actually talk about this thing.
I'll need you, or another decision-maker, for one working session a week. Investment is [X] per month for three months. If this sounds good, I'll put together an SOW, and we can get started fine-tuning the scope."
They replied yes immediately, so it took fifteen minutes, one email, and it was done.
Deal two: the brand with no story
A consumer startup had a decent product, but they had zero brand cohesion, and every touchpoint looked like a different company. On the call, the founder said the quiet part out loud: "We're a little ashamed of how this looks next to our competitors."
The email:
"TL;DR: you have real traction and a product people like, but no visual identity or story that matches it. Over 6 weeks, we'll go from 'inconsistent and generic' to 'a brand that feels as sharp as the product.'
Week 1 to 2: audit every touchpoint and agree on positioning and tone.
Week 3 to 4: build the visual identity, including logo, type, color, and core templates.
Week 5 to 6: roll it out across your top five surfaces and hand off a system your team can run with.
One working session a week, plus access to current assets. Investment is [X] for the 6 weeks. If this sounds good, I'll put together an SOW, and we can get started fine-tuning the scope."
The reply came back in under an hour: "Yes, let's go."
Deal three: the app that felt like a prototype
A B2B tool worked fine, but it looked unfinished, and the founder's words were almost identical to deal one: "We know it works, we're just embarrassed to demo it."
The email:
"TL;DR: the product works, but it doesn't look like something you'd be proud to demo to investors or customers. Over 30 days, we'll get you to a version that feels finished end to end.
Week 1: map current flows and flag what's actively hurting the demo.
Week 2 to 3: redesign core screens and fix the worst friction points.
Week 4: polish, edge cases, and a clickable version you can actually show.
One working session a week, and everything in a shared doc. Investment is [X] for 30 days. If this sounds good, I'll put together an SOW, and we can get started fine-tuning the scope."
Yes, within the day.
Why the email worked every time
All three founders had the same undertone, some version of "we're a little ashamed of how this looks right now." They'd already met me and knew I was capable, so they wanted one thing: a clear path from "this isn't ready" to "we're proud to show this," plus how long it would take and how much it would cost.
I learned this the hard way, and not by losing a deal, but by receiving one. Another fractional sent me a 14-page PDF proposal, and I scrolled through frameworks, diagrams, and slides before hitting the two things I actually cared about: timeline and price.
Halfway through, I thought, "you're overcomplicating this," and then I realized I'd been doing the same thing with Looms, Notion pages, and slide decks that each took half a day to build.
The shape that repeats every time
The email skeleton:
A TL;DR up top, one to three sentences
The problem, stated in their language
What you need from them, usually one session a week
A simple month-by-month or week-by-week outline
The price, the length, and how you'll work
One next step: "If this sounds good, I'll put together an SOW, and we can get started fine-tuning the scope."
The SOW only comes together after they say yes, and it becomes the contract. The decision happens in the email, and the SOW just protects both sides afterward.
The three rules behind every deal
Proposal equals email. I never graduate to a deck, and if the scope needs sharpening, that happens once they're already in, through the SOW.
Sell outcomes, not tasks. None of the three emails above mention "user research" or "wireframes," and instead they say what changes: rough becomes proud to show, inconsistent becomes cohesive, and unfinished becomes demo ready.
Time-box it, and give an early win. 90 days, 6 weeks, or 30 days, every engagement is boxed, and every one has something concrete promised in week one so momentum starts immediately.
A quieter rule sits under all three: if someone wants the price down, something comes out of scope, because I don't do the same thing for less. And I still watch for curiosity and honesty on the call, since no deal above closes in 15 minutes without that trust already in place.
One action to take today
Open a blank email, and write what changes, how long it takes, and what it costs. Add two or three bullets per phase, and end with: "If this sounds good, I'll put together an SOW, and we can get started fine-tuning the scope." Stop there.
Worst case, they say no, and you've spent 15 minutes instead of half a day in Keynote. Best case, you close three deals before lunch, and you never have to scroll your own 14-page PDF again.
The harder part isn't writing that email once, though, since remembering what was actually said on the call is what makes the email write itself. That's exactly why I've been building Juggle, which listens on your calls, gives you a summary the moment you hang up, and sorts your action items so you're not digging through notes to write the proposal. It's built for fractionals and solo operators juggling multiple client conversations at once, and if you want in, the beta's open at joinjuggle.com.
