How to Create and Send Proposals in CrmLeaf
All editions. Core feature - no add-on required. Pulling site and survey data into a proposal applies to the Solar CRM edition.
Availability: All editions. Core feature - no add-on required. Pulling site and survey data into a proposal applies to the Solar CRM edition.
Overview
A Proposal is a richer, design-driven sales document used where a plain quote is not enough. Like an estimate it carries line items, discounts and taxes and is accepted by e-signature on a public link. Unlike an estimate, an accepted proposal does not create an invoice, so you decide when and how to bill.
How It Works
You build the proposal from a Proposal Template and a Design Template, send it, and the client accepts or declines it with a comment.
Select templates → Build content → Send → Client accepts or declines → Follow up
- Proposal statuses are
waiting,acceptedanddeclined. The client can add a comment with the decision. - A proposal is built from a Proposal Template for the content and a Design Template for the presentation.
- Line items, discounts and taxes work as they do on an estimate, and the document expires on its
valid_tilldate. - CrmLeaf records
last_viewedso you can see whether the client opened the proposal. - The client acts on the proposal from a public action link, so no portal login is needed.
- An accepted proposal is signed but does not auto-generate an invoice. Create the invoice separately.
- In the Solar CRM edition, a proposal can pull in site and survey data.
Who Can Use This Feature?
User
- Create a proposal from a Proposal Template and a Design Template.
- Send the proposal and track whether the client has viewed it.
- Read the client's acceptance or decline comment and follow up.
- Raise the invoice once the proposal is accepted.
Access depends on the modules and role assigned by your Administrator. Proposal visibility follows the ownership-based permission scope set for your role.
Prerequisites
- At least one Proposal Template and one Design Template must exist.
- The deal or client the proposal relates to must exist.
- Currencies and tax rates must be configured for your account.
- For a Solar CRM proposal that reuses site data, the solar site and its survey must already be recorded.
For Users
Step 1: Open the Proposal screen
What to do: Review existing proposals, then select Add to start a new one.
What to verify: The list shows each proposal with its status.
Step 2: Choose the templates
What to do: Select the Proposal Template that matches the type of work being proposed, and the Design Template for how the document should look.
What to verify: The proposal content and layout come from the templates you selected.
Step 3: Complete the commercial detail
What to do: Add the line items, apply the discount and the tax rates, select the currency, and set the date until which the proposal is valid. Complete every mandatory field. In a Solar CRM account, pull in the relevant site and survey data so the proposal reflects the assessed installation.
What to verify: The totals and the validity date are correct.
Step 4: Send the proposal
What to do: Select Save, then send the proposal. The status is waiting until the client responds, and the client receives the public link to act on.
What to verify: The status reads waiting, and a last_viewed value appears once the client opens the document.
Step 5: Act on the client's decision
What to do: When the client accepts, the status becomes accepted and the signature is stored. Read any comment the client left. Because no invoice is created automatically, raise the invoice yourself when you are ready to bill. When the client declines, read the comment and decide whether to revise and re-issue.
What to verify: The status matches the client's decision, and for an accepted proposal an invoice has been raised in Sales → Invoices.
Field and Option Reference
| Field / Option | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Proposal Template | The reusable content the proposal is built from. | Yes |
| Design Template | Controls the presentation of the proposal document. | Yes |
| Line items | The products or services proposed, with quantity and rate. | Yes |
| Discount | A reduction applied to the proposal total. | No |
| Tax | Named tax rates applied per line item. | No |
| Valid till | The date after which the proposal expires. | Yes |
| Client comment | The comment the client can leave with an acceptance or a decline. | No |
Expected Result
The proposal is saved and appears in the proposal list with status waiting once sent. After the client responds, the status is accepted or declined, with the client's comment recorded and, for an acceptance, a signature stored.
Why This Matters for Service Organisations
Professional services are usually won on approach, not on a price list. A consulting, agency or advisory pursuit has to show how the work will be run, who will run it and why the method suits the client, and a line-item quote cannot carry that. The proposal is the document for that pursuit, and it is signed on a public link rather than emailed round for a wet signature.
How It Supports Professional Services
- A Proposal Template holds the content and a Design Template holds the presentation, so a firm can standardise its methodology narrative while still producing a document that looks tailored.
- Acceptance is recorded with a signature on a public action link, so the client's decision is evidenced on the record rather than sitting in an inbox.
- The client's comment is captured with the accept or decline, which gives a pursuit lead the stated reason a proposal was lost rather than a guess.
- An accepted proposal deliberately does not create an invoice. That suits engagements where billing starts on a milestone, a retainer cycle or an agreed first instalment rather than at signature.
- The
last_viewedvalue shows whether the document has been opened, which is often the trigger for a follow-up call.
Typical Service Workflow
Deal → Proposal → Acceptance → Contract → Project → Billing
The proposal sits at the agree step alongside the estimate. Because no invoice follows automatically, the organisation decides the billing route as practice — a contract and a recurring invoice for a retainer, or milestone invoicing for a deliverable-based engagement.
Other Product-Type Use Cases
The same document serves any considered purchase. A Solar CRM proposal can pull in site and survey data so the design the client signs is the design that was assessed.
Related PSA Capabilities
- How to Create and E-Sign Contracts — the signed agreement a won proposal is usually formalised into.
- How to Create and Send Estimates — use this instead where an invoice should follow acceptance automatically.
- How to Invoice a Completed Project Milestone — a common billing route after a proposal is accepted.
- How to Set Up Recurring Invoices — the billing route for a retainer won on a proposal.
Important Notes
- Menu names and their position can differ between product editions and can be customised for your account, so your sidebar may not match these paths exactly. Use Search or your Quick Access items if you cannot find a screen.
- An accepted proposal does not create an invoice. If you need automatic invoicing on acceptance, use an Estimate instead.
- A proposal has no
draftorcanceledstatus. Its statuses arewaiting,acceptedanddeclined.
Common Scenarios
Example: a designed sales document. A prospect needs a narrative document covering scope and approach as well as pricing. You send a proposal, and once it is accepted you raise the invoice for the agreed first payment.
Example: a solar installation proposal. The site survey is complete. You build the proposal from the solar Proposal Template, pull in the site and survey data, and send it for e-signature.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Possible Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| No invoice appeared after the proposal was accepted | Expected behaviour - proposals do not auto-generate invoices | Create the invoice manually, or use an Estimate when automatic invoicing is required. |
| No templates are available | No Proposal Template or Design Template has been created for the account | Ask your Administrator to create the templates first. |
| Site data cannot be pulled into the proposal | The account is not a Solar CRM account, or the site and survey records do not exist | Confirm the edition with your Administrator and complete the site and survey records first. |
| The client says the proposal has expired | The valid_till date has passed | Issue a new proposal with a current validity date. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the client explain why they declined?
Yes. The client can submit a comment along with the accept or decline decision.
Do I need an estimate as well as a proposal?
Only if you want an invoice created automatically on acceptance. That behaviour belongs to estimates.
Can I tell whether the client has read the proposal?
Yes. CrmLeaf records a last_viewed value on the document.
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