| name | proposal |
| description | Formal business case and proposal generator that produces customer-facing HTML documents with ROI framing and implementation details. Use when user says "create a proposal", "business case", "proposal for [company]", "formal pitch", or asks for a closing document. |
/octave:proposal - Octave-Powered Proposal Builder
Generate formal business case and proposal documents powered by your Octave GTM intelligence. These are the documents that close deals — sent to champions to sell internally, shared with procurement, and presented to executives. Unlike a one-pager (summary) or a deck (live presentation), proposals are comprehensive, customer-facing documents built for async review, internal circulation, and executive sign-off.
The output is a multi-section scrollable HTML document with a sticky table of contents, print-friendly layout, and the same CSS variable / style preset system as /octave:deck.
On-brand styling — use a brand kit if one exists
This proposal is customer-facing (it goes to the recipient and gets circulated internally), so offer the recipient's (the target company's) brand for a personalized feel; the sender's (your own) brand is the standard alternative. "The company" below = whichever they pick (default to offering the recipient's). Then:
- Resolve the company to a
<slug> and check for a cached brand kit at ~/.octave/brands/<slug>/manifest.json.
- If a kit exists → offer it: "I found a saved brand kit for — want this proposal rendered in their brand?" If yes, style the output with the kit instead of a generic preset:
- inline the kit's
tokens.css (:root + the embedded @font-face) and get-brand-components/assets/kit_base.css into the output <style>;
- follow
brand-kit.md → Signature moves, and reuse the kit's real logo, images/, and icons.json;
- for doc-shaped output you can compose directly with
get-brand-components/scripts/render_kit.py (hero / split / logos / pricing / cta / footer blocks).
- If no kit exists → offer to build one first: "No brand kit for yet — want me to capture it (~1 min) so this is on-brand?" → run
/octave:get-brand-components <domain>, then proceed.
- If the user declines → generate with the default style/preset.
The brand kit is the strongest styling signal — when one is available, prefer it over generic --style presets. See the get-brand-components skill for the kit format, token contract, and renderer.
Review pass (runs by default)
After generating, run the review pass by default — don't wait to be asked. In interactive mode, tell the user at intake that you'll review before finishing (recommended) and that they can opt out with --skip-review or "skip review". Follow get-brand-components/references/asset-review.md: the always-on preflight (em dashes, broken images/logos, link target, themed scrollbars, leaked internals) plus the visual pass (render/screenshot, inspect the pixels across the dimensions — groundedness/verification matters most — report a short located scorecard, fix, re-verify). The visual pass defaults off only in a --research fast run; the preflight always runs.
When generating, follow the output rules in get-brand-components/references/presentation-principles.md — the generation-time companion to the review pass (label every value, no tool names in the output, confirmed vs hypothesized, lean and deal-specific).
Usage
/octave:proposal <target> [--style <preset>]
Examples
/octave:proposal acme.com # Full proposal for Acme
/octave:proposal acme.com --style executive-dark # With specific style
/octave:proposal "enterprise security platform deal" # Context-based
/octave:proposal acme.com --style midnight-pro # Dark professional style
/octave:proposal "renewal for DataCorp Q2" # Renewal proposal
Instructions
When the user runs /octave:proposal:
Step 1: Understand the Context
If not provided via flags or obvious from the prompt, ask the user interactively:
Target — "Who is this proposal for?"
Who is this proposal for?
Provide any of the following:
- Company domain (e.g., acme.com)
- Person name or email (e.g., jane@acme.com)
- Deal context (e.g., "enterprise security platform deal with Acme")
Target:
Stage — "Where is this deal?"
What stage is this deal in?
1. Early exploration — they're interested, you're making the case
2. Mid-funnel evaluation — they're comparing options, full persuasion needed
3. Late-stage decision — they know the product, focus on commercials
4. Renewal — existing customer, results + what's next
Your choice:
| Stage | Impact on Proposal |
|---|
| Early exploration | Concise, don't overwhelm. Focus on problem + solution + proof. |
| Mid-funnel evaluation | Comprehensive. Full persuasion with every section. |
| Late-stage decision | Commercial focus. Investment, implementation, next steps. |
| Renewal | Backward-looking results + forward-looking roadmap. |
Champion — "Who will use this document internally?"
Who is your champion — the person who will circulate this internally?
Provide name, title, or role (e.g., "Sarah Chen, VP Engineering").
If unknown, I'll write for a general executive audience.
Champion:
Key Concerns — "Any known objections or priorities?"
Are there known objections, requirements, or priorities?
Examples:
- "They're worried about implementation timeline"
- "Security compliance is a hard requirement"
- "Competing against Gong and Chorus"
- "Budget is tight, need strong ROI story"
Key concerns (or skip):
Pricing — "Include pricing?"
Should the proposal include a pricing / investment section?
1. Yes — I'll include it (provide pricing details or I'll frame it)
2. No — leave pricing out
3. TBD — include a placeholder section
Your choice:
Step 2: Octave Context Gathering
Based on the target, stage, champion, and concerns, use Octave MCP tools to build rich context. Always tell the user what you're researching and why.
Call as many tools as needed to build a complete picture. Proposals demand depth — company enrichment + Motion ICP cell narrative + proof points + conversation intel + competitive context all combine to create a document that feels tailored, not templated. Don't stop at one tool when five would give you a stronger narrative.
Not every tool applies to every proposal. Use your judgment about which are relevant to this specific situation. The tables below show what's available — pick the combination that produces the most compelling case.
List vs Search — when to use which:
| Tool | Purpose | Use when... |
|---|
list_all_entities({ entityType }) | Fetch all entities of a type (minimal fields) | You want a quick inventory — "show me all our proof points" |
list_entities({ entityType }) | Fetch entities with full data (paginated) | You need the actual content — "get full proof point details" |
get_entity({ oId }) | Deep dive on one specific entity | You found something relevant and need the complete picture |
search_knowledge_base({ query }) | Semantic search across library + resources | You have a concept or question — "how do we help in healthcare?" |
list_resources() / search_resources({ query }) | Uploaded docs, URLs, Google Drive files | You need reference material, existing proposals, pricing docs |
Rule of thumb: Use list_* when you know what type of thing you want. Use search_* when you know what topic you're looking for.
Follow-up proposals — ground them in what actually happened:
If this proposal follows previous interactions with the account (demo, discovery call, pilot), pull findings and events to anchor the narrative in real data rather than generic positioning:
list_findings({ query: "<company or contact>", startDate: "<relevant period>" }) — surfaces what was actually said in calls: objections raised, features requested, pain points confirmed, competitor mentions
list_events({ filters: { accounts: ["<account_oId>"] } }) — deal stage changes, meetings held, emails sent — shows the journey so far
get_event_detail({ eventOId }) — deep dive on specific events to pull exact context
This turns a generic proposal into "here's what we heard from you, and here's exactly how we're addressing it."
See octave-tool-reference.md for the full tool reference tables (company/contact research, Motions and Motion ICP cells, proof points, competitive context, conversation history, and resources).
Output of this step: Present a structured proposal outline to the user for approval before generating.
See proposal-outline-template.md for the structured proposal outline template.
Wait for user approval before proceeding.
Step 3: Style Selection
Proposals should feel premium and professional. The default recommendation depends on the audience:
| Audience | Recommended Default |
|---|
| Enterprise / executive | executive-dark |
| Technical / modern | midnight-pro |
| Conservative / traditional | paper-minimal |
| General | executive-dark |
Ask the user:
How would you like to style the proposal?
1. Use recommended — [preset name] (best for [audience])
2. Pick from presets — show me all 12 options
3. Use a brand — yours or the customer's; extract from a website or provide assets
4. Surprise me — auto-pick based on context
Your choice:
If user picks "Show me all 12 options":
See style-presets.md for the full list of 12 style presets grouped by theme.
Full CSS variable definitions for each preset are in the deck skill's style-presets.md.
Brand extraction is encouraged for proposals. A proposal that carries the customer's or your own brand colors looks significantly more professional and intentional. Follow the same brand discovery flow as /octave:deck Step 3: get_external_brand_assets (Tier 1: colors + logo, with a customer-logo sanity check) → scrape_website with includeScreenshot (Tier 2: fonts + components) → browser-use → WebFetch → manual.
Step 4: Generate HTML
Build a single, self-contained HTML file. No external dependencies except Google Fonts. Everything else inlined.
Output Directory
Every proposal gets its own folder under .octave-proposals/:
.octave-proposals/
└── <kebab-case-name>-<YYYY-MM-DD>/
├── <name>.html # Final HTML proposal
└── <name>-content.md # Markdown export (if requested)
Example: /octave:proposal acme.com -> .octave-proposals/acme-corp-proposal-2026-02-11/acme-corp-proposal.html
The entire .octave-proposals/ directory is in .gitignore — nothing here gets committed.
Section Selection by Stage
Not all sections appear in every proposal. Stage determines what's included:
| Stage | Sections Included | Notes |
|---|
| Early exploration | Cover, TOC, Exec Summary, Challenge, Solution, Proof, Next Steps | Keep it concise, don't overwhelm |
| Mid-funnel evaluation | All sections (1-11) | Full persuasion, comprehensive |
| Late-stage decision | Cover, TOC, Exec Summary, Investment, Implementation, Next Steps | They know the product, focus on commercials |
| Renewal | Cover, TOC, Exec Summary (results achieved), Solution (what's new), Investment, Next Steps | Backward-looking + forward |
Document Sections — Full Proposal
See document-sections.md for the full specification of each of the 11 proposal sections.
HTML Architecture
See html-architecture.md for the core HTML structure scaffold and required print styles.
Key Differences from Deck HTML
| Concern | Deck | Proposal |
|---|
| Layout | Full-viewport slides, scroll-snap | Scrollable document, max-width content |
| Navigation | Nav dots, keyboard slide-to-slide | Sticky sidebar TOC with anchor links |
| Content density | Strict per-slide limits | Paragraphs, long-form content allowed |
| Print | Not a priority | Critical — buyers print proposals |
| Page breaks | N/A | Between major sections for printing |
| Typography | Display/impact focused | Readability focused, longer line heights |
| Width | Full viewport | Max 850px content + 220px sidebar |
| Animation | Entrance animations per slide | Subtle — scroll-based fade-in at most |
Typography Recommendations
Proposals benefit from serif headings paired with sans-serif body text for a formal, authoritative feel:
| Preset | Heading Font | Body Font |
|---|
| executive-dark | Playfair Display | Inter |
| midnight-pro | Inter | Inter |
| paper-minimal | Libre Baskerville | Source Sans 3 |
| swiss-modern | Inter | Inter |
For brand-extracted styles, prefer the brand's own fonts. If none are available, default to the heading/body pairing from the chosen preset.
Content Writing Guidelines
Proposals are persuasive documents, not feature lists. Follow these principles:
- Lead with their world, not yours. Open every section from the customer's perspective.
- Ground in specifics. Use company name, industry data, conversation quotes. Generic = ignored.
- Quantify everything. "Reduce onboarding time by 60%" beats "Faster onboarding."
- One idea per paragraph. Executives skim. Make every paragraph earn its place.
- Active voice. "We deploy in 4 weeks" not "Deployment is completed in 4 weeks."
- Address objections before they arise. If you know a concern, handle it in the relevant section.
- End every section with a forward pull. Give the reader a reason to keep going.
Step 5: Delivery
After generating the HTML file:
- Open the proposal in the default browser
- Present a summary:
See delivery-summary.md for the PROPOSAL READY summary template.
Stakeholder variants: If the user asks for a version for a different audience (e.g., "make one for the CTO"), adjust:
- Emphasis: shift from business value to technical architecture
- Language: match the stakeholder's domain
- Sections: add/remove appendix items, shift proof points to technical ones
- Tone: executive = strategic, technical = detailed, procurement = ROI-focused
PDF export guidance:
To save as PDF (recommended for sharing):
PDF (recommended): bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-.}"/scripts/export-pdf.sh .octave-proposals/<name>-<date>/<name>.html
— or use the manual print dialog below:
1. Open the proposal in your browser (already open)
2. Press Cmd+P (Mac) or Ctrl+P (Windows)
3. Set margins to "Default" or "Minimum"
4. Enable "Background graphics" for colors and styling
5. Select "Save as PDF"
The proposal is designed with page breaks between sections for clean printing.
MCP Tools Used
Research & Enrichment
enrich_company — Full company intelligence profile
enrich_person — Full person intelligence report
find_person — Find contacts at a company by title/role
qualify_company — ICP fit scoring for a company
qualify_person — ICP fit scoring for a person
Library — Fetching Entities
list_all_entities — Quick scan of all entities of a type (minimal fields)
list_entities — Fetch entities with full data and pagination
get_entity — Deep dive on one specific entity
Motions
list_motions — Motions for the offering
list_motion_playbooks — Default + Custom Motion Playbooks under a Motion
get_motion_playbook — Full Motion Playbook details
list_motion_icps — Persona × segment matrix for a Motion
find_motion_icp — Full per-cell narrative + Learning Loop learnings
Library — Searching
search_knowledge_base — Semantic search across library entities and resources
list_resources — Browse uploaded docs, URLs, and Google Drive files
search_resources — Semantic search across uploaded resources
Intelligence & Signals
list_findings — Recent conversation findings and insights
list_events — Deal events (won, lost, created, stage changes)
get_event_detail — Full details for a specific event
Content Generation
generate_call_prep — Synthesized prep brief for accounts
generate_content — Generate positioning or messaging content
Brand & Style
list_all_entities (entityType: "brand_voice") — Available brand voices in workspace
list_writing_styles — Available writing styles in workspace
Error Handling
Octave Connection Failed:
Could not connect to your Octave workspace.
The proposal builder can still work without Octave — you'll provide the content manually, and I'll handle structure, style, and HTML generation.
To reconnect: check your MCP configuration or run /octave:workspace status
Company Not Found:
I couldn't find detailed intelligence for [domain].
Options:
- Proceed with what we have — I'll use general positioning from your library
- Try a different domain
- Provide company context manually and I'll build the proposal
No Proof Points Available:
No proof points or references matched this account's industry or use case.
Options:
- Proceed without a Proof of Results section
- Add generic proof points (I'll use your best available)
- Provide case study details manually
- Skip for now and add later
No Pricing Information:
No pricing resources found in your workspace.
Options:
- Provide pricing details and I'll format them
- Include a TBD placeholder — "Investment details to be discussed"
- Omit the investment section entirely
No Matching Motion ICP Cell:
No Motion ICP cell matches this audience profile directly.
I'll use your general positioning. After the proposal is built, consider layering a Custom Motion Playbook (Thematic / Milestone / Account / Competitive) on the relevant Motion for this angle.
Related Skills
/octave:deck — Presentation version of the pitch (for live presenting)
/octave:one-pager — Summary version (when a full proposal is too heavy)
/octave:brief — Internal prep document (for your team, not the customer)
/octave:research — Deeper research on the account before writing
/octave:battlecard-doc — Competitive reference document (if competitor in deal)
/octave:generate — Generate content with brand voice control
/octave:pipeline — Deal-level strategy and coaching