How cutting proposal time boosts sales

Steal the proposal workflow below to close more sales

I’ve included a quick-start guide and a free HubSpot template so you can get everything set up in 5 minutes - or less!

But first, let's imagine you've just finished a discovery call with a promising prospect.

They're engaged, their pain points are clear, and there's a genuine spark of interest. But hours, sometimes days, go by before they receive a formal proposal from you or the team. Chances are, in that gap, their enthusiasm fades as of other distractions and competing priorities.

What's interesting is our sales research shows that those critical hours right after a call are a prime window to capture momentum and build trust (and ultimately close the deal). Let me explain:

Speed matters.

The research we've conducted indicates that contacting leads quickly after initial engagement can increase conversion rates by as much as 7x (seven times). And reaching out within five minutes can make a prospect a whopping 100 times more likely to continue the conversation (Source: Harvard Business Review).

And it's prompt, personalized proposals are what will harness this momentum -keeping your prospect's attention, and your solution top of mind.

Why do faster proposals shorten the sales cycle

We've lived this ourselves, but delays - for whatever reason - between discovery calls and proposals extend your sales cycle more than you think. Research shows that deals that close faster in almost all cases have consistent, timely follow-ups - often within a few hours of a discovery call.

The difference between sending a proposal within a matter of hours compared to leaving it to the following Monday has differences in closing time measuring over a month (Source: HubSpot Sales Insights). Why? Because you have to invest in reengaging warm leads that have now gone cold, and buyers associate agility and relevance in your communication with the quality of whatever it is you're selling.

Meeting those expectations means you need to stop doing it manually, and use automation tools that kill the admin and personalize what matters most.

Creating 'dynamic proposals' personalized at scale

We've been hard at work to create what we are calling dynamic proposals - which adapt the content to closely reflect each prospect’s unique needs, using data captured during the call.

This goes a step beyond a personalised template (where you slap in their logo and insert their company name in a few places). Instead, you're weaving in the prospect's own words, challenges, and objectives to create a hyper-relevant offer - one that makes them feel seen and their needs met.

So it's no surprise that sales teams who personalize proposals in this way reap more fruit than those who don't, and enjoy much higher engagement rates and win deals 700% faster.

The bit we're most excited for? It's automatically generated within 60 seconds after the call finishes.

How you can create lightning-fast proposals in HubSpot

Portant integrates seamlessly with HubSpot to transform your discovery call notes and call transcripts into tailored proposals within seconds.

Here's an example workflow:

• Right after a discovery call, a HubSpot workflow triggers Portant to generate a dynamic proposal based on the meeting notes and CRM data.
• Portant’s AI inserts the prospect's words, pain points, and relevant deal details into a pre-designed template for a polished, professional document.
• An editable "Review Block" allows sales reps to quickly make adjustments or approve the proposal directly within HubSpot without toggling between apps.
• The proposal can then be sent promptly via email or set up for electronic signature, maintaining momentum during those crucial hours.

This will not only save hours of manual work but also ensure every proposal resonates deeply because it reflects the real conversation - catching every opportunity while it's hot.

How to set it up in 5 simple steps (steal this template):

1. In HubSpot, create a workflow that triggers when a meeting is associated with a deal and internal meeting notes are recorded.
2. Add a short delay (e.g., 2 minutes) in the workflow to ensure all data is synced.
3. Add a "Portant Action" to generate the dynamic proposal using your pre-configured Portant template.
4. Include a Review Block in your template to allow streamlined edits and approvals within HubSpot.
5. Turn on the workflow and enroll future deals meeting the criteria so proposals draft automatically after each discovery call.

Tip: Sales reps can also manually generate proposals from the Portant CRM card on a deal page if preferred.

Steal this template

Save hours setting up a polished, professional proposal workflow - use the one we’ve already built for you. Use template for free. Or browse our template store here.

Why bother?

For sales leaders and reps, cutting proposal turnaround times translates directly into more closed deals and shorter sales cycles. It's really that simple. Portant’s HubSpot integration ensures sales teams spend a lot less time on admin and more time engaging clients, accelerating high-quality output without compromising quality.

According to research, the first follow-up email within 24 hours can boost response rates by 25%, and well-crafted, personalized proposals significantly increase chances of deal closure (Sources: HubSpot, Harvard Business Review).

Next steps

Speed and personalization are no longer optional in today’s sales environment. By reducing the time between your discovery call and proposal delivery with dynamic proposals, your sales team can close deals faster, build stronger client connections, and trim needless, lengthy sales cycles.

Ready to test this for yourself? Try Portant free via the HubSpot marketplace here.