Presentation · Advanced · About 8 min
Present a stronger business proposal
Let new delivery evidence change the proposal
Founder of Handover · Prospective buyer or investorRead the fictional case: The Handover paid pilot
The Handover paid pilot Defend a testable proposal without overstating demand or economics.
Fictional practice case. Handover prepares job-handover packs for small service agencies. Twelve agency owners were interviewed: eight described difficulty handing work between staff, five expressed interest in a trial, and two signed a four-week paid pilot at $600 each. Each pilot covers ten packs and two hours of support. The delivery estimate is 45 minutes per pack at a labor cost of $40 an hour. Software costs $100 per month for the business, not per customer. Sales, founder time, taxes, and other overhead are not included in these figures. Neither customer has completed or renewed the pilot. No evidence establishes demand outside these interviews and purchases. New information for this exercise: the first delivery records show 70 minutes of work per pack, with the two hours of support unchanged. The customer has not agreed to a higher price or reduced scope. The founder must propose a commercially credible next pilot.
A stronger proposal can emerge from an unwelcome result. The first delivery records show 70 minutes per pack rather than the estimated 45. Explain what that does to the offer before presenting a confident growth story.
At ten packs plus two support hours, labor now costs about $546.67. A $600 sale leaves about $53.33 before software and other overhead. Reducing scope to six packs would cost $360 in labor at the recorded pace, leaving $240 before other costs, but buyers have not agreed to that smaller package.
Follow one argument across the exchange
The new estimate uses 70 minutes per pack and the same two support hours.
The reduced scope improves the contribution calculation but may reduce buyer value.
Economic feasibility and customer acceptance must both be examined.
Update the calculation
Use the observed pace and include the support commitment.
Propose a commercially meaningful change
Consider scope, price, process, or customer segment without assuming acceptance.
Defend the next commitment
Explain what result would justify continuation rather than immediate expansion.
Revising the offer instead of hiding the cost
The Handover paid pilot Defend a testable proposal without overstating demand or economics.
Fictional practice case. Handover prepares job-handover packs for small service agencies. Twelve agency owners were interviewed: eight described difficulty handing work between staff, five expressed interest in a trial, and two signed a four-week paid pilot at $600 each. Each pilot covers ten packs and two hours of support. The delivery estimate is 45 minutes per pack at a labor cost of $40 an hour. Software costs $100 per month for the business, not per customer. Sales, founder time, taxes, and other overhead are not included in these figures. Neither customer has completed or renewed the pilot. No evidence establishes demand outside these interviews and purchases. New information for this exercise: the first delivery records show 70 minutes of work per pack, with the two hours of support unchanged. The customer has not agreed to a higher price or reduced scope. The founder must propose a commercially credible next pilot.
- New economics
Ten packs now require about 13.67 hours including support, costing approximately $546.67.
The new estimate uses 70 minutes per pack and the same two support hours.
- A revised test
Propose six packs and two support hours for $600. At the observed pace, labor would cost $360.
The reduced scope improves the contribution calculation but may reduce buyer value.
- The commercial question
Test whether buyers still find the smaller package worth purchasing. Do not present the improved spreadsheet as proof they will accept it.
Economic feasibility and customer acceptance must both be examined.
Explain why the revised offer could work and what evidence could still defeat it.
Your rehearsal
Founder of Handover · Prospective buyer or investorPresent a revised proposal aloud in about ninety seconds. Explain the new evidence, one change to the offer, its economic effect, and how you would test buyer acceptance. Record one improvement afterward.
Read the fictional case: The Handover paid pilot
The Handover paid pilot Defend a testable proposal without overstating demand or economics.
Fictional practice case. Handover prepares job-handover packs for small service agencies. Twelve agency owners were interviewed: eight described difficulty handing work between staff, five expressed interest in a trial, and two signed a four-week paid pilot at $600 each. Each pilot covers ten packs and two hours of support. The delivery estimate is 45 minutes per pack at a labor cost of $40 an hour. Software costs $100 per month for the business, not per customer. Sales, founder time, taxes, and other overhead are not included in these figures. Neither customer has completed or renewed the pilot. No evidence establishes demand outside these interviews and purchases. New information for this exercise: the first delivery records show 70 minutes of work per pack, with the two hours of support unchanged. The customer has not agreed to a higher price or reduced scope. The founder must propose a commercially credible next pilot.
Try this aloud if you like, then note what you would improve. You can also write the response below.
Try it aloud
Use the timer for a spoken attempt if it helps. Practice without recording, then note what you would improve.
Speaking is self-reviewed. No microphone or recording is required.
You can type or use your keyboard’s microphone to dictate. Your text stays editable. Practice is optional.
Loading your progress…
Help me get started
We learned… This changes… I propose… The calculation is… The buyer still needs to…
Review and continue
The Handover paid pilot Defend a testable proposal without overstating demand or economics.
Read the practice task and fictional case
Present a revised proposal aloud in about ninety seconds. Explain the new evidence, one change to the offer, its economic effect, and how you would test buyer acceptance. Record one improvement afterward.
Fictional practice case. Handover prepares job-handover packs for small service agencies. Twelve agency owners were interviewed: eight described difficulty handing work between staff, five expressed interest in a trial, and two signed a four-week paid pilot at $600 each. Each pilot covers ten packs and two hours of support. The delivery estimate is 45 minutes per pack at a labor cost of $40 an hour. Software costs $100 per month for the business, not per customer. Sales, founder time, taxes, and other overhead are not included in these figures. Neither customer has completed or renewed the pilot. No evidence establishes demand outside these interviews and purchases. New information for this exercise: the first delivery records show 70 minutes of work per pack, with the two hours of support unchanged. The customer has not agreed to a higher price or reduced scope. The founder must propose a commercially credible next pilot.
Your response
You can return to the practice whenever you want.
One model response
The recorded delivery pace leaves about $53.33 per original pilot before software and other overhead, so I would pause expansion of that offer. I propose testing six packs plus two support hours for $600; labor at the recorded pace would be $360, leaving $240 before other costs. The next decision depends on buyers accepting that scope at the price. If it does not solve enough of their problem, the improved margin alone is not a business case.
The founder changes the commitment in response to the actual cost.
The new offer has explicit scope and a defensible contribution calculation.
The proposal includes the strongest reason the revision might still fail.
The model integrates demand, delivery evidence, and economics. A price increase or a different scope can also be defended if it is costed and tested rather than assumed.
Review the performance
- EvidenceI update the economics accurately.
- Commercial judgmentI propose a specific change and its tradeoff.
- PresentationI explain what customer evidence would justify continuation.
Choose one move to improve, revise your response, then try it aloud.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Continuing to present the original margin after the estimate changes.
- Assuming customers will accept less because the business needs a better contribution.
Loading your progress…